Who cares? No, really. I get this question all the time when I am talking to clients or interviewing. It’s asked in a kind of tone that indicates the person does not want to offend or look silly. I use the terms interchangeably. Somehow education sounds better than training. Think of education as in “higher education” and training as in “vocational training”. In our society, one is considered better than the other. There is lots written about the distinction if you care to browse the topic.
One broad difference could be that education is about theoretical knowledge and training the practical application of that knowledge. Learning technical subjects includes both theory and practical application. When you learn a new programming language or IT tool, you learn what it is all about and then you use it. In a class, the use of the technology or product is typically done through a set of guided labs mixed in with the lecture.
To avoid the whole wearisome discussion, some tech educators use “learning” to describe the process and “learners” to describe those who take part in classes. Education departments are then called “Learning services” or something like that. I like Education for the department name and training as the services provided by that department. But, really, it’s not a big deal.
