Training Needs Analysis (TNA)
Also known as: Training needs assessment
A training needs analysis, or TNA, is the process of finding the gap between the skills and knowledge your people have now and what they need to meet your business goals. It tells you where training will actually make a difference, so you invest time and budget where it counts instead of running training for its own sake. It is sometimes called a training needs assessment.
What a training needs analysis involves
A TNA usually looks at three levels. The organisational level asks what the business needs to achieve and what capabilities that requires. The role level asks what each job needs to be done well. The individual level asks where a specific person stands against those needs.
Comparing where people are now with where they need to be shows the gaps that training should close.
Why do a training needs analysis
Without one, training tends to be reactive. A course gets bought because it is popular, not because it solves a real gap, which wastes budget and time.
A TNA connects training to business goals, prioritises the gaps that matter most, and gives you a clear reason for every programme you run. It also makes it easier to show the value of training afterwards.
How to run a training needs analysis
A simple version has five steps: define the business goals, describe the skills each role needs, assess the skills people have now, identify and prioritise the gaps, and turn the priorities into a training plan.
You do not need a heavy process to start. A structured skills gap form and a clear plan template are enough to make a TNA practical for most teams.
Free skill gap analysis template
Turning a TNA into a training plan
The output of a TNA is a prioritised list of gaps. The next step is a plan that says who needs what training, in what order, and by when.
Once the plan exists, an LMS assigns the training, reminds people, and tracks whether the gaps are actually closing.
Frequently asked questions
What is a training needs analysis?
It is the process of finding the gap between the skills people have now and the skills they need to meet your business goals, so you can focus training where it will make a difference.
Why is a training needs analysis important?
It stops training being reactive and wasteful. By connecting training to business goals and prioritising real gaps, it makes sure budget and time go where they matter, and makes the value of training easier to show.
How do you conduct a training needs analysis?
Define the business goals, describe the skills each role needs, assess current skills, identify and prioritise the gaps, then turn the priorities into a training plan. A skills gap form and a plan template make this practical.
What is the difference between a TNA and a skills gap analysis?
A skills gap analysis is one part of a training needs analysis. The gap analysis measures the difference between current and required skills. The TNA uses that, along with business goals, to decide what training to run.
What are the levels of a training needs analysis?
Three: organisational (what the business needs), role (what each job needs), and individual (where a specific person stands). Looking at all three keeps training aligned from strategy down to the person.
How often should you do a training needs analysis?
At least once a year for most organisations, and again whenever goals, roles, or regulations change significantly. Regular reviews keep the training plan aligned with what the business actually needs.