9 Training and Development Certification Picks in 2025

How to Choose a Learning and Development Certification

Choosing the right learning and mapping employee certifications can feel overwhelming, especially with many available options. The best place to start is by identifying your career goals and the specific skills you want to develop. Are you looking to become a stronger leader in training management? Do you want to specialize in talent development, or are you aiming to improve project management within L&D initiatives? Your answers will help you match your goals with the most suitable training and development certification.

Evaluate the certification level, overall cost, time commitment, and the program’s recognition within your field. Not all learning and development certifications serve the same purpose. Some jump-start their career with foundational training, while others push seasoned professionals to the next level. Reviewing each program’s demands helps you choose the right fit for your long-term goals.

9 Learning and Development Certification Programs to Consider

For those advancing in the L&D field, there are many respected learning and development certifications to consider. These programs validate your skills, provide a structured path for growth, and strengthen your standing in the industry. Below are nine top certifications that span leadership, instructional design, and HR strategy.

The types of mapping employee certificates available will depend on your role, focus area, and career stage. Whether just starting or stepping into leadership, the following employee certifications can help you grow and succeed.

1. Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM)

The Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM) prepares training professionals to oversee and lead learning functions with a strategic focus. Training Industry’s certification helps professionals align training initiatives with business goals, strengthen learning strategies, and manage teams and budgets effectively.

This program is ideal for those seeking a training and development certification emphasizing operational leadership. If you’re already in a training manager role—or aspire to move into one—the CPTM can help you sharpen your management approach while validating your skill set with a widely respected credential.

2. Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD)

The APTD, offered by the Association for Talent Development (ATD), targets early- to mid-career professionals who want to build a solid foundation in instructional design, training delivery, and learning technologies. It’s one of the most recognized training certifications for professionals entering the field or preparing for more advanced roles.

This certification covers many competencies and is a great stepping stone toward the Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD). For anyone exploring certification levels in the L&D space, the APTD provides a well-rounded education without requiring years of experience.

3. Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD)

The Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) from ATD is a senior-level credential created for seasoned professionals. It emphasizes strategic learning initiatives, leadership development, and strengthening organizational impact. Applicants generally need at least five years of experience in the field.

The CPTD is considered one of the top certifications for learning and development professionals who want to showcase deep expertise and lead initiatives that drive impact. It suits those managing enterprise learning strategies or consulting on high-level development solutions.

4. Project Management Professional (PMP)

While not exclusive to L&D, the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification by the Project Management Institute (PMI) is highly valuable in the field. Many L&D leaders manage complex projects, from launching new programs to implementing learning systems, and PMP training provides essential frameworks to do this efficiently.

The PMP provides universal project planning, leadership, and risk management tools to move beyond conventional skill certifications. It’s a smart credential for L&D professionals who want to increase their value across HR and broader business functions.

5. Agile Certification for HR and L&D

As companies shift toward more agile structures, L&D professionals must also adapt. Agile certifications tailored to HR and learning roles—like ICAgile’s Agile Talent or Scrum Master certifications—offer a modern approach to program design, implementation, and iteration.

These certifications are perfect for professionals looking to move beyond rigid, traditional learning frameworks and explore different types of certificates for employees that promote adaptability, responsiveness, and collaboration. As agile methodologies continue to shape workforce development, these programs help you stay relevant in a rapidly evolving landscape.

6. SHRM: Certified Professional (SHRM-CP)

Earning the SHRM-CP, offered by the Society for Human Resource Management, shows you understand how HR supports a business from multiple angles. While not limited to learning and development, it covers critical areas like employee development, talent strategy, and aligning training with company-wide objectives.

This certification is excellent for professionals who work at the intersection of HR and L&D and want a well-rounded employee certification emphasizing compliance and people development. It demonstrates your ability to integrate learning initiatives within broader HR goals.

7. Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)

HRCI designed the SPHR certification for senior professionals who drive HR strategy across organizations. It covers essential topics such as workforce planning, learning strategy, and organizational growth. This certification is especially valuable for L&D leaders with high-level experience who want to strengthen their leadership and business capabilities. Among HR certifications, the SPHR holds a reputation for being one of the most advanced and strategically focused.

8. Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP)

The SHRM-SCP is SHRM’s advanced-level certification for professionals who guide HR and L&D strategies across an organization. It assesses your ability to shape workplace culture, drive strategic initiatives, and lead impactful training programs.

This certification helps leaders foster strong learning cultures and connect development efforts to business objectives. It stands out among learning and development certifications for its strategic focus and emphasis on executive-level decision-making.

9. Certified Learning and Development Professional (CLDP)

The Certified Learning and Development Professional (CLDP) is a globally recognized certification tailored for L&D practitioners seeking to master the full training lifecycle—from design and delivery to evaluation. It’s especially valuable for those who want practical, hands-on frameworks to apply immediately in their roles.

The CLDP wraps up our list of skill certifications with a practical, hands-on approach tailored to real-world demands. It’s an excellent fit for anyone looking to stand out in training and development, and pairs well with other types of certificates for employees that support continuous learning.

Mapping Employee Certifications to Skills

Mapping employee certifications is essential to understanding the value of earning credentials and completing courses. Many people now recognize the value of earning certifications and completing courses. Still, fewer understand the difference between gaining credentials, upskilling, and maintaining a specific level of proficiency.

Every organization has different employee requirements, and most require a certain level of skill, knowledge, and certifications to operate. Some organizations require certifications for compliance, while others use them as a benchmark to ensure they hire someone with the right skills.

It’s imperative to map out how each certification and course determines an employee’s skill and proficiency level.

In this article, we’ll examine mapping employee certifications to skills.

Let’s dive into mapping employee certifications and how it supports skill development.

From Skills-First to Certifications-First

Many companies today have moved towards a certification-first culture rather than a skills-first culture. The two main reasons are compliance and certification, which imply that the employee has the necessary skills.

Companies have begun using specific certifications as benchmarks for skills and abilities. Some industries are certification-oriented because they may need specific hard skills.

However, not all certifications accurately match the skills required to perform a job. Another way to explain it is that while certifications show you have the necessary knowledge and understanding, they may not indicate whether you’ve used those skills.

For example, you may pass your driving test and receive your driver’s license, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re ready for every possible situation on the road. While certifications and required courses can check a box for job eligibility, they don’t always show how skilled or experienced someone is on the job.

That’s why verifying the skills linked to each certification is essential—it helps you assess an employee’s proficiency more accurately.

To do so, you must understand the difference between hard and soft skills.

Understanding the Difference Between Hard Skills and Soft Skills

It’s important to distinguish between types of skills because each one requires a different approach to upskilling. While you might complete a course or earn a certification, that doesn’t automatically reflect your level of proficiency. You may have absorbed the material passively without improving your practical skill set. It’s critical to determine this because it shows whether an employee is qualified for a specific job or if they require targeted training.

A more straightforward approach to this problem is differentiating skills using hard and soft skills.

Hard skills are more technical skills that require a certain level of expertise. They include operating machinery, IT, project management, design, and marketing skills.

You can’t always measure soft skills directly but can observe them in action. Examples include communication, teamwork, conflict resolution, leadership, and problem-solving skills.

Every employee has a mix of hard and soft skills—various certifications and courses help employees upskill with different skills. However, it’s essential to understand and map out how a specific certification or course helps improve the proficiency level for any skill.

For example, if an HR person gets an SHRM certification, you need to check what skills they have further developed. It shows how that certification reflects the employee’s abilities and level of expertise. It can also help build competency-based skills audits for future employees.

Types of Certifications and Courses

There are two main types of certifications and courses:

• Organizations create certifications to meet compliance standards and set clear benchmarks for skills.
• Various institutions and organizations offer certifications and courses summarizing the holder’s experience with a subject or skill.

The difference between the two is that the second type of certification is often only used for learning and gaining knowledge. On the other hand, the first type determines whether a certified individual possesses the necessary skills and can carry out any job or activities in their domain.

Both types of certifications and courses play their part in upskilling an employee. Most people see the first type as a way to meet industry standards and compliance, while the second helps build a solid knowledge base.

Both types of certifications and courses play a key role in skill development. Mapping each one individually shows how it contributes to an employee’s proficiency.

Determining an Employee’s Skill Level

Knowing each employee’s skill level is crucial—it helps you spot high-potential talent early.

However, determining employee skill levels can differ for various skills, and you should always start with known factors.

Start with degree certificates—look at the type of degree, the issuing institution, and the grades earned. Furthermore, you can use skill certificates and online certifications from known institutes. Lastly, you should consider additional certifications and courses an employee has from various organizations and online schools.

A good practice is assigning specific values to each certification and course. You should also assign a value for how much a specific certification or course contributes to building a particular hard or soft skill.

You can map out its contribution by assigning values to each certification or course’s impact on building an employee’s proficiency level.

Mapping employee certifications and determining skill levels can help you create a successful career path for each employee. It builds new skills in your team and improves employee retention over time.

How Mapping Employee Certifications to Skills Works

Mapping certifications to skills starts with defining the core competencies each role requires. Link those skills to relevant certifications and maintain an updated tracking system. This process ensures you use employees’ qualifications effectively while closing skill gaps and supporting long-term growth.

As a result, your company will better understand all the skill gaps any employee has. Furthermore, according to your outlined proficiency levels for a given role, you’ll better understand what certification or course you can offer the employee to fill that skill gap effectively.

For example, you’ve determined that any marketing professional in your company will need to get an AMA Certification to understand the intricacies of marketing. They will need multiple Google and HubSpot certifications to use that understanding better. Therefore, you’ve mapped out a marketing professional’s path to improving their proficiency. Again, this should all match your career architecture to objectively map to the proficiency levels of each role in your company. It allows you to assess skills objectively and eliminate bias from the process.

Mapping Employee Certifications to Skills to Determine Proficiency Level

While assigning values to certifications and courses can be a different process for each organization, doing so will ensure you have an accurate idea of each employee’s proficiency level. Utilizing your career architecture for each role as a framework will help yield the best results.

Creating and mapping out your process by using assigned values will help you develop an accurate measure of determining employee skill and proficiency levels. Most importantly, it will help you have a realistic idea of any employee’s skills, which can help you in other ways, such as assessing performance by skill level during performance appraisals, assisting employees to create career paths and development opportunities, determining promotions, and determining who should join a talent pool during succession planning, among other things. When you level up your certification process by mapping certifications to skills and proficiency levels, you will not only meet compliance requirements but also gain objective insight into the skills of your workforce. You can provide the right resources to help your employees be the best that they can be.

To learn more about how to map employee certifications to skills, check out our Certification Tracking Software page.

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FAQ

What is the best training and development certification?

The best training and development certification depends on your career goals, experience level, and specialization within L&D. For professionals focused on managing learning functions, the Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM) is a strong choice. The Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) is ideal if you’re early in your career. The Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) offers strategic-level recognition for those seeking advanced credentials. Other options include SHRM certifications for HR-aligned roles and the PMP for managing learning projects. The “best” certification is the one that aligns with your current skills and desired career path.

Is a CPTM certification worth it?

The CPTM certification is worth it for professionals who lead or aspire to lead training functions. Offered by Training Industry, the CPTM equips you with practical skills to manage training strategies, align them with business goals, and oversee teams and budgets. It’s especially valuable if you want to move into a more strategic L&D role or validate your expertise in training operations. The CPTM is recognized globally and is an intense training and development certification for mid- to senior-level professionals.

What is ATD certification?

ATD certification refers to credentials offered by the Association for Talent Development (ATD), one of the most respected organizations in the learning and development field. ATD offers two main certifications:

• The Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) for early- to mid-career professionals
• The Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) for experienced practitioners

Both certifications validate your knowledge in instructional design, learning technologies, delivery, and evaluation. They’re among the most trusted certifications for learning and development professionals looking to build credibility and expand career opportunities.

How much does CPTM certification cost?

The CPTM certification costs typically between $3,500 and $4,500, depending on factors like early registration and membership discounts. The fee includes access to the certification program, course materials, workshops, and the final assessment. While the investment may seem significant, many L&D professionals find the CPTM provides a substantial return by increasing leadership opportunities and validating operational training expertise.

How do I become a training and development specialist?

To become a training and development specialist, you typically need a combination of education, hands-on experience, and relevant certifications. Here’s a general roadmap:

• Earn a degree – Most specialists hold a bachelor’s degree in human resources, education, psychology, or a related field.
• Gain experience – Entry-level roles such as training coordinator or instructional designer offer foundational exposure.
• Pursue certifications – Start with beginner training certifications like the APTD, and consider advancing to the CPTD or CPTM depending on your goals.
• Develop key skills – Focus on communication, facilitation, instructional design, and program evaluation.
• Continue learning – Stay current with new technologies, learning trends, and certification levels that support long-term career growth.