IT trainer

IT trainers teach people who want to learn new computer skills or improve their existing ones.

In this guide

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As an IT trainer, you could:

  • work out training needs and agree learning aims
  • design new training programmes and adapt existing ones
  • create learning materials, and online resources for e-learning
  • teach IT skills to learners, face to face or online
  • support the roll-out of new software training in a business
  • assess the effectiveness of your training courses
  • monitor progress and give feedback to learners
  • keep up to date with changing technology

Working environment

You could work in an office, at a training centre, at a college or at a client's business.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could become a lead trainer in your organisation, an area training co-ordinator or a freelance trainer. You could also teach in further education.

You could move into technical writing, project management or work in other areas of IT, like e-learning development and publishing.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
  • the ability to create the best conditions for learning or teaching new things
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • customer service skills
  • active listening skills
  • leadership skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to come up with new ways of doing things
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

Most relevant

  • Computer Science - IT trainers need a deep understanding of how software, systems, and digital technologies work so they can explain them clearly to learners. Whether teaching people to use databases, troubleshoot networks, or understand how applications are built, a solid technical foundation makes their training more accurate and credible.
  • English Language - IT trainers spend much of their time explaining complex technical concepts in ways that non-technical people can understand. They also write training materials, guides, and online resources, so being able to communicate clearly in both speech and writing is essential to the role.
  • Business - IT trainers often work within businesses, helping staff learn new software during company-wide rollouts or digital transformations. Understanding how organisations operate – including workflows, departments, and business goals – helps them design training that is relevant and practical for the workplace.

Also relevant

  • Psychology - IT trainers need to understand how people learn, what motivates them, and how to adapt their teaching style for different learners. Knowledge of memory, attention, and behaviour helps them design training sessions that are engaging and effective.
  • Mathematics - IT trainers often teach people how to use spreadsheets, databases, and data analysis tools, which all involve working with numbers and formulas. A good grasp of maths helps them explain functions, data handling, and logical problem-solving to their learners.
  • Design and Technology - IT trainers design training programmes, learning materials, and online resources from scratch. The iterative design process – planning, prototyping, testing, and improving – is very similar to how they develop and refine courses based on learner feedback.

How to become

You could get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • volunteering

You could do a relevant foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in:

  • computing
  • education and training
  • business studies
  • human resources
  • learning support

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

More Information

Most colleges offer courses in IT user skills or digital skills.

The International Certification of Digital Literacy (ICDL), previously known as the ECDL qualification, is also widely available.

Courses like these teach you the main computing skills needed for everyday work tasks.

You will usually need to complete an IT qualification at level 3 or higher if you want to go on to teach computer skills to others.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

More Information

You could apply to do a Learning and Skills Teacher Level 5 Higher Apprenticeship.

You'll need a qualification in the subject you want to teach, for example, IT skills.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

More Information

You could move into an IT training role within your organisation by gaining promotion. You'll need a good working knowledge of all the common business IT programs to do this.

You could do voluntary teaching, for example helping students with disabilities to use IT and assistive technology. Volunteering experience may give you an advantage when applying for jobs.

If you already have good IT skills, you could take a learning and development qualification with a professional body like the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. This could help you to improve your training skills.

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