Learning and development (L&D) is a core driver of talent retention, employee performance, and overall business success. Investing in this enrichment also comes with a personal benefit: HR professionals with industry-relevant certifications report earning approximately 15% higher salaries than their non-certified peers.
A commitment to L&D credentials directly impacts both company value and individual career advancement. This article discusses the benefits of getting an L&D certification, what skills and competencies you can gain as a result, and explores the different certificate programs and courses you can take.
Contents
Why get a learning and development certification?
Types of learning and development certifications
Skills and competencies you can gain from L&D certifications
9 reputable L&D certifications for HR professionals
Why choose AIHR’s L&D Certificate Program?
Why get a learning and development certification?
An L&D certification can benefit an HR professional in multiple ways. These include:
Strategic business alignment
L&D entails a strategic approach to spotting skills gaps, designing targeted programs, and evaluating their effectiveness to match business objectives. An L&D credential helps you move from providing basic training to creating a culture of continuous learning. It can also foster agility and innovation by helping your company overcome future challenges.
Organizational impact
Strategic L&D initiatives can strengthen employee engagement and performance, and reduce turnover. When a team feels supported in its growth, it will likely remain committed to the organization’s success. This results in building teams that are not only highly skilled but also adaptable and resilient, which is essential for long-term success.
HR career acceleration
An HR certificate is a powerful catalyst for personal career growth. It enhances your credibility and can open up new paths for you, such as the role of L&D Manager or Head of Organizational Development. This can, in turn, lead to a significant increase in your earning potential and subsequent salary.
Types of learning and development certifications
The right L&D certificate program for you will depend on your current role and future aspirations. Below are the types of certifications you can consider:
Generalist vs specialist certifications
Some credentials, such as the SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) or HRCI Professional in Human Resources (PHR), are generalist HR certifications that include L&D as part of their broader curricula. They’re ideal for those who want to deepen their L&D knowledge within an HR Generalist role.
In contrast, specialist certifications like the CPTD from the Association for Talent Development (ATD) focuse solely on learning and development. These help you establish your expertise in the discipline, and prepare you for specialist HR roles.
Academic vs professional certifications
Academic credentials, such as a master’s degree or graduate certificate in HR, are typically available at universities. They focus on building a broad, theoretical understanding of Human Resources and providing training as an HR professional.
Professional certifications from industry bodies such as SHRM or HRCI, on the other hand, are designed to impart more practical job-related skills and knowledge. They can help boost your résumé and improve your chances of internal mobility.
Beginner, intermediate, and advanced certifications
Many certifying bodies structure their programs according to levels of experience. For instance, ATD offers the Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) for early-career professionals, while the Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) certification is suitable for more experienced practitioners.
Similarly, the SHRM-CP is designed for operational HR roles, while the SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) is intended for strategic, senior-level professionals.
Online versus in-person programs
Today’s training organizations offer learners greater flexibility. There is a wide range of HR credentials available online, allowing you to learn at your own pace from anywhere in the world. However, some providers still offer in-person options, which can be valuable for networking with peers and immersive, hands-on learning.
Skills and competencies you can gain from L&D certifications
A quality certification in L&D will equip you with a powerful skill set that’s immediately applicable in your HR context. The practical competencies you can gain include:
- Strategic planning: Conducting needs assessments and developing comprehensive strategies to align learning programs with your organization’s strategic goals.
- Instructional design: Understanding and mastering adult learning principles to create engaging and effective learning experiences that stick.
- Training delivery: Facilitating training programs with confidence, whether in-person or online, for the entire workforce.
- Digital learning: Proficiency in various digital tools and platforms, from learning management systems (LMS) to e-learning authoring apps.
- Coaching and mentoring: Developing critical skills needed to coach, mentor, and empower employees.
- Program evaluation: Establishing performance and outcomes-linked metrics to measure your programs’ impact, and analyze data to demonstrate the ROI of your L&D efforts.
- Data-driven insights: Using data analytics to inform your L&D decisions, identify trends, and prove the value of your learning programs to leadership and other key stakeholders.
Build your L&D skills to benefit employees and boost your career
To improve your organization’s L&D initiatives and advance your HR career, you should invest in certifications that build strategic, data-driven, and practical learning skills.
✅ Design and implement an L&D strategy aligned with key business priorities
✅ Implement coaching in your organization and support behavioral change
✅ Pinpoint crucial skills gaps and provide effective learning interventions
✅ Use learning analytics to measure the impact of learning interventions
Learn at your own pace with the online Learning & Development Certificate Program.
9 reputable L&D certifications for HR professionals
Choosing the right certification can have a big impact on your career path, so it’s important to weigh your options. Here’s a list of highly regarded credentials for HR professionals at every level:
1. Learning & Development Certificate Program (AIHR)
- Format and duration: 100% online and self-paced; approximately 36 hours over 12 months.
- What it covers: Strategy, digital learning design, skills gap analysis, coaching, and learning analytics. Program completion includes the eligibility to earn HRCI, HRPA, and SHRM credits.
- Cost: $1,125
- Find out more: Learning & Development Certificate Program.
2. SHRM Certified Professional and SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM)
- Format and duration: Online and in-person options, with flexible testing; four hours each.
- What it covers: Business leadership, talent management, HR operations (SHRM-CP); business and strategy, people and workforce, global and cultural effectiveness (SHRM-SCP).
- Cost: $520 for SHRM-CP and $620 for SHRM-SCP; members qualify for a $100 discount.
- Find out more: SHRM Certifications.
3. Professional in HR and Senior Professional in HR (HRCI)
- Format and duration: Computer-based; online or at Pearson VUE testing centers. 115 questions over 2.5 hours each.
- What it covers: L&D, talent planning and acquisition, total rewards, employee and labor relations (PHR); strategic HR leadership, policy-making, business strategy alignment (SPHR).
- Cost: $400 ($300 exam fee, plus $100 application fee) each.
- Find out more: HRCI individual certifications.
4. Associate Professional in Talent Development and Certified Professional in Talent Development (ATD)
- Format and duration: Computer-based, 115 questions over two hours (APTD) or three hours (CPTD).
- What it covers: Learning sciences, instructional design, training delivery and facilitation, coaching and evaluation (APTD); strategic data-driven L&D, performance improvement, organizational development (CPTD).
- Cost: $499 for members and $800 for non-members (APTD); $999 for members and $1,500 for non-members (CPTD).
- Find out more: APTD / CPTD.
5. CIPD L&D Certifications, Levels 3-7 (CIPD)
- Format and duration: Blended learning (online and in-person) over 16 to 24 months.
- What it covers: A comprehensive curriculum that progresses from foundational L&D principles to strategic leadership.
- Cost: Varies by region and provider.
- Find out more: CIPD L&D certifications.
6. Coursera L&D certifications
- Format: Online, self-paced certificate programs developed by renowned universities and organizations.
- What it covers: Choose from Google’s Project Management Professional Certificate to help you manage agile L&D projects, the University of Michigan’s Introduction to Learning Experience Design, and Coursera’s Instructor Network GenAI for Learning and Development program.
- Cost: $35 monthly or $239 annual Coursera subscription; includes a certificate for each successful program completion.
- Find out more: Coursera.
7. edX L&D certifications
- Format and duration: Online, self-paced certificate programs developed by leading companies and higher education institutions; usually six weeks.
- What it covers: Notable certificate programs include Avado’s Advances in Digital Learning and Development and Learning and Development Design to Create Value.
- Cost: $50 to $300.
- Find out more: edX.
8. LinkedIn InLearning L&D certifications
- Format: Online and self-paced.
- What it covers: L&D as a competitive advantage, creating inclusive learning experiences, and maximizing L&D outcomes.
- Cost: $39.99 per month for an individual subscription (with a 50% discount on an annual plan) that provides access to the full course catalog.
- Find out more: LinkedIn Learning L&D certifications.
9. Facilitation Training and Certification (APMG International)
- Format and duration: Closed-book multiple choice exam, 40 minutes (Foundation exam) or open-book objective-testing exam, 2.5 hours (Practitioner exam).
- What it covers: Facilitating groups and meetings. enhancing productivity, improving problem-solving, increasing business process improvement, and gaining buy-in.
- Cost: Varies depending on the selected training provider.
- Find out more: Facilitating Training and Certification.
Why choose AIHR’s L&D Certificate Program?
Recognizing the importance of L&D, AIHR has developed its own dedicated Learning & Development Certificate Program. It’s designed to help HR professionals obtain the skills to engineer an effective L&D program and create a culture of learning. Here’s why you should choose it:
Elevate L&D to a strategic level
You’ll learn how to shape learning strategies that support your company’s talent retention, digital transformation, and organizational resilience. This will help you turn L&D from an administrative task into a key driver of business success.
Obtain recognized accreditation
AIHR certificate programs are globally accredited and professionally recognized by major HR associations like SHRM, HRCI, and ATD. This ensures the curriculum meets high industry standards, and means you’ll be eligible to receive SHRM and HRCI credits and CHRP certification when you successfully complete the course.
Access practical, real-world learning
AIHR takes a highly practical approach to learning, building the certificate program’s curriculum around real-world examples and case studies. This ensures you won’t just learn theoretical concepts but that you’ll also gain skills you can apply immediately to your current role and organization.
Develop strategic skills
This certificate program teaches you how to design and implement learning and development strategies that align with business objectives, conduct skills gap analyses, and use learning analytics to measure the effectiveness of your interventions.
To sum up
An L&D certification does more than strengthen your résumé — it positions you as a strategic partner who can directly shape business outcomes. By equipping yourself with the right credentials, you gain the tools to design impactful learning programs, boost employee engagement, and build a future-ready workforce.
Whether you’re just starting out or aiming to specialize, there’s a certification that fits your career stage and ambitions. Choosing the right one can accelerate your growth, expand your influence in HR, and help you create lasting impact in your organization.
