Online Induction >> Online Training Matrix
Published 05/12/2024

Online Training Matrix: Tips, Design and Example

A training or a skills matrix is a tool used in an organisation to track training and skills, both required and the team's desired skills needed to complete a particular project. It's typically used in the assessment of the skills required for the team or a particular project. Creating an overview of the skills needed to complete a project is essential to successfully implement the skills matrix. A training matrix is commonly part of a online training platform. A training matrix might stem from the initial online induction where you capture evidence of training and licenses in order to capture all existing training that a staff member has. This forms part of your overall onboarding system.

Looking to create an online training matrix or for templates and examples?



Think about this, how does an organisation make sure it has the right personnel and the desired skills to immediately start and complete each project it engages in? Simply, a training matrix! Let's look at what a training matrix is and how it can be used in an organisation for skills gap analysis and learning opportunities.

How a training matrix is used in an organisation?

A training matrix is important for workplace training because it helps to ensure that employees have the knowledge and skills they need to perform their job duties. It also provides a way to measure the effectiveness of training and identify areas where additional training may be necessary. A training matrix is also an important tool for identifying areas where employees may need to be retrained or given additional training to stay current with changing laws and regulations. Finally, a training matrix can help employers track employee progress and ensure that all employees are up to date on the latest training materials.

The importance of a Training Matrix

A training matrix helps in:
- Making the team members aware of their skills
- Outlining expectations
- Identifying the weak areas
- Indicating where new hires are needed
- Highlighting the areas in an organisation that requires the development

It's commonly used for tracking the team's competency levels to supporting gap analysis between the actual and required knowledge levels. So, an organisation can use a training matrix to identify the skill gaps and high-risk areas, plan a development opportunity, and improve accountability.



You can use these steps to create your skills matrix:
1. Determine all the relevant skills needed for the project
2. Assess the current skills level of the team.
3. Rate the skill level of each team member
4. Use the data from the matrix to detect any missing skills or learning opportunities that are needed.
A learning and training skills matrix helps increase the performance of the workforce and boost productivity. They are a great way of keeping track of the core skills, competencies, certification, and qualifications of your staff in an organisation.

Example Online Training Matrix

Have a look at an example online training matrix template right here:

Contractor Training Matrix

Contractors may be managed via a different training matrix that is specific to contractor licenses and external training. Contractor licenses might include external training contractors have received for tickets, licenses and evidence of training completed at external training providers. The training matrix giving a centralised overview of what training contractors currently have and what gaps they have for new training opportunities or requirements.

Linking a Training Matrix to a Training Plan

A training and development plan is an excellent tool for determining and structuring what training is required for each role and when combined with a training matrix, you can identify what training and skills gaps exist and then assign additional training based on that. For example, Greg in Sales currently has 3 training courses completed from a mix of both internal and external training but requires additional training still based on his training and development plan in order to meet the competent criteria since his probation started. He still has some way to go in upskilling before he could be classed as expert in his role. The training plan maps out this pathway and the training matrix is the deep view of what he's currently done and what gaps there are still are to fill. This might be included in your professional development training, corporate training and include engaging and immersive experiences such as workplace AR training and microlearning.

From the moment we step into the workplace, there comes a certain level of expectations and standards that every employer expects their employees to follow. This is where developing a Training Plan in the workplace with a training matrix can help set those standards and expectations. A Training Matrix is an essential tool when it comes to planning, executing, tracking and assessing employee performance. With this combination of tools in place, you can quickly build a framework for employees to progress and reach the desired levels of performance within your organization.

A Training Matrix is a visual representation of tasks related to each job role that clearly outlines the skillsets required for successful completion of those processes. For example, if you are looking to develop a web application or mobile application for your business, then you would need to include tasks such as designing user interfaces, coding project structures etc in your training matrix. This makes it easier for your staff to understand which skillsets they need to have in order to complete their tasks efficiently and successfully. By using this type of formalized approach to training, you can create an environment where employees understand exactly what they need to do instead of relying on trial and error methods or relying solely on their intuition.

In addition, implementing a Training Matrix into your organization will also benefit the overall compliance levels too because everything has been planned out so there's no room for confusion or misunderstanding about any particular process or task. A properly designed training plan ensures that all team members are up-to-date on changes within the industry while also making sure they are fully aware of any safety protocols needed when performing certain tasks associated with their roles. The use of such tools enables employers to build confidence within their teams which would eventually lead to higher levels of motivation and productivity throughout the workplace. See more on a employee training plan.

Try our online Training Matrix Builder and Training Plan Creator

What does a training matrix tell us about skills and roles and gaps in learning?

A training matrix lists down the skills and competencies that the workforce possesses and those that need to be developed to complete a project successfully. This enables the team members and managers to see clearly what is to be offered by the team and what's being worked on.

Knowing the skills and experience of your team also helps provide managers with oversight around knowing if the team has the skills and training needed to work together and complete their job tasks or activities.

The matrix can further be divided by the specific roles or departments within a project with the ability to drll down all the skills required to complete each milestone of the project.

It can also provide a view of all external training completed by staff outside the organisation. If there are strong skill sets that aren't realised and completed by staff using external training providers, the matrix will provide an overview of this. Likewise if the company actively assigns externa training to staff, the matrix will be where they can manage this and record who has completed what and when.

A live training matrix that is constantly reflecting the current skill set of the team gives a detailed gap analysis that shows the departments, individuals, and sites that are behind in training and what training opportunities should be looked at.

This leads to identifying an area where a team or employee needs improvements (such as missing training) to be more effective on the project.

The completed matrix usually visualises the skills that are available, the required skills, and the skills that the team or employee is missing.

Using a training matrix when managing learning courses for staff

With a training matrix, an organisation's unique roles, training topics, courses that satisfy the training topics, and the set training requirements can be uploaded and assigned to a large number of staff.
Having a training matrix is an excellent opportunity to identify and define the responsibilities and roles within the organisation, shortage of skills, and where a particular skill is intense.
The qualifications of the workforce are clearly defined in the training matrix. It also shows the status of the qualifications, whether expired, expiring, or valid. The data held by the training matrix is essential in planning training schedules, succession, and the up-skilling of the team.

An organisation using the training matrix will be in a better position to detect the strong and weak points of the team. This makes it a critical tool for the HR department responsible for workforce management. Having a team with all the needed skills before the start of the project will ensure better results and having oversight of all external training will validate that the team has had the proper training.

Online Training Matrix Builder

Try creating your own online training matrix right here:

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is a training matrix important?

A training matrix allows employers to keep up with their team's progress by tracking changes in certifications, skills levels and knowledge gained. Having these records on hand provides insight into areas where extra attention may be needed; it also serves as important evidence of each individual's achievements - something which can be highlighted in performance reviews. On top of this, it offers an easy gauge for workforce planning purposes - allowing employers to identify future manpower requirements at any given time.

How do you use a training matrix in an organisation?

Making it available for everyone in your organisation to access at any time. The next step is making sure that each individual has updated details on his or her development plan entered into the database, either manually by HR personnel or via quarterly performance assessments from department heads. After this is done, the process becomes easier as all essential information about anyone's profile can be accessed quickly when needed through one system only.

Detailed reports can be made based on these profiles containing insights such as who requires more intensive coaching or who needs further technical support areas. This makes decision making much easier for key stakeholders within an organization - allowing them to see where effort should be exerted when budgeting resources towards employee development programs across different departments and teams throughout the year(s).

Written by Dr Jeremy Nunn Founder, CEO View Profile