This free skills gap analysis template gives you a ready Excel grid to compare the skills your people have against the skills each role requires, calculate the gap automatically, and prioritize what to close first. It works for one team or a whole department, and you can start using it in minutes.
Below the download you will find the rating scale, a five-step guide to filling it in, and a worked example. If you want the full background on the method, read our complete guide to what a skills gap analysis is.
Download the template
Grab the Excel template using the form, then follow the steps below to complete your first analysis. The file includes a ready grid, a gap formula, drop-down rating scales, and a legend tab.
Key takeaways
- The template compares required skill levels against current levels and calculates the gap for you.
- It uses a simple 1 to 5 rating scale with clear definitions.
- Fill it in five steps, then prioritize by risk and reach.
- A spreadsheet is perfect for a one-off analysis, and a competency system is better when you need it kept live.
What is in the skills gap analysis template?
The template is a role-versus-skill grid with one row per skill. Each row has these columns.
- Role. The job the skill belongs to.
- Skill or competency. The specific skill, tied to a task or standard.
- Required level. The level the role needs, from 1 to 5.
- Current level. The level the person has today, from 1 to 5.
- Gap. Calculated automatically as required level minus current level.
- Priority. High, medium, or low, based on risk and how many people are affected.
- Action. Train, hire, or redeploy.
- Owner. Who is responsible for closing the gap.
- Review date. When you will re-check the level.
- Evidence. How the current level was verified.
The gap column is a formula, so the moment you enter the required and current levels the gap appears, and the heat-map coloring highlights the largest gaps.
Copy and paste version
Prefer to build it inside your own page or doc. Copy the table below, keep the first row as the example, and add one row per skill. The Gap column is required level minus current level.
Role | Skill or Competency | Required Level (1-5) | Current Level (1-5) | Gap | Priority | Action | Owner | Review Date | Evidence |
Maintenance Technician | New compressor isolation | 4 | 2 | 2 | High | Train | Shift Supervisor | 2026-09-30 | Signed practical assessment |
Field Operator | New regulatory procedure | 4 | 3 | 1 | Medium | Train | Operations Lead | 2026-10-15 | Assessment on file |
The rating scale
Use one consistent scale so a score means the same thing for everyone.
- 1 No experience
- 2 Basic, needs supervision
- 3 Competent, works independently
- 4 Advanced, can improve the process
- 5 Expert, can teach others
Define the anchors before you score. For regulated tasks, set the required level to the point where a worker is verified to work unsupervised, and record the evidence in the last column.
How to use the template in five steps?
- List the roles and skills. Add one row per skill for each role in scope, tied to the real tasks and standards.
- Set the required level. Enter the level each role needs, from 1 to 5.
- Score the current level. Use assessment, observation, or performance evidence rather than self-rating alone, especially for technical work. This is the difference explained in measuring competency beyond course completion.
- Read the gap and prioritize. The gap and coloring appear automatically. Prioritize by risk, criticality, and reach, not by which gap is easiest.
- Assign the action and owner. Choose train, hire, or redeploy for each gap, name an owner, and set a review date.
A worked example
A manufacturing maintenance role requires level 4 on new compressor isolation, but the technician is at level 2. The template shows a gap of 2 and colors it red. Because the task is safety-critical and affects the whole crew, priority is high, the action is train with supervised practice, the owner is the shift supervisor, the review date is the end of the quarter, and the evidence is a signed practical assessment. That single row turns a vague worry into a clear, assignable action.
When a spreadsheet stops being enough
A template is ideal for a one-off analysis on one team. Across a workforce it goes stale the moment roles, equipment, or regulations change, and version control becomes a problem. When you reach that point, move the baseline into a system that keeps it live. iCAN's competency management system holds current competency data for every worker, calculates the gap against the required standard automatically, and shows it by role and site, while the learning management system delivers the training that closes it. For the boundary between a grid and a system, see skills matrix versus competency management system.
Conclusion
A good template turns a skills gap analysis from a big project into a quick, repeatable task. Download the Excel grid, score current levels against required levels with real evidence, let the gap and coloring guide your priorities, and assign an action and owner to each gap. When one spreadsheet is no longer enough to keep up, move the baseline into a competency system so the analysis stays current on its own.
Keep your skills gap analysis live
Start with the free template, then see how iCAN keeps the analysis current across every role and site. Book a demo to view your real skills supply and gaps in one place.