What is the difference between education and training?

The difference between these two concepts is important for trainers to understand because of the role that the trainer plays in the training process. We will start explaining the differences between the two terms by looking at what the respected Oxford and Merriam-Webster dictionaries define these terms as.

No explanation of the terms will, however, be complete without defining the term “learning” first. Sometimes the words training and education are incorrectly used in an interchangeable way.

Thus we can say that education and training are two facets of learning.

Lets explore these two terms (education and training) in more detail.

Did you know?

Training delivers the necessary skills to perform a certain task rather than just having the knowledge about the task. Training should be accompanied with practical and hands-on experience in order to get the best results.

When training is focused on an organisation’s business needs, it will result in many positive changes. These changes are, for example, increased productivity, higher employee morale and improved quality in work.

Why you should understand the difference between training and education.

Dr. Robert H. Essenhigh explained the difference between training and education as the difference between know HOW and know WHY.

Training is the "how to get it done" in a given situation, and education is the "why it should be done".Training is the "how to get it done" in a given situation, and education is the "why it should be done".

It's the difference between being trained as a pilot knowing how to fly a plane and being an educated aeronautical engineer knowing why the plane flies.

Both are necessary in the aerospace industry but, knowing why the plane flies will not get the passengers to their destination.

Training is the "how to get it done" in a given situation,

and education is the "why it should be done".

Did you know?

Training, unlike education, requires coaching, mentoring, performance consulting and “learn-by-doing” activities. Training also requires practice, repetition, constant feedback and an environment that is conducive to learning. Whether training occurs in a classroom or on the job, it's your duty as a trainer to effectively and efficiently transfer the required knowledge to the student.

A successful training session starts with you, the trainer, being prepared, professional and knowledgeable in your field of study. In our next section, we will discuss what this preparation involves.