Joel Frain

Instructional Designer

Gilbertsville, PA | 484.919.5036 | joelrfrain@mac.com | LinkedIn | Download PDF

Skilled instructor, designer, and computer technician with a broad range of knowledge in Apple and Microsoft products, software, and services, as well as educational philosophies, best practices, and pedagogy. Four years of experience in a corporate IT environment as Head of IT Learning and Development. Seventeen years of experience in Apple Retail, including more than fifteen years educating customers in the role of Creative/Creative Pro. Background in education with a degree in art education and Pennsylvania state certification.

Experience

Head of IT Learning and Development

2021 – 2025

Forward Thinking Technology Solutions

Allentown, PA
  • Designed learning and development curriculum and strategy for both internal staff and external clients.
  • Developed training materials and delivered training sessions in person and via video conferencing for staff and clients.
  • Created instructional videos on a variety of subjects, working with SMEs to meet educational objectives.
  • Launched client’s pilot program for adoption and integration of Microsoft Copilot.
  • Developed and maintained training websites to host educational resources for staff and clients.
  • Wrote process documentation and knowledge base articles for IT staff and business users.
  • Created rich and engaging eLearning modules for client’s LMS system.
  • Coded support and training websites using AI tools ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini for internal staff and external clients.

Creative Pro, Creative, Specialist

2004 – 2021

Apple

Whitehall, PA / King of Prussia, PA

Creative Pro (2018 – 2021)

  • Led the Lehigh Valley Creative team in the transition to Today at Apple programming through the Learn, Rehearse, Review process, onboarding new Creatives, and providing feedback to develop the team throughout.
  • Delivered Today at Apple sessions in all subject areas consistently maintaining high levels of engagement and very high scores in Net Promoter and Team Member Score systems.
  • Led very successful and consistently attended Apple Field Trip and Apple Camp programs.
  • Provided technical phone support to customers during COVID-19 pandemic.

Creative (2007 – 2018)

  • Delivered solutions and educated customers through One to One program.
  • Maintained consistently very high personal and team scores in the Net Promoter system.
  • Executed workshops for consumer and pro applications, as well as Youth Workshops, Field Trips, and Apple Camp programs.
  • Developed peer competencies with the in-store mentoring program.
  • Served as In Store Guest Trainer in a career experience to support ongoing education with store staff.
  • Delivered technical support appointments for iPod, iPhone, and iPad customers.
  • Selected as Joint Venture trainer for Philadelphia market, delivering on-demand training for businesses integrating Apple products and services into their workflows.

Specialist (2004 – 2007)

  • Provided sales and service solutions for customers.
  • Consistently delivered on sales goals.

Art/Computer Teacher

2002 – 2004

Brandywine Heights High School

Mertztown, PA
  • Taught general art to students in 9th and 10th grades.
  • Launched a popular elective computer graphics program teaching Photoshop and Illustrator to 11th and 12th grade students.
  • Taught general computers, word processing, page layout, HyperCard, and TrueBasic to 9th and 10th grade students.

Education

B.S. in Art Education

1996 – 2000

Kutztown University

Kutztown, PA

Certifications

  • Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM)
  • Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT)
  • Microsoft Office Specialist Associate: Word (MO-100), Excel (MO-200), and PowerPoint (MO-300)
  • ChatGPT Foundations for Teachers
  • Career Essentials in Generative AI
  • HIPAA Awareness for Business Associates
  • HIPAA Security

Skills and Achievements

  • Apple Ecosystem: Expert in macOS, iOS, tvOS, watchOS, and all Apple consumer and professional software and services.
  • Microsoft 365 Platform: Expert in the M365 platform, including Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint, Outlook, Copilot, and Power Automate.
  • Visual and Creative Applications: Expert in Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, and Pixelmator Pro, and highly skilled in other Adobe Creative Cloud applications (Illustrator, InDesign).
  • Published Author and Illustrator: Published author and illustrator of the children’s book “The Other Colors”.
  • App Development: Developed own productivity apps for macOS and iOS via coding partnership with generative AI tools (ChatGPT).
  • Adaptive Learning: Confident in the ability to learn new skills and tools quickly and adapt skillset to meet business needs in any situation.
  • Instructional Mastery: Adept teacher with unlimited patience and ability to guide students from knowledge to understanding to application and beyond.

References available upon request.