Education & Training Standards Development Group
The Institute is currently leading the development of the Award Standard for an Advanced Certificate in the field of Education & Training and has convened a Standards Development Group which will be a focused working group comprising of ten key stakeholder and representative bodies, which will consult with other groups and organisations as appropriate throughout the development phase. 

The representation on this Standards Development Group will deliver the range of knowledge, experience and expertise in the field of Education and Training to ensure the delivery of an Award at this level which is appropriate to all sub-sectors working in the field and ultimately, the availability of an Advanced Certificate Award Standard in the field will ensure the existence of an accredited progression route for training and HRD professionals across the framework and will help to deliver on the ethos of the One Step Up Initiative.

Needs Analysis Exercise to Establish the Existing Skill and Qualification Level of HRD and Training Professionals in Ireland
The Institute, with the support of FAS, is conducting a needs analysis exercise to establish the existing skill and qualification level of HRD and training professionals in Ireland, and is consulting closely with its members, key stakeholder organisations and representative bodies in the course of this project. 

The primary focus of this project is to collect, summarise and analyse the findings of this exercise and to produce a report outlining the needs of training professionals across the industry using the findings from the analysis and in the context of recommendations in recent reports from FÁS, the Future Skills Group, the Enterprise Strategy Group etc. and a consideration of standards and occupational analysis in comparable EU States (e.g. UK Sector Skills Councils).  This will inform the work of the Institute in designing, developing and piloting a range of possible solutions and responses through a CPD model which will be business focused and will enable us to address the key areas for improvement.  This activity will form part of the Institute’s National Strategy and will further enhance the work the Institute is doing in conjunction with NCI, FÁS and others on the development of an accredited career ladder for training and development professionals.

Innovation in Training Delivery
The Institute, with the support of FAS, has commissioned Henley Management College to conduct a piece of research that will look at evaluating existing methods for delivering training in an innovative manner, focusing on how organisations overcome barriers to training that exist for many companies, such as access and time.  It will also look at how these existing models of delivery are meeting the needs of individuals, the organisation and the industry itself.

The Institute is acutely aware of the need for all development opportunities to be linked to the National Framework of Qualifications and in keeping with that, all of the Institute’s own programmes are mapped to the framework from the Certificate in Training and Development and four-day Trainer Skills Certificate through to its BA in Training and Development at level seven and the MA Learning and Development Consultancy with UCC.   In keeping with this the Institute has worked with a range of other agencies with the development of a Qualification Route for Learning & Development Professionals.

The IITD has designed, developed and recently launched a diagnostic tool for small and medium enterprises (SME) to assist them in the advancement and implementation of a training, educational and development policy and plan for their organisations.  That tool and the associated research that underpins that development is available from the IITD head office in Naas.

  A Review of the Training and Development Function within a Community and Voluntary Sector Organization