Free training matrix template for Excel
A training matrix, skills matrix and training log in one Excel workbook. Colours show who is trained, who is not and whose retraining is due. No email needed.
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Free to use and adapt in your organisation. No email address needed. Add your own document number and version, and approve the form under your document control before use.
- Excel (.xlsx)
Training matrix and skills matrix
Training matrix with status colours and totals per person and requirement, skills matrix (levels 0 to 4) and training log.
What this template is for
A training matrix shows which procedures and courses each person must be trained on, and whether they are. GMP rules and ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 expect people to be trained and competent for the work they do, with records to prove it. In an inspection the matrix is often one of the first documents requested, and training records are then sampled against it.
The workbook has three sheets. The training matrix lists requirements (document number, title, version, training type and retraining interval) across the top and people down the side, and counts per person how many trainings are required, current, missing or due again. The skills matrix compares competence levels from 0 to 4 with the level each skill requires. The training log is the line-by-line record behind the dates.
Requirements it supports
How to fill it in
- 1
List your requirements
Across the top of the matrix, enter each SOP or course with its number, title, current version, training type and retraining interval in months.
- 2
Add your people
One row per person with employee ID, department, job function and start date. Remove the grey example rows first.
- 3
Mark what each person needs
Enter R where a person must be trained and N/A where the requirement does not apply to their job. Red cells now show the open training.
- 4
Record training dates
Replace R with the completion date and add a line to the training log that points to the signed record. Cells turn amber when the retraining interval has passed.
- 5
Handle new versions
When a procedure is revised, update the version and set R again for everyone who must be retrained, so the gap stays visible until it is closed.
- 6
Review the matrix
Review it when people join, move or leave, when procedures change, and at least once a year. Record the reviewer and the date in the header.
Common mistakes inspectors flag
Trained on an old version
The matrix shows a date, but the training was on the previous version of the SOP and the revision was never trained.
Working before training is complete
New starters or transferred staff performing GMP tasks before their required training is recorded.
Matrix and records do not match
A date in the matrix with no signed training record behind it, or a record for someone who is not in the matrix. Inspectors sample one against the other.
Read and understand for everything
Complex or critical tasks trained only by reading the SOP, without on-the-job training or an assessment of competence.
Periodic training missing
Annual GMP or data integrity refreshers required by the procedure but missing for part of the team.
Do this in QFacts
A template works until the records pile up. QFacts keeps these records in one eQMS with workflows, electronic signatures and an audit trail. Try it for 14 days, no credit card needed.
- Build curricula by department, job function or individual.
- Assign document, classroom, on-the-job and e-learning trainings with due dates.
- Require training when a document is approved, so people are trained on the new version.
- Use quizzes with a passing score, with signed attempts and completion records.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a training matrix and a skills matrix?
A training matrix records whether each person has completed the training their job requires, usually per procedure and version. A skills matrix records how competent each person is at a task, for example on a scale from 0 to 4, compared with the level the job needs. The workbook contains both.
How often should a training matrix be reviewed?
Whenever people join, move or leave and whenever a procedure is revised, and as a whole at least once a year. Record the reviewer and the date in the header so the review itself is traceable.
Do people need retraining when an SOP changes?
Usually, for everyone who performs the task. How much training a revision needs, from reading the changes to hands-on training, depends on what changed; your training procedure should say how that is decided.
Does the template work in Google Sheets or LibreOffice?
It uses standard functions (COUNT, COUNTIF, SUMPRODUCT and TODAY), so it also opens in LibreOffice Calc and Google Sheets. Check the colours after importing, as conditional formatting can differ slightly between programs.
Is the training matrix template free?
Yes. Download the Excel file without an email address and use it in your organisation.
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