How LXP Uses Training Need Analysis (TNA) to Create Personalized Learning Paths

Today's workforce demands learning that is not only engaging but also relevant, timely, and personalized. To respond, organizations are evolving traditional ways of training to more intelligent systems that align employee development with business outcomes with Training Needs Analysis (TNA) and Learning Experience Platform (LXP) leading the way.

Instead of another generic training program, businesses are now using TNA to identify specific skill gaps and building personalized learning paths through the LXP. When these connections are made, TNA and LXP create an easily connected pipeline that provides employees the skills they need, when they need them, while providing administrators data-driven insight into the readiness of the workforce.

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What is Training Need Analysis?

Training Needs Analysis is more than just a preliminary step in a training strategy—it's a diagnostic tool that assesses the current competencies of employees against the desired skill benchmarks for their roles. It helps L&D and HR leaders understand where skill gaps exist and what kind of learning interventions are necessary to close them.

Unlike one-time assessments, modern TNA is dynamic. It evolves continuously, using real-time performance data, feedback mechanisms, assessments, and benchmarking. Through this, companies can stay ahead of changing skill demands especially in industries like BFSI, IT, retail, or healthcare, where role requirements shift quickly due to digitalization or compliance needs.

A McKinsey study revealed that nearly 87% of companies worldwide are either experiencing skill gaps today or expect to over the next few years, and only a handful have reasonably accurate systems in place to identify those gaps. Skill Gap-Analysis is critical not only as "where we are with current skills," but importantly as an assessment of capability to address future requirements linked to the organization's vision and strategy.

After the TNA identifies the skills required for a job role, the next step involves conducting a gap analysis, which compares the actual skill level between employers and workers and what the benchmark proficiency is. This analysis isn't done randomly or haphazardly. The skill gap-analysis should have a wide variety of structural assessments, developmental assessments, self, executive, and manager assessments, past performance metrics, and just-in-intime scenario-based assessments to build an overall assessment of the individual in relation to existing skill levels relative to the required benchmark.

Basically, the analysis focused on the current skill performance will now manifest itself with a developmental experience in the Individual Development Plan (IDP). Considering the skill gap analysis, the IDP provides an experience-plan of development which then distributes this outputs into which competencies are lacking, priority for each competency/skill-set, intervention required which can be courses, mentoring, projects, or assessments to close the experiences as gaps. 

Now is where technology has taken a leap. Rather than manually generating development plans for each employee, sophisticated platforms such as Skills Caravan offer to automate it for you. The system will leverage the data that answer assessments, feedback, job-role benchmarks etc. to then create IDPs for every user.

More importantly, “basis the IDP creation and gap analysis, the system gives the admin the ability to analyze the training needed data.” This means HR leaders don’t just see a high-level snapshot—they get deep, role-specific insights into which competencies are underdeveloped across teams or departments. With this training needed data in hand, organizations can make informed, strategic L&D decisions.

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How LXP Transforms Training Needs into Personalized Learning Paths?

Armed with training needs data from TNA and gap analysis, designed learning journeys can now be created through a Learning Experience Platform (LXP). An LXP is more than a content warehouse - it is an intelligent engine that connects learning content to skill gaps and delivers that content based on the learner’s context and goals. 

After the IDPs have been agreed and set in actionable learning plans, the LXP then begins to customize the learning journey. The LXP will use AI driven recommendation engines to present learning options based on a learner's specific needs. It can recommend courses, microlearning, simulations, videos or certifications that are connected to their skill gaps. Not only will all recommendations change as the learner progresses through and completes modules, but they change as skills are updated through the use of assessments.

For example, if a customer service representative has skill gaps around advanced communication and CRM handling, the LXP will not suggest a "general customer service" course. Instead, it will provide customized learning pathways that can contain advanced learner techniques, a specific CRM module based on your company’s tools, and the soft skills required to engage with clients in person or electronically. At the same time, the LXP is documenting learning pathways and adjusting the skill profile of the employee.

Skills Caravan: Streamlining TNA and Personalized Learning with One Integrated System

Skills Caravan is a platform that truly connects training need identification with learning provision. The focus is on skill-first, data-driven learning, and it does this by seamlessly integrating TNA, IDP creation, and a powerful LXP operating within one unified ecosystem.

What makes Skills Caravan unique is its method of operationalizing TNA. The process starts with automated assessments and role-based skill metrics to expose gaps. Then it will conduct a thorough gap analysis, across departments and employees, after which it can clearly see the gap, and it can automatically produce Individual Development Plans (IDPs) that accurately map out required skills, current proficiencies and articulates amid learning recommendations.

Importantly, it can do this based on the earlier description of TNA and gap analysis, "the system, the admin has the ability to analyze the training need data." Tracking this data, HR team can look at group or segmented reports that identify skill deficits across job functions to assist with prioritization of learning spend and workforce planning.

From here, Skills Caravan’s AI-powered LXP takes over. It uses the training need data to:

• Recommend learning resources mapped to each skill
• Sequence the content in a logical, digestible order
• Track completion, engagement, and improvements
• Reassess progress and dynamically update the IDP

This closed-loop system ensures that every learning activity is purposeful, measurable, and directly linked to a known development need—drastically improving the ROI of corporate training programs.

Impact of TNA-Driven Personalized Learning on Organizations

Organizations that deploy TNA-supported personalized learning pathways achieve much better outcomes than those that use traditional training models. LinkedIn's research shows that employees that make a distinct connection between learning and growth potential for their career are 94% more likely to stay with their current organization.

Moreover, personalized learning improves learning efficiency. Learners are not wasting time on irrelevant courses they’re focused on what actually matters for their role and growth. This leads to:

• Higher completion rates for learning programs
• Faster skill acquisition timelines
• Better alignment between individual performance and business KPIs
• Reduced training costs by avoiding blanket L&D spends

The integration of TNA with LXP also enables learning leaders to shift from reactive to proactive development planning. Instead of waiting for performance issues to arise, companies can predict and prepare for future skill gaps based on workforce and industry data.

Book Your Demo: Experience Skills Caravan’s TNA-Driven LXP

If you're looking to make your L&D programs more strategic, personalized, and impactful, it's time to see Skills Caravan in action. Discover how TNA, skill gap analysis, and IDP generation can translate into meaningful learning journeys tailored for each employee. Book a demo now and empower your workforce with insight-led development pathways.