How to Become a Training Analyst

The ability to analyse, interpret and present data is an in-demand skill across many sectors – including training and education. Since so much of corporate and higher-ed learning currently includes digital components, organisations are able to collect more data on learners than ever before. 

However, simply collecting the data doesn’t provide much value unless an organisation has someone employed who has the skill set to meaningfully interpret the data, and make recommendations based on the findings. And this is where the job of a Training Analyst comes in.

Training Analysts play a key role in helping organisations make data-driven decisions about their education and training programs. In this article, we discuss what a Training Analyst does, what skills and experience you need to become one and what the job outlook for Training Analysts is.

Training Analysts, sometimes also called Learning Analysts or Learning Analytics Specialists, use data to help organisations achieve their learning objectives. They work in a field known as learning analytics, which is the process of collecting, measuring, analysing, interpreting and reporting on data. 

Learning analytics enables organisations to better understand their learners and make changes to improve the learning outcomes. This is the key function of a Training Analyst role, and is an area that has evolved much in the past decade – and continues to evolve.

Training Analysts are typically responsible for a number of different functions that support an organisation with meeting its learning objectives. Some of the most common responsibilities of a Training Analyst are:

• Conducting needs assessments in order to identify learning and development needs

• Developing training plans that align strategic organisational needs with learning initiatives

• Working with UX designers to ensure the wireframes and prototypes are aligned with the learning objectives

• Evaluating training to monitor performance and optimise learning initiatives

• Creating reports to be able to draw conclusions from the data and achieve better learning outcomes

• Creating reports and leading presentations to explain the findings and recommend optimisation opportunities to stakeholders

Training Analysts work in a wide range of sectors, and for both public and private organisations. They frequently work in educational institutes, such as schools, school districts, universities and private training institutes. Within an educational context, Training Analysts play a key role in identifying at-risk students and improving student retention rates.

Although many Training Analysts work for government or non-profit educational institutes, many work in the private sector as well. Since many corporations view employee development and training as a strategic priority, Training Analysts are frequently employed within corporate L&D teams. As many companies rely on data for various business functions, Training Analysts’ data-driven approach to decision-making can be a valuable asset.

Although Training Analysts must be skilled in working with data, the role also involves working extensively with others and being able to communicate their analyses. Therefore Training Analysts require a mix of both technical and interpersonal skills. Below are useful skills for Training Analysts.

• Communication: The role of a Training Analyst includes reporting and presenting analyses. Therefore, a high level of verbal and written communication skills are required. Since Training Analysts may at times need to present technical information to a non-technical audience, they should be skilled at writing for different audiences. 

• Data analysis: As suggested in the job title, Training Analysts are responsible for analysing training – which requires advanced data analysis skills. They should be adept at collecting, interpreting and drawing conclusions from large volumes of data that stems from various sources. Knowledge of machine learning, qualitative research methods and statistics is typically required.

• Technological acumen: Training Analysts are required to be adept at learning management systems, authoring tools and learning analytics software. As they will extract reports from these systems and make recommendations for improvement, a high level of technological acumen is vital.

• Project management: Since Training Analysts typically juggle multiple projects at one time, they should have exceptional project management skills. Training Analysts will need to demonstrate that they can meet deadlines, prioritise tasks, and organise their time.

• Teamwork: Training Analysts typically work with various stakeholders, such as SMEs, instructors, learning experience designers and L&D coordinators. Therefore, they will be required to have teamwork and collaboration skills. Some examples of specific teamwork skills that will be beneficial for Training Analysts are active listening skills, empathy, diplomacy and flexibility.

To become a Training Analyst, you will typically be required to have a mix of both practical experience and education. Training Analyst roles are typically not entry-level, but rather require at least 2-3 years of relevant work experience. However, this experience can be gained from a variety of different professional backgrounds, such as instructional design, data analysis and L&D management. 

In terms of education, most Training Analyst roles will require a university degree. Some relevant university degrees are education, data science, instructional design or educational technology. However, even if your degree isn’t directly relevant, there are other ways to get the education required to become a Training Analyst without going back to university.

Obtaining a professional diploma, such as the Professional Diploma in Digital Learning Design, can be a great way to get the skills you need in a shorter period of time. These courses also tend to be more targeted, concise and affordable than university programs.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for Training and Development Specialists is expected to grow 11% by 2030. As Training Analysts are a type of Training and Development Specialist, this role will most likely grow at a similar rate. As the average growth rate for jobs in the U.S. is around 8%, the growth for training and development roles is growing substantially faster than average.

According to Salary.com, the average annual salary for Training Analysts is $66,748 to $86,097. As the median annual salary for workers in the U.S. is $45,760, Training Analyst can be a lucrative career choice.

For organisations across all sectors, data has become more important than ever. It enables businesses to make better decisions, cut costs and improve their performance. And for this reason, Training Analysts are highly valuable for organisations that have a digital learning function. 

If you’re interested in analysing data in order to help organisations deliver a better learning experience and improve learning outcomes, a career as a Training Analyst may be a great fit for you.

A Professional Diploma in Digital Learning Design is a great way to acquire the digital learning knowledge and skills you need to kickstart your career as a Training Analyst.