Train the Trainer Course 2025 by Trainers Toolbox

Learn how to create exceptional, engaging , science-backed courses and learning experiences based on neuroscience and experiential learning. 

APPLICATIONS FOR January start (finishing in Zagreb in March) NOW OPEN!

 

Train the Trainer, Trainers Toolbox signature course delivered in a blended way, is starting in January 2025 with  8 virtual modules, and finishing with a live 2 days in Zagreb in late March. 

Pre-signups are currently open and will define the exact dates and location – get in touch via application form to claim your spot  or discuss 1:1 if this is the right course for you.
Discover more about how the course looks like in the video below – and make sure to reserve your spot on time.

Train the Trainer training by Trainers Toolbox is the way for you to build the skills in design and delivery of high quality, engaging and impactful learning experiences for adults, both in a live and online setting.

Great training is a mix of art and science. It is built on a foundation of learning science, psychology, neuroscience and other “tools”  we have from the world of knowledge. On the other side, a high-quality learning experience also leverages trainers’ authenticity, using their character, personal strengths, skills, knowledge and life experiences in shaping the optimal and unique learning experience.

In the Train the Trainer course by Trainers Toolbox, we believe in balance between these two factors: while teaching you the research-based foundation and techniques of successful learning, we build on your strengths, personal style, skillset, and support you in developing and leveraging them in the training room.

The Course is Built on 4 Foundations:

Make adult learning engaging & impactful.

Design great learning experiences & workshops. 

Develop skills to make learning happen.

Enrich your toolbox with diverse & interesting tools.

Who is This Course for?

Train the Trainer training is a comprehensive course to build trainers’ competencies, including the foundations of the knowledge, skills and attitudes that a trainer needs to design and deliver a great learning experience.

As such, while it is aimed at beginners’ trainers, it is also valuable for trainers who are already delivering training but never went through a full and comprehensive Train the Trainer course.

Train the Trainer is for you if you are an:

Aspiring Trainer

Aspiring trainers who would like to do more workshops in the future (or even shift their career in that direction) so they are looking to advance their skills of workshop design and delivery.

Experienced Trainer

A trainer or educator (or anyone doing workshops) with some experience who hasn’t been to comprehensive Train the Trainer education yet and wish to who wish to grow their skills as a trainer and get quality feedback, as well as new tools and best practices.

Expert in Your Field

An expert in any field of expertise who is looking to get better at transferring their knowledge to others, and build more knowledge and experience with the design and delivery of an impactful learning experience.

Did you recognize yourself in any of these? Get in touch to discuss if this is the right course for you.

While these are our most common attendees, Train the Trainer is powerful and deep training open to anyone interested in gaining deeper understanding of how adults learn and looking to hone their skills in designing and delivering impactful learning experiences.

Here is where some of our alumni was coming from:
– ecommerce expert who is delivering speeches and education,
– IT sales manager who wishes to move into consulting,
– consultant who is looking to get better at facilitating discussions and making her workshops more active,
– trainer who realised her educations are too “school like” and wants to make them more engaging and memorable (actually, we had several alumni like this :)),
– e-learning designer who works with IT experts in designing on-demand workshops and would like to support them better,
– teacher who is highly active in NGOs and would like to transfer into coaching and training,
– horse trainer who is amazing with experiential side of things and would like to build up her skills of making things more clear for her students,
– financial advisor who after highly successful finance career is moving into advising others through workshops,
– HR managers who are looking to do L&D in their company (even) better,
and many more.

Five of Train the Trainer alumni (who were not trainers beforehand) after attending Train the Trainer shifted their career into becoming full time trainers.

Here is Nina, Business and Finance advisor from Croatia and Train the Trainer graduate, said about the program: “It is incredible how Train the Trainer helped me switch my perspective. It helped me walk out of my secure walls and motivated me to start to continuously create new ways of connecting to others. And Mirna’s style and tools are very innovative, which boosted our creativity and personalities as team. The models we covered I already use in everyday business; they help me structure my thoughts and goals. Besides that, you will get a lot of useful tips na tricks as well as feedbacks from her and other participants that will help you improve your style and performance. Deeply recommend to not only those who deal with trainings in everyday life, but to anybody who is in charge of people,  organization leaders and project managers.” (Discover more about What participants say at the bottom of this page).

Most of the groups are international – we have alumni from Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, Netherlands, France, Romania, Spain, Northern Macedonia, Mexico, Switzerland, Sweden, Bosnia, Serbia, Germany, Greece Tunisa and USA. 

Find the list of our alumni at the bottom of this page – and join us at Train the Trainer to add your name to this inspiring group of trainers.

Join us at Trainers Toolbox’s Train the Trainer to:

Learning Goals of the Train the Trainer Course

Here are the 6 goals according to which Train the Trainer course is built:

1 – Gain a clear overview of skills for design & delivery

You will develop a broad understanding of all the different aspects that the trainer needs to keep in mind – and through it discover what are your own strengths, and which skills would you like to focus on developing further.

2 – Practice always focusing on “WHY”

One of the most important pillars of the course is to build learning experiences that are goal-oriented – meaning that we choose every method and design every bit of the training (as well as make every decision within the workshop delivery) with the goal in mind. And also sharing those goals with participants, so they can better support their own learning process.

3 – Collect many practical and powerful tips & tricks from experience

You will get many practical tips from the experience of other trainers in the group, as well as the rich experience of the Train the Tariner trainer (15 years in training). The Train the Trainer itself will also be a powerful learning experience where you will gain many insights from our own examples and activities we do on the course itself.

4 – Learn the most relevant tools and models to make learning impactful

Throughout the course, you will learn more than dozen models that can help you in training deliver, design and in making training more impactful and memorable, all of them based on learning science.

5 – Gain rich feedback about your own style and skills as a trainer

Throughout the course, you are delivering quite many active bits, and after each bit, you receive detailed feedback from the trainer and the whole group. This gives you many insights into your style and habits, as well as many many ideas on how to make workshops better, based on observing others in the group delivering and receiving feedback.

6 – Strengthen self-awareness and confidence

You will continuously be developing your self-awareness as a trainer through feedback as well as a lot of self-reflection and new frameworks. You will also be building your confidence by strengthening your skills, knowledge and abilities as a trainer.

The course is focusing on practical aspects of training to maximize the time for practice, debriefing, discussions, and other activities, but attendees will receive comprehensive reading for homework as well as preparation assignments for delivery and facilitation.

It is a very active course, science-based yet designed to be highly practical, jumping into the deep waters early, and gaining a lot of feedback and practical tips.

Train the Trainer Training Outline

Train the Trainer course by Trainers Toolbox is combining 8 virtual modules (3h each) and 2 live days (full days on site) in a fluid way, with all the topics interconnected.

It is designed this way for two reasons:     

 1. So you would be well exposed and learn both about virtual and live training                                         

2. So we could stretch the learnings over several months, which allows you to integrate the knowledge deeper and to participate in the course in a highly active way, delivering small bits of content and receiving rich feedback to it.

The exact topics are subject to change from the side of the trainer following the attendees’ needs, goals  and learning processes, as the whole training is highly customised.

Get2know, setting bases for effective communication and feedback in the group. Practicing first presentation for this course, giving and receiving feedback, practicing other skills such as facilitation. Setting goals for the course. Concept of meta-star and all the levels on which we will leverage learning. Experiential learning: what it is, why we do it, how it works. Trainer’s competencies: trainer’s compass (values, attitudes, skills, behaviours as a trainer). Toolbox: all the toolbox we want to build and how we will be doing it (eg. repository of energisers, icebreakers, games, activities, models…)

Understanding adult learning: learning science, positive psychology, neuroscience in learning  (learning cycle), preferences of individual learners,  evidence-based training methods. Training Design (session or event): design session timeline, models for effective session design (blooms taxonomy, 4mat), how to make it engaging and optimal for learning

Design according to the goal of the learning and the time available. Choosing icebreakers and energisers in a goal-oriented way, design of learning activities.

Motivation/why of learning. Presentation skills (spontaneous vs prepared vs prepared with flexibility). Group dynamics.

Presenting vs. facilitating vs. guiding the process. Facilitation skills (basic and advanced): facilitation toolbox, facilitation from short activity to the whole event.

Debriefing. Emotions optimal for learning. Managing emotion and atmosphere in the training room. Managing focus, attention and energy. Learning space design. Adapting learning methods to diverse group sizes.

Working with challenging participants. Evaluation, feedback, closing and follow up on a training session or event.

Most common theories of motivation, communication, teamwork, leadership…  Surveys, assessments, tools that trainer can use. Disc, insights, belbin, mbti…. Using ppt. Using flipcharts. Tools from positive psychology. Coaching skills and tools in training. Best places to find tools and activities.

 
Course is open both for locals and travellers.
 
  • engaging and highly interactive course, with a lot of practical exercisesreflection and discussion
  • work in a small group (max 8 attendees)
  • highly customised according to the attendees’ needs, experiences and learning goals.

 

 Improve your skills as a trainer, discover your authentic qualities and become the best trainer you can be!
 

Logistics and Practical Details

In early 2025 in Zagreb!

Interested? Signup for waitlist without obligations and we will let you know when signups officially open – plus, your preferences will shape the exact dates and locations. 

Here is how the schedule looks like for the Zagreb 2025 group:

The exact dates for the 8 online modules + 2 live days coming up soon!

All dates will still be confirmed when the group is confirmed – so, if you would like to join, but the exact dates/timeslots/day of the week doesn’t work for you, get in touch asap and we will see what can still be adjusted. 

Given that the groups are small and places usually fill up months in advance, if this sounds interesting to you, now is the best time to talk about whether Train the Trainer is the right next step for you.

Train the Trainer at Trainers Toolbox Includes:

The fee for the course is 2250 EUR.

Amsterdam, London, Florence, Barcelona and Zagreb coming up in 2024 / 2025

Upcoming locations for 2024: Zagreb in autumn. 
Tentative locations for 2025: London, Barcelona, Florence and Cape Town. 

Remember that locations are confirmed based on interest – so if you have a location in mind (being it from this list or another one), do get in touch via application form or contact form, and let us know your wishes and preferences. 

Are you interested in joining one of the future groups, or you have a suggestion/preference for the location?

Don’t be shy – get in touch and apply for waiting list, or share your thoughts and preferences. 

Also keep an eye on Trainers Toolbox monthly newsletter  –  it is the place to learn a lot about workshops, as well as to discover all the news regarding new Train the Trainer plans!

About the Trainer - Mirna Šmidt

Since graduating from a one-year-long Train the Trainer education in 2008, Mirna kept delivering training and deepening her knowledge and skills as a trainer. Over the past 14 years, she delivered at a range of training events, building extensive experience in “classical” topics such as communication, presentation, teamwork and leadership, but also rich experience in a broad range of positive psychology topics, train advanced trainer tools and events. She is an NLP Master practitioner, as well as a certified coach since 2011, and loves enriching her training with the tools and techniques from these fields.

Having delivered for NGOs and non-profit organisations, startups and startup incubators, as well as conferences and corporate audiences for clients such as Cisco and L’Oreal, and in over 20 countries, Mirna is no stranger to diverse sectors, audience sizes and backgrounds, and able to adjust her training design and delivery, while keeping with evidence-based practices of experiential and adult learning.

Currently, her main focus in training is positive psychology. She is one of the first graduates of Masters of Applied Positive Psychology from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge.

As a founder and a head trainer of Happiness Academy, she keeps on building and delivering programs and workshops focused on designing life and career according to her own values and vision, strengthening wellbeing, personal strengths and resilience to challenges. All her programs are built on research-based practices and tools.

Over the years, Mirna delivered fourteen elaborate Train the Trainer programs and three Train advanced trainer programs, all of them with highly diverse and international groups of participants.

Mirna also runs Trainers Toolbox, an initiative to share tools and knowledge with trainers around the world.

What Participants Say

“A great practical training program that I would recommend to everyone who is working with professional training and facilitation. Practical in the sense of concrete tools I have already implemented with great results with my customer. Also practical in the sense of letting the participants DO during the training.”

Melissa Grote, Leadership Trainer & Speaker, Sweden

“I highly recommend the TTT course to anyone who delivers training, workshops and talks. The TTT is a really fun experiential and practical training experience and has given me an incredible amount of methods, insights, and tools to enhance and develop my workshops and training.”

Sara Jonasson Ginters, Consultant & Speaker on Diversity & Inclusion, Sweden 

“This is such a carefully designed TTT! I really enjoyed learning a lot about training while also being able to try myself and experiment in an encouraging environment. The perfect balance of theory and practice, with an impressive amount of feedback on how to be even more impactful. The program contains virtual modules, but that only added to its value, as we were able to experience and work with virtual setting. The TTT was very insightful, entertaining, and extensive, I have become much more confident in the trainer role and now I know what foundations I must build my further development. Thank you, Mirna!”

Maria Elekes, Educational Psychologist, Hungary

“I would highly recommend this TTT to others. Throughout TTT I gained a lot of knowledge and confidence by delivering the training for others. I felt genuinely supported by Mirna and the rest of the group, which is really important and crucial for learning. I can’t wait to implement the knowledge I gained in my work & life, and to become a great trainer! :)”

Ines Tukac, Product Education Specialist, Croatia

“It is incredible how Train the Trainer helped me switch my perspective. It helped me walk out of my secure walls and motivated me to start to continuously create new ways of connecting to others. And Mirna’s style and tools are very innovative, which boosted our creativity and personalities as team. The models we covered I already use in everyday business; they help me structure my thoughts and goals. Besides that, you will get a lot of useful tips na tricks as well as feedbacks from her and other participants that will help you improve your style and performance. Deeply recommend to not only those who deal with trainings in everyday life, but to anybody who is in charge of people,  organization leaders and project managers.”

Nina Garic, Business and Finance advisor, Croatia

“I was left speechless. Nothing like any other course I have ever taken, Train the Trainer takes you through most important ideas and concepts to improve in your work and personal life. One of the things that I adored was the experience sharing and extraordinary feedbacks you get from other great trainers and Mirna which were exceedingly useful for me. Never have I ever had that many AHA! moments in one course! You will never regret taking this beautiful experience :)!”

Ivan Capan, Technical Training Instructor at Infobip, Croatia

“Mirna’s Train the Trainer course was a very impactful learning experience. Offering a seamless integration of theoretical foundations with lots and lots of practice, feedback and reflection, the course is brilliantly set up to take the participants on a highly engaging learning journey. I definitely recommend this course to anyone wishing to bring their skills as a trainer and/or facilitator to the next level.”

Peter Bodik, Coach, Germany

“Mirna guided us through online modules, and on our live weekend, sharing with us ownership, letting us learn from our own mistakes and giving us in return tangible knowledge. It wasn’t always easy, it was intensive, with mixed emotions, sometimes with a gram of frustration that is pushing you forward, but that leads you where you need to arrive. Beautiful experience, perfect team, and nothing to regret about, just to be grateful for. My highest recommendation.”

Marieta Di Gallo, Italian Teacher, Croatia

“Being a part of Train the Trainer 2021. with Mirna Smidt was just the thing I needed for my professional development. It made me reflect on a broad palette of subjects and gave me a great deal of knowledge and inspiration. The thing I always struggled with as an educator was how to remain fluent but also have a solid structure, and this course not just helped me overcome my struggle but to understand it deeply. I recommend this course to everyone who wants to become better in what they do and connect to like minded people who share enthusiasm for education.”

Maja Živanović, Projekt Jednorog, Holistic Approach to Horse Training, Croatia

“Train the Trainer gives you a great overview of theory behind the training process and answers all the important questions – why, how, what, when and where. Also, it gives you a push inside the facilitator role and creates a new experience for you. If you are willing to learn and accept that there is a lot of work in between sessions that needs to be done to improve yourself, then Train the Trainer might be the thing for you.”

Oliver Linzbauer, Outdoor Learning Instructor, Croatia

“Train the trainer course was very challenging, fun, and valuable! It offered me some useful new perspectives and a lot of new tools to work with. Our group was relaxed and helpful and Mirna is an amazing trainer who helps set a great learning atmosphere and has so much knowledge. I highly recommend this course! :)”

Matea Lay, Marketing Communications Manager, Croatia

“Train The Trainer exceeded all my expectations. The content was well curated, the deliveries where very efficient, and looking back I am surprised of how much I learned and how clear everything was. The amount of homework between sessions was achievable for people with full time jobs and a busy life. I highly recommend it!”

Anna Danes, Founder at ricaris.com, Croatia

“Mirna’s experience and knowledge about training combined with her engaging style and a lot of practical methods made this “Train the Trainer” really valuable experience. We learned a lot, had plenty of opportunities to try out different methods, adapt them to our personal styles and get constructive feedback, all while having a load of fun in the process. I would recommend this training to everyone who wants to learn more and improve their skills in training design and delivery.”

Nikolina Mihić, Psychologist, Croatia

“I started doing trainings “by accident”, as people hired me for my experience and not because of my presentation skills. You can say I learned everything “on the go”, but to be honest, I did not know what I was missing until I enrolled Train the Trainer with Mirna. The trainings were very dynamic and sometimes demanding, but I was blown away by Mirna’s skills as a trainer. I honestly believe she made me a better trainer, and would recommend her trainings to anyone who is doing any kind of presentations, trainings or educations.”

Marcel Majsan, eCommerce consultant, Croatia

“Our three trainers, Mirna, Timi and Kata promised us an exciting four-day journey that we received indeed – and much more than that. Every element of the very rich content was presented in an enjoyable and easily digestible form with sufficient opportunities to put the theory into practice. As a result we got a great, colourful trainer’s toolbox with many real life examples, experience, innovative methods and fun! I definitely encourage others to take up the challenge!”

Viki Csonka, Erasmus+ Programme Coordinator, Hungary

“Train the Trainer revealed a lot of valuable information, it was very well structured and explained. It gave me a great overview of the adult learning principles and facilitation, useful models that I will definitely use in my training. TTT was for me also very challenging because I was often out of my comfort zone and this helps in growth and self-development, so thank you for that, Mirna.”

Veronica Staicu, Soft Skills trainer at UniCredit Services, Romania

“Until this training, I only had knowledge of what it takes to be a facilitator and trainer. I was looking for opportunities for me to practice facilitation in a safe environment yet dynamic and challenging while being guided. And then I found out about Mirna and enrolled in Train the Trainer!

Ana Maria Radu, Learning and People development at UniCredit Services, Romania

“Train the trainer course with Mirna was such an inspiring and fruitful experience for me as I am at the beginning of my career as a facilitator. It was so interactive, full of learning pills, a lot of practice, learn by doing, really experimental, and with a lot of What-ifs. I graduated with a lot of Take-aways, which I am eager to apply in my soon-to-come pieces of training to be delivered. Thank you so much, Mirna!”

Alina Bucur, Soft Skills trainer at UniCredit Services, Romania

“From the very beginning, we had all the necessary information, clarity over the process and what is expected of us. This meant we can enjoy the process with Mirna driving it.”

Klara Čičin Šain, Onboarding specialist, Croatia

 

Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ

1. Is payment in installments possible or all needs to be paid at once?
Yes, please get in touch for details.

2. Is there an option to get the fee refund?
Once you sign up for the program, refund is not possible. The program is built for a very small group and highy customised. Modules are all connected and further modules are building on top of the previous ones, and to achieve the learning goals full participation in program is essential.

3. Is accommodation included in the course?
No, TTT is focused on providing you with education as a trainer. If you are travelling to join us, we are happy to support you with looking for accommodation and with information and advice, but travel organisation is out of the scope of the program. Please refer to the “Train the Trainer at Trainers Toolbox includes:” list.

4. What comes after I graduate from Train the Trainer?
How can I continue practicing and developing my skills? You will always be able to connect with peers from your group and share insights and learnings with them. You can also join Trainers Conversations – an alumni community that, with a very affordable yearly membership, provides continuous opportunities for learning and practice (get in touch for details on this one, as it is a closed community just for Alumni and invited trainers).

Mirna (the TTT trainers with 15+ years of experience in training) is also available for individual 1:1 consulting and mentoring  (not included as part of TTT). Once you gain a bit of experience as a trainer, you can always choose to dive deeper and bring your skills to a new level with TTT Advanced, Optimal emotions for learning or Brain Based Tips for More Impactful Learning.

Trainers Toolbox Train the Trainer Alumni

Train the Trainer Zagreb 2019 - graduated in November 2019

Oliver Linzbauer
Matea Lay
Ivana Kljaković Gašpić
Marija Malkoč Kušt
Sonja Karoglan Todorović
Meri Tukač

Train the Trainer Zagreb 2019/2020 - graduated in January 2020

Anna Danes
Marcel Majsan
Nikolina Mihić
Mihaela Marija Perković

Train the Trainer Budapest 2020 - graduated in January 2020

Trainers Lab was TTT delivered in collaboration between Learning Laboratory and Trainers Toolbox.

Zoltán Kappelmayer
Eszter Takács
Viktória Csonka
Ivett Hegyi
Alina Alexandra Baciu
Martina Bálind

Train the Trainer Zagreb 2021 - graduated in March 2021

The first group to graduate from blended TTT program, where we worked in both online and live ways, enabling attendees to be skilled in both ways of delivery.

Klara Čičin-Šain
Nikolina Božanović
Denis Stanarević
Jelena Jokanović

attendees blended learning 2021 zagreb

Train the Trainer Zagreb 2021 - graduated in November 2021

Blended TTT program, where we worked in both online and live ways, enabling attendees to be skilled in both ways of delivery.

Peter Bodik
Nina Garić Saganić
Maja Živanović
Marieta Di Gallo
Ivan Capan
Ana Hlavati

Train the Trainer - virtual 2021/2022 - graduated in January 2022

Irina Hagiu
Ana Maria Radu
Ramona Grigoras
Veronica Staicu
Alina Bucur

Train the Trainer Amsterdam 2022 - graduated in July 2022

Geraldine Danhoui  
Konstantinos Syrokostas 
Dan Tudorache  
Dora Mathesz-Molnar
Chiara Zeroni

Train the Trainer Zagreb 2022 - graduated in December 2022

Mubina Arnautalić
Ines Tukač
Ozano Rokov
Vedran Karlović
Mária Elekes 

Train the Trainer Stockholm 2023 - graduated in June 2023

Melissa Grote
Sara Jonasson Ginters
Nadica Atanasova
Beatriz Perdomo

Train the Trainer Basel 2023 - graduated in November 2023

Boutheina Lassadi 
Maria Barone
Eszter Boros

Your name can go here too – join us now!