Time-To-Competency: The Metric That Actually Matters

"Time-to-competency represents the time span between when a learner starts training to when a learner can deliver all the necessary tasks to specified performance requirements. Unlike completion-based metrics, it values capability rather than consumption. Competency is not mastery. Competency is the capacity to apply knowledge and skills correctly in an independent and assured manner. Thus, the TTC measures the gap between learning and performance."

"Completion rates reflect attendance rather than effectiveness. One can finish a course and not have enough confidence or skill to apply it in their work. Also, what is being tested in quizzes is short-term retention, not application over time. Learner satisfaction surveys are important, but indicate performance rather than perceptions. A course might simultaneously be engaging and ineffective or challenging and influential."

Time-to-competency measures the duration between the start of training and the point when a learner can perform required tasks to specified performance standards. The metric prioritizes capability and applied performance rather than course completion or short-term retention. Competency is defined as the ability to apply knowledge and skills independently and confidently, not necessarily mastery. Traditional metrics like completion rates, quiz scores, and satisfaction surveys often reflect attendance, short-term retention, or perceptions, not sustained on-the-job application. Measuring TTC connects learning outcomes to business value by reducing onboarding time, accelerating revenue generation, and improving operational efficiency and risk management.

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