Employee Training Plan Template: Needs, Schedule, Budget and Results in Excel
An employee training plan template in Excel for small businesses: finding training needs, a sheet for each training action, schedule and budget, attendance and effectiveness tracking, and metrics such as hours per employee and cost per training hour.
An employee training plan template in Excel records what training each person or role needs, when it will happen, what it costs and whether it worked. For a small business, a well-organized sheet replaces ad hoc courses with priorities, spreads the budget sensibly and keeps a record of what was delivered. This guide covers how to find training needs, structure the plan, track it and measure results, with an example of a 15-person company.
Step 1: find the real training needs
Useful training starts from a specific gap, not from a course catalog. The most reliable sources are:
- The skills matrix: critical tasks with too few independent people, and expired certifications.
- The performance review: development goals agreed with each employee.
- Legal requirements: certain jobs and hazards come with mandatory safety training, for example under OSHA standards, and some trades require licenses.
- Planned changes: new software, equipment or services.
Prioritize in this order: required, business-critical, individual development.
Step 2: one row per training action
| Column | Example |
|---|---|
| Training action | Chainsaw and equipment safety |
| Goal | Every field employee operates equipment safely |
| Group and headcount | Field crews, 8 |
| Format | In person, online or blended |
| Hours per person | 8 |
| Provider or internal trainer | Equipment dealer |
| Dates | March |
| Cost | $1,400 |
| Status | Planned, in progress, completed, canceled |
An Attendance tab (one row per person and training action) records who attended, hours, test results and certificate dates.
Step 3: budget and metrics
- Total training hours:
=SUMPRODUCT(Plan[People],Plan[Hours]) - Cost per training hour:
=SUM(Plan[Cost])/TotalHours - Hours per employee:
=TotalHours/Headcount - Budget delivered:
=SUMIF(Plan[Status],"Completed",Plan[Cost])/SUM(Plan[Cost])
Example: a landscaping company with 15 employees
| Training action | People | Hours each | Total hours | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chainsaw and equipment safety | 8 | 8 | 64 | $1,400 |
| Pesticide applicator exam prep | 3 | 16 | 48 | $1,500 |
| Customer communication on site | 5 | 4 | 20 | $500 |
| Workplace language classes | 4 | 20 | 80 | $1,600 |
| Crew leader training | 2 | 16 | 32 | $1,800 |
| Total | 244 | $6,800 |
The plan adds up to 244 hours, about 16 hours per employee, at roughly $28 per training hour. Equipment safety comes first because the risk is highest; applicator licensing depends on state rules, so the exam prep is timed around the state’s testing calendar. Crew leader training is the most expensive per person, justified because two new crews start in spring.
Step 4: check whether it worked
Attending is not learning. A simple four-level approach, inspired by the Kirkpatrick model:
- Reaction: a short survey at the end.
- Learning: a practical test or exam.
- Behavior: one to three months later, the supervisor checks whether it is used on the job.
- Results: the business metric that should improve, such as incidents, callbacks or customer complaints.
Update the skills matrix when a person reaches the target level, and if training changes how work is done, revise the matching SOP.
Scheduling
- Check dates against the employee schedule and the leave tracker so no role is left uncovered.
- Avoid your busiest season.
- Add role-specific training to the employee onboarding checklist for new hires.
- Keep certificates and sign-in sheets; they are your proof that training happened.
Some states and local workforce boards offer grants or reimbursement for employee training; check what is available where you operate. More guides are in Operations & HR.
Frequently asked questions
What should an employee training plan include?
The needs you identified, each training action with goal, audience, format, hours, dates and cost, and a way to track attendance and results.
How often should it be updated?
Plan once a year and review quarterly to add new needs or drop what no longer makes sense.
How do I calculate cost per training hour?
Divide the total cost by the total hours received by everyone (people × hours for each action).
Does it work in Google Sheets?
Yes. SUMPRODUCT, SUMIF and drop-down lists work the same way.