Although often used as one and the same, it's pretty clear to those in the training world that learning and training are two seperate things. Although one may happen with the other (and it's a definite positive if learning does occur alongside training!), you can certainly keep the two apart.

A short article in online careers network Monster's Hong Kong site throws another term into the hat and asks 'What is the difference between training, learning and performance enhancement?'

Stanley Chak writes that there's a difference in emphasis between trainer-centred actions, where the trainer has the main responsibility for achieving training effectiveness, learner-centred actions, where the individual's learning objectives, motivation, knowledge levels and preferred methods of learning are paramount, and 'performance-centred' actions which look at the underlying situation (i.e. is it possible for the individual to perform and do they want to?). The last approach is referred to as Human Performance Technology.

Chak cites the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) as a source of information on Human Performance Technology or HPT - among other things, they publish a performance improvement journal (with summary articles available online). You can visit the ISPI at http://www.ispi.org to read more.

Chak says this is a simple starting point for discussion, but TrainingZONE isn't sure whether that's cleared things up or muddied the waters! Human Performance Technology could well be the next big thing.....