How to Create a Training Plan

Educational guides for employers on organising workplace training — identifying needs, planning, delivering, recording and reviewing. Connected to workplace training, training records and workplace safety. Informational only — not legal advice, not certified training and not a substitute for legally required instruction; employers remain responsible for compliance.

What this guide covers

This guide explains how employers usually move from a list of needs to a workable plan — prioritising, scheduling, assigning owners and setting review points.

It is an educational outline, not certified training and not legal advice. A plan organises your training; it does not by itself make your workplace compliant.

Why a training plan matters

• A plan makes training deliberate, with owners and timing rather than good intentions.
• It helps make sure higher-risk needs are addressed first.
• It gives everyone a shared view of what is coming and who is responsible.
• It makes progress and gaps easy to track over time.

Before you start: what you need

• A list of identified training needs by person and topic.
• A sense of priority, usually led by risk and any deadlines.
• Knowledge of who can deliver each topic competently.
• A view of available time, budget and any external providers.

Step 1: Prioritise the needs

• Rank needs by risk, with higher-hazard tasks usually first.
• Flag anything time-sensitive, such as a new starter before a task.
• Group related needs that can be delivered together efficiently.
• Be realistic about how much can be done in each period.

Step 2: Build the schedule

• Set rough dates or windows for each item.
• Decide the format: briefing, demonstration, hands-on or external course.
• Allow for refreshers where skills fade or requirements repeat.
• Leave room for unplanned needs that arise during the period.

Step 3: Assign owners and resources

• Name who delivers each item and who arranges it.
• Confirm the deliverer is competent for that topic.
• Book rooms, equipment or external providers as needed.
• Decide how completion will be recorded for each item.

Involving supervisors and competent persons

Supervisors can help shape realistic timing and often deliver task-level instruction themselves. Involving them early improves the plan and the buy-in.

For specialist topics, plan in a competent person to deliver or oversee. Deciding who is competent for each topic is the employer’s judgement.

Documentation and records

• The plan itself, showing items, owners, timing and format.
• A way to mark items as scheduled, in progress or complete.
• Links to the needs and risk assessments each item addresses.
• A training matrix to reflect completion as the plan is delivered.

Putting the plan into action

• Communicate the plan to those affected and their supervisors.
• Track delivery against the schedule and adjust where needed.
• Record completion promptly so the picture stays accurate.
• Escalate slipping items before they become overdue gaps.

How to review and improve the plan

• Review progress regularly and reschedule what has slipped.
• Add new needs as they arise and remove items no longer relevant.
• Check whether delivered training had the intended effect.
• Refine your planning approach based on what worked.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Planning more than can realistically be delivered.
• Leaving items without a named owner or date.
• Forgetting refreshers and treating training as one-and-done.
• Letting the plan go stale once it is written.

Who is responsible and your legal duties

The employer decides what to include, sets priorities, assigns delivery and keeps the plan current. This guide is an educational outline to help you build it.

It does not make your workplace compliant, does not satisfy any legal training requirement and is not legal advice. Confirm what your roles require against the applicable law.