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- Membership
- Your Sector
- Professional Development
- Career Pathways
- Courses
- About AITD Short Courses
- Upcoming Courses
- Meet our facilitators
- Adult Learning
- AI Essentials for L&D Professionals
- Build Your Own AI Instructor
- eLearning: Foundations
- eLearning: Planning & Design
- eLearning: Production & Delivery
- Facilitation Skills
- Instructional Design
- L&D Project Management
- Measuring Learning Impact & Design for ROI
- Needs Analysis
- Neuroscience for Learning Design and Delivery
- Presentation Skills
- Strategic Partnering & Influencing
- Virtual Classroom Environments
- Self-Paced Learning
- In-House Courses
- Capability Assessment
- Webinars
- Mentoring Program
- CPD Program
- Digital Badges
- AITD Emerging Professional Scholarship
- Events
- Resources
- News
L&D Career Pathways
You help everyone else grow. This is the map for your own career.
L&D careers don't run on a single track. Whether you design, facilitate, run the tech, advise, lead change or lead the function, here is where each track goes, what each level asks of you, and the AITD programs that take you there.
39%
of members in the 2026 AITD National L&D Survey say the career pathways in our profession are mostly or very unclear. Only 34% say they are clear.
What members told us
Clear paths, people to walk them with, and recognition at the end
From the AITD National L&D Survey (interim, October 2026) and the AITD and Big Bloom hackathon on 15 October 2026.
22%aspire to Head of Learning, the most common goal. Executive (12%) and L&D Manager (11%) come next.
#1Mentoring is the single most-requested career support, ahead of certification and a clear career framework.
34%name Strategy and Partnering as the capability that matters most in the next three years.
Barriers members named: few senior roles, inconsistent job titles, a crowded market and ageism. The tracks below use consistent role names so you can compare like with like.
The map
Six tracks, three levels
Pick a track to see a typical role at each level and the AITD Capability Framework areas it leans on most. People move between tracks; the map shows the ground, not a fixed route.
Levels follow the AITD Capability Framework: Foundational, Intermediate and Advanced, across 7 capability areas and 31 capabilities. Role titles vary by employer; these are the common ones.
Take your next step
Four things you can do this month
01
Find your level
The Capability Assessment lets members rate themselves against all 31 capabilities, compare their profile with target roles and build a development plan with curated resources.
Members: My Account → Capability Assessment. About the framework
02
Find a mentor, or be one
The ANZ Mentoring Program pairs you with an experienced L&D professional for ten months. Mentees set goals and widen their network; mentors sharpen their own practice.
2027 program: 1 Feb to 30 Nov 2027. Registrations close 31 Jul 2027. Mentees $330 + GST, mentors free. Register
03
Get recognised
Log your development in the CPD Diary to earn the annual AITD CPD digital badge. Professional members use MAITD; experienced practitioners can apply for Associate Fellow (AFAITD) or Fellow (FAITD).
04
Find your next role
The AITD L&D Jobs Board lists roles from across the Australian L&D community. Members can post up to three listings a year free, so it is also where your organisation should advertise.
Coming: listings tagged by track and level, so you can search for the step up. Browse roles
Coming next
Built with members, in this order
These came out of the hackathon. Each one needs the one before it, so we are building them in sequence and inviting members in at every stage.
Early 2027
Accelerator working groups
Member teams take an open brief, build something the profession needs, and earn CPD, a digital credential and a named, published piece of work. First brief: version 1 of this career framework.
2027
The L&D Hive
A member-led community of practice on AITD's online platform: specialist channels, Think Tanks, Lunch and Learns, Walk in My Shoes sessions, and conversation that keeps going between events.
Later
Career Quest
A guided, personalised journey: assess your starting point, choose a quest (mentoring, challenges or experience), earn badges, take your next step.
Register your interest
Tell us if you would like to join an Accelerator working group, help shape the L&D Hive, or become a mentor.
Thank you
Five ideas from the L&D Career Pathways hackathon
On 15 October 2026, L&D professionals from across Australia gave an afternoon to AITD and Big Bloom to answer one question: how might AITD help L&D professionals take their next career step? Here is what each team pitched and what we are doing with it.
Team 1
AITD Accelerator
Member-led project groups that earn CPD, credentials and a published portfolio piece.
Now: the first working-group briefTeam 2 · Winner
AITD L&D Hive
A member-led community of practice with themed channels and recurring events. Maria Doyle, Cheryle Walker, Anu Jayaysundera, Tash Wagner.
Now: the community pilotTeam 3
Beyond the Binder
A capability matrix with six career tracks and four levels.
Now: the map on this pageTeam 4
AITD Career Quest
A gamified, choose-your-own-adventure career journey with a self-assessment and badges.
Later: the member journeyTeam 5
Elevate
A channel-based community of practice organised by specialism.
Now: merged into the HiveThank you to every participant, to the AITD team leads, and to Gergana David and Big Bloom for designing and running the session. Participants rated it 8.3 out of 10; the thing they valued most was simply working alongside other L&D professionals.
Sources: AITD National L&D Survey 2026, interim results at 29 October 2026 (figures will be updated when the survey closes on 5 November 2026); AITD and Big Bloom L&D Career Pathways hackathon, 15 October 2026; AITD Capability Framework, Mentoring Program 2027, CPD program and Jobs Board pages.
AITD Partners
