Annual Training Plan Template (Excel): Build Your Plan Step by Step

A good annual training plan answers five questions for every programme: which business gap it closes, who attends, who delivers it, when it runs and how much it costs. Then, at the end of the year, it answers a sixth one: did it work?

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What an annual training plan is (and what it is not)

First, an annual training plan is a decision document. It lists the programmes the company will fund next year, and it links each one to a skill gap and a budget line. In other words, it is not a catalogue of courses, and it is not a wish list collected by e-mail.

Also, the plan belongs to the business, not only to HR. HR runs the process, while department heads confirm the gaps, nominate the participants and later confirm whether behaviour changed on the job.

Build the plan in six steps

Step 1: Start with the training needs analysis (TNA)

The training needs analysis is the foundation of the plan. First, compare what each role requires (the job description and its KPIs) with what people actually deliver (performance reviews, quality reports, customer complaints). Next, interview each department head about next year’s goals, because new systems, new products and new regulations create new gaps. Finally, separate the gaps that training can close from the ones it cannot, such as unclear roles or missing tools.

We explain the full TNA method, with its levels and tools, in Training Needs Analysis: The Cornerstone of Building an Effective Development Plan, and in Arabic in تحليل الاحتياجات التدريبية – كيف تبني نظام تدريب وتطوير فعال في شركتك.

Step 2: Turn every gap into an objective

Next, write each gap as an objective that a manager can observe. For example, “improve sales skills” is too vague. Instead, write “sales representatives discover the client’s needs before sending a proposal”. As a result, the evaluation in step 6 becomes easy, because you already know what to look for on the job.

Step 3: The plan table

Now, put every programme in one table. The template gives you 60 rows, and each row holds the same columns, so the plan stays easy to sort and filter by department, quarter or provider.

Then, the template calculates the total cost (participants × cost per participant + other costs), the quarter and the person-days. In the example above, the total is 12 × 3,500 + 4,000 = 46,000 EGP. Also, a check column tells you when a row misses a department, a start month or a status.

Internal or external provider?

Internal trainers usually cost less and already know your processes. However, they need time away from their own work, and they often need a train-the-trainer session first. External providers, on the other hand, bring specialised content and certificates. In Egypt, Labor Law 14/2025 requires an entity that conducts training to take one of the listed company forms and to hold a licence from the competent ministry (arts. 22 and 23). However, the law excepts an establishment that trains its own workers. So, before you sign with an external provider, ask for its licence.

Step 4: The training budget

After the table is ready, the budget sheet adds up the planned cost by department and by quarter, and it compares each department with its own budget. Cancelled programmes drop out automatically. Moreover, a flag marks any department that goes over its budget, so you can cut or move programmes before management sees the plan.

In the sample company, the IT department plans a security awareness session for 40 staff (40 × 400 = 16,000) and a cloud certification for two engineers (2 × 15,000 = 30,000). As a result, IT plans 46,000 EGP against a budget of 35,000, and the flag shows “Over budget”. Meanwhile, the company as a whole stays within its overall budget.

Protect the investment: the training agreement

Expensive programmes, such as certifications, deserve a short written agreement. Under art. 95, a worker trained at the employer’s expense must stay for the agreed period. If the worker leaves earlier, the worker repays the training costs, unless the employment contract says otherwise. Therefore, write the period and the cost in the agreement before the programme starts. Also, remember that art. 5 bans discrimination in access to training.

Step 5: Deliver and track the plan

During the year, keep the status column up to date. For example, move a programme to “confirmed” when you book the provider, to “completed” when the last session ends, and to “postponed” or “cancelled” when plans change. As a result, the plan always shows the real picture, and the budget sheet always shows the real spend.

Step 6: Evaluate with the Kirkpatrick model

Finally, the plan must show whether training worked. A common framework is the four-level model introduced by Donald Kirkpatrick in 1959 and later published in his book Evaluating Training Programs: The Four Levels.

In the template, you set a target level for each programme and a pass mark for levels 1 to 3. Then, you enter the results as they arrive, and the sheet shows the level reached and whether the target was met. Note that the levels count in order: if a programme fails level 2, it stays at level 1 even when you have level 3 data. To link level 4 to your HR metrics, see our HR KPIs and monthly HR dashboard.

Annual training plan FAQ

What is an annual training plan?

It is a one-year plan that lists every training programme the company will fund, with its objective, audience, provider, dates and cost, and it links each programme to a skill gap from the training needs analysis.

How do you prepare an annual training plan step by step?

First, analyse the training needs. Next, turn each gap into an objective. Then, fill the plan table, cost it against the budget, track delivery during the year and, finally, evaluate the results.

What should a department training plan include?

The department’s programmes, objectives, participants, provider, start and end month, days and cost, plus the department’s training budget and a status for each programme.

How much should a company spend on training?

There is no legal percentage for the training budget in Egypt. Each company sets its own budget from its goals and the needs analysis. The only legal amount is the training fund contribution for establishments with 30 or more workers (Labor Law 14/2025, art. 21).

Is training mandatory for employers in Egypt?

Yes, for job basics and safety. Art. 267 requires training every worker on the sound basics of the job and on its risks and protective equipment before the worker starts.

How do you evaluate a training plan?

Use the four Kirkpatrick levels: reaction, learning, behaviour on the job and business results, and set a target level for each programme.

Summary

In short, start from the needs analysis, not from last year’s course list. Then, write a clear objective for every programme, put everything in one table, check it against each department budget, and evaluate the results at the end. Above all, the template does the totals, the budget flags and the evaluation levels for you, so you can focus on the decisions.

For the Arabic version of the planning method, read تصميم خطة التدريب السنوية خطوة بخطوة من التحليل إلى التنفيذ الفعلي.

Read also:
Designing the Annual Training Plan from Analysis to Real Implementation
Training Needs Analysis: The Cornerstone of Building an Effective Development Plan
How to Build an Annual HR Budget (Free Excel Template)
HR KPIs and a Monthly HR Dashboard in Excel (Free Template)
More explainers on our YouTube channel: Careerians on YouTube

Legal points are taken from Egyptian Labor Law No. 14 of 2025 (arts. 5, 21, 22, 23, 95 and 267). The Kirkpatrick model is described in Donald Kirkpatrick’s 1959 articles and his book Evaluating Training Programs: The Four Levels. All figures in the examples belong to an imaginary sample company. The template is an internal planning tool.