Summary:  

Chief Learning Officers (CLOs) are increasingly turning to outsourced training services to build scalable, cost-effective learning programs that align with business strategy. As organizations face talent shortages, rapid digital transformation, and rising demand for measurable learning impact, strategic outsourcing enables L&D teams to expand capability without adding headcount. This guide explores why CLOs outsource training, the most effective outsourcing models, including staff augmentation, managed services, and full-lifecycle partnerships, and how to select the right provider. Learn how outsourcing strengthens agility, accelerates program delivery, and ensures consistent, high-quality learning across global teams. Whether you’re modernizing your learning function or navigating large-scale transformation, discover how the right partnership can extend your internal expertise and deliver measurable business results.

What’s Changing the Way CLOs Build and Deliver Learning at Scale?

In today’s business world, Learning & Development teams are juggling strategy, content, technology, and operations, all while working to keep staffing and development costs down. As a result, Chief Learning Officers (CLOs) are wrestling with the challenge of how to deliver affordable and effective training without team burnout.

This challenge is intensifying, as organizations attempt to respond to market changes faster, upskill employees on a large scale, and do more with fewer people. The shift toward agile workforce models and flexible talent strategies is redefining “how work gets done,” and learning functions are no exception.

According to research from Training Magazine’s annual report, U.S. investment in outsourced training services grew from $8.2 billion in 2022 to $12.4 billion in 2024, a 50% increase in just two years. This growth is an indication that a broader movement toward learning outsourcing services that blend internal expertise with external partners to meet dynamic learning needs.

In response to this challenge, more CLOs are considering outsourcing training as a part of their overall L&D strategy. With proper execution, outsourcing can be a deliberate move that can boost efficiency, cut costs, and help your internal team focus on aligning learning with business goals. Think of outsourcing as more than handing off tasks. It’s about strengthening your team’s skills, becoming more responsive, and ensuring your training efforts directly support your business goals by building strong relationships with outside experts.

In the next section, we will explore why more CLOs are turning to outsourcing for growth, enhancing agility, scale expertise, and delivering learning that drives measurable business results.

Why are CLOs Outsourcing Training?

Outsourcing training can help organizations stay agile, maintain quality, and build consistency. Here are five key reasons CLOs are embracing it:

• Focus on strategy – Free up the internal team from administrative or tactical training work so they can concentrate on aligning learning with business goals.
• Scalability on demand – Outsourcing training lets you scale without the hassle or expense of hiring full-time staff.
• Access to specialized talent – External partners provide specializations that would be costly to maintain internally.
• Faster execution – Providers with established systems and talent can quickly launch new learning programs, cut down development time, and speed up delivery.
• Consistency across locations – For multi-site organizations, outsourcing helps ensure consistent messaging and quality across regions.

In short, outsourcing helps CLOs modernize learning delivery and keep strategy and learner experience in-house.

What are Common Outsourcing Models? 

No two organizations outsource learning in the same way. The right approach depends on internal capacity, desired control, and business objectives. Most CLOs find their strategy aligns with one of these core models, or even a blend of them:

1. Staff Augmentation (On-Demand Talent)
   This staff augmentation model gives L&D leaders flexibility to scale their teams quickly by bringing in external experts (e.g., instructional designers, facilitators, project managers, or learning strategists) for specific initiatives. The organization retains consistent control while filling capability or capacity gaps.

Example: A Fortune 500 financial institution brings in experienced contract facilitators and eLearning developers to support the rapid rollout of a new compliance program across multiple business units.

2. Managed Services (Functional Outsourcing)
   Here, organizations outsource select learning functions such as training logistics, learner support, LMS administration, or content updates. It is an efficient way to streamline operations, improve service levels, and redirect internal teams toward strategic learning design and business alignment.

Example: A national healthcare provider outsources training administration, instructor coordination, and scheduling to an external partner, freeing its internal L&D team to focus on clinical learning strategy and quality initiatives.

3. Full Lifecycle Outsourcing (End-to-End Partnership)
   This model involves partnering with outsourced training providers who manage the entire learning lifecycle (e.g., from needs analysis and design through delivery, technology enablement, and performance analytics). It is ideal for enterprises seeking scalability and measurable impact while maintaining oversight through structured governance and performance metrics.

Ex: A global manufacturing company partners with a learning services provider to design, deliver, and track all technical, safety, and leadership training across North America, EMEA, and APAC, supported by centralized analytics and continuous improvement reporting.

4. Hybrid or Co-Managed Model
   Many organizations adopt a hybrid approach that combines internal oversight with outsourced execution. The provider acts as an extension of the internal L&D function, sharing responsibility for delivery, quality, and innovation. This model balances flexibility with control, making it one of the most common choices for mature learning organizations.

Ex: A leading technology enterprise retains responsibility for learning strategy and curriculum design but relies on an external partner for large-scale delivery, virtual facilitation, and learning data analysis to maintain agility across regions.

What is the Outsourcing Process?

A well-planned outsourcing process is the bedrock of a successful learning partnership. When executed effectively, it minimizes disruption, accelerates value delivery, and establishes clear accountabilities for all involved. For organizations exploring this approach for the first time, this Training Industry article offers practical guidance on launching your first outsourcing project.

As Wipfli’s 2024 Outsourcing Research Report emphasizes, the most successful relationships are built on clear governance, defined outcomes, and consistent communication, effectively converting a basic transaction into a high-performing partnership.

Below is a concise roadmap that reflects how leading organizations and experienced learning providers structure the outsourcing journey: 

1. Assessment and Discovery
   Begin by identifying which learning functions or programs would benefit most from external support. Evaluate your internal team’s bandwidth, specialized skill gaps, and scalability needs. A structured discovery process ensures that outsourcing targets the right areas, whether that is training delivery, instructional design, administration, or end-to-end program management.
2. Scope & Design
   Define clear business objectives, service-level expectations, and success metrics. This step involves translating high-level goals, like improving learner engagement or accelerating onboarding, into measurable outcomes that will guide your partner’s work and performance reviews.
3. Partner Selection and Alignment
   Selecting the right partner goes beyond comparing proposals. The best providers bring access to specialized talent, managed services, or full program support, depending on your needs. They should demonstrate deep learning expertise, operational flexibility, and cultural alignment. The strongest partners bring all this, backed by a strong infrastructure for delivery and reporting.
4. Transition and Onboarding
   A seamless transition depends on a structured onboarding process and knowledge transfer. This critical phase aligns a provider’s processes and tools with the client’s existing operations, ensuring the partnership becomes an integrated extension of the internal team rather than a simple handover.
5. Continuous Improvement
   Effective governance determines whether outsourcing relationships succeed or fail. The process maintains transparency and accountability by establishing a regular schedule of reviews, performance dashboards, and shared key performance indicators (KPIs). Regular operating reviews and data-driven insights allow both sides to continuously adapt and improve.
6. Scale and Optimization

After an outsourcing relationship has matured, the process can move beyond basic support to focus on opportunities for expansion, delivery optimization, and innovation. Mature partnerships evolve from simple staff augmentation to co-managed or fully managed models, which enable greater value and more successful business impact.

When done right, outsourcing becomes an extension of your learning team, instead of an effort to replace them.

What are Common Pitfalls and How Can I Avoid Them?

Even the most well-intentioned outsourcing initiatives can fall short with careful planning and management. According to Wipfli’s 2024 Outsourcing Research Report, nearly half of organizations cite “unclear expectations and communication breakdowns” as primary causes of outsourcing setbacks. Likewise, research from MetricNet points to misaligned goals, weak governance, and inadequate performance measurement as frequent contributors to project underperformance.

For CLOs and L&D leaders, understanding and mitigating outsourcing risks can grow a basic vendor relationship into a true partnership. Having proactive strategies makes all the difference. The following table outlines common pitfalls in outsourcing training and the practical actions that can prevent them.

Pitfall	Action to Avoid It
Misalignment with business goals	Anchor every outsourcing decision to your organization’s priorities. Define success metrics that tie directly to business outcomes (e.g., productivity, compliance, or customer satisfaction). Revisit these metrics quarterly with your provider to ensure alignment.
Scope creep and over-customization	Establish a clear statement of work (SOW) and governance cadence from the start. Standardize templates, processes, and deliverables to maintain scalability and control cost growth.
Weak governance and unclear accountability	Create a joint operating model that defines roles, decision rights, and communication channels. Hold regular operational and executive reviews to track performance, identify risks, and manage change proactively.
Neglecting the learner experience	Build feedback loops into every phase of the program. Use learner surveys, engagement analytics, and performance data to ensure outsourced learning delivers both impact and satisfaction.
Internal resistance	Communicate early and transparently about why outsourcing is being adopted. Involve internal SMEs in the planning process, highlight quick wins, and recognize contributions to build buy-in and confidence.
Insufficient performance tracking	Implement shared dashboards and KPIs for visibility into progress, costs, and outcomes. Leverage technology platforms for data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.

Outsourcing success is not a matter of luck, but one of structure, transparency, and alignment. By anticipating pitfalls and implementing proactive governance, leaders can transform risk into readiness. The most effective partnerships are built on shared goals, communication, and measurable performance. With this foundation, the next step is selecting a provider that brings not just capacity, but also the capability and experience to serve as a true extension of the team.

How Can I Evaluate Providers?

Choosing the right outsourcing partner can make or break your learning strategy. The best providers operate not as vendors, but as extensions of your L&D organization, bringing proven expertise, operational rigor, and flexibility that scales with your business.

When evaluating outsourced training providers, look for a combination of capability, experience, and alignment. A provider’s true value lies in how well they understand your organization’s goals and can translate them into learning outcomes.

CLOs should consider the following criteria when selecting an outsourcing partner:

1. Proven Experience

Look for partners with a history of supporting enterprise-scale learning programs across industries and geographies. Experienced providers bring insight from large-scale implementations, helping you avoid common pitfalls and shorten time to impact.

2. Breadth and Flexibility of Services

Strong providers offer multiple engagement models ranging from on-demand talent placement to fully managed learning services, to adapt as your needs evolve. This flexibility allows you to expand or contract quickly without the cost of rebuilding internal infrastructure.

3. Thorough Talent Vetting and Qualification

High-performing partners maintain deep networks of learning professionals who are pre-screened for both skill and cultural fit. This ensures consistency, faster onboarding, and confidence in delivery quality.

4. Technology-Enabled Visibility and Reporting

Modern learning partnerships depend on transparency. Seek providers with digital platforms that offer real-time insight into project status, resource utilization, performance data, and learner outcomes. This visibility allows you to manage the partnership proactively rather than reactively.

5. Disciplined Governance and Communication Clear governance structures and communication protocols are essential to sustaining trust and accountability. Leading providers establish consistent check-ins, escalation paths, and data-driven reporting cycles to keep stakeholders aligned.

Beyond credentials and contracts, successful outsourcing relationships depend on shared values and collaboration. Choose a partner who demonstrates adaptability, transparency, and a commitment to understanding your business—not just delivering against a statement of work.

Ultimately, the goal is not to outsource learning, but to extend capability. The most effective partners enhance your internal team’s strengths, deliver measurable results, and help convert your learning function into a scalable, business-driven asset.

When Should I Outsource?

With proper implementation, outsourcing is not just a cost-control measure; it becomes a leverage for scaling capability, accelerating change, and maintaining business continuity during transformation. According to findings from our research brief, L&D Reimagined: How Agile Talent Drives Organizational Growth, more than 60% of companies plan to increase their use of contingent learning talent to improve agility and reduce risk, while 77% expect to expand their use of contract-based L&D professionals over the next five years.

Organizations typically turn to external learning partners when facing moments of transformation or scale—moments when outsourced training and development can enhance impact and speed. such as:

1. Large-Scale System Rollouts

When implementing major platforms like ERP, Salesforce, or Workday, internal L&D teams often need surge capacity to meet intense, time-bound training demands. Outsourcing provides access to system-savvy facilitators and instructional designers who can deliver consistent, high-quality learning across regions and roles, keeping adoption timelines on track.

2. Mergers, Acquisitions, and Integrations

M&A events demand rapid alignment of processes, systems, and culture. Outsourced learning specialists help unify teams by delivering tailored onboarding, compliance, and change management programs that bridge organizational gaps.

3. Leadership Development and Academies

Building leadership capability is a long-term investment, but developing it internally can delay momentum. Partnering with experienced learning consultants and facilitators accelerates leadership program design and delivery while maintaining consistent oversight.

4. Onboarding Expansions

Rapid growth, acquisitions, or seasonal hiring often outpace an internal team’s ability to deliver consistent onboarding. Outsourced instructional designers and trainers can quickly build scalable digital and hybrid programs to bring new hires up to speed faster.

5. Rapid Upskilling in New Technologies

As the half-life of technical skills shrinks to 2–5 years, organizations increasingly need outside experts to teach emerging technologies, like AI integration or cybersecurity. Outsourcing ensures immediate access to credible, experienced trainers in specialized fields.

6. Workforce Transformation and Change Enablement

Whenever new strategies, structures, or technologies are introduced, external L&D resources help manage the transition smoothly. Outsourcing provides neutral facilitators and communication experts who help employees adapt with confidence.

Ready to Scale? 

Growing learning demands are shifting how L&D teams operate. Many are finding that outsourcing is not a simple handover, but a way to scale as demands increase. With a skilled partner, your organization can access expert talent, speed up program delivery, and remain agile in a changing business environment.

Ready to strengthen your learning strategy with the right partner? Explore how TTA’s outsourced training services can help you build scalable learning programs, accelerate transformation, and deliver measurable business results.

Discover TTA Connect — your access point to the industry’s top L&D talent.