About This Course
Data is the backbone of modern organisational decision-making, and the ability to interact directly with relational databases is one of the most sought-after technical skills in today's workplace. SQL — Structured Query Language — is the standard language for managing and querying data stored in relational database management systems (RDBMS) such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, and Oracle. Proficiency in SQL enables professionals across finance, operations, analytics, IT, and management to retrieve, analyse, and present data with precision and confidence.
This ten-day SQL Training course offered by TrainingComplex provides a comprehensive, hands-on journey from the very basics of database concepts through to advanced query design, stored procedures, indexing strategies, and database administration fundamentals. Whether you are a complete beginner or a practitioner seeking to formalise and deepen your skills, this programme is structured to ensure that every participant leaves with practical, job-ready competencies.
The curriculum is built around real-world scenarios drawn from business environments — including reporting pipelines, HR data management, financial records, and operational dashboards — so that participants immediately see the relevance and application of what they are learning. By the end of the programme, delegates will be capable of writing complex multi-table queries, designing efficient database schemas, automating repetitive data tasks, and applying best practices in data security and integrity.
TrainingComplex's experienced facilitators use a blend of instructor-led sessions, live coding exercises, and guided project work to ensure deep comprehension. Each participant receives access to a working database environment throughout the course, enabling continuous practice and reinforcement of every concept introduced.
Who Should Attend
- Data analysts and business intelligence professionals seeking to strengthen their SQL capabilities
- IT officers and database administrators responsible for managing organisational data systems
- Finance and accounting professionals who query or report on large datasets
- Monitoring and evaluation officers who work with programme databases and management information systems
- Software developers and application builders who interact with backend databases
- Project managers and operations staff who need to extract and interpret data for decision-making
- Researchers and statisticians transitioning to relational database environments
- Recent graduates entering data-driven roles in business, government, or NGO sectors
Learning Objectives
- Understand the architecture and principles of relational database management systems
- Write accurate and efficient SQL queries using SELECT, WHERE, GROUP BY, HAVING, and ORDER BY clauses
- Perform data manipulation using INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, and MERGE statements
- Design normalised database schemas and define relationships using primary and foreign keys
- Use SQL joins — INNER, LEFT, RIGHT, FULL OUTER, and CROSS — to combine data from multiple tables
- Apply subqueries, common table expressions (CTEs), and derived tables to solve complex data problems
- Use aggregate functions, window functions, and analytical SQL for advanced reporting
- Create and manage views, stored procedures, functions, and triggers
- Apply indexing strategies and query optimisation techniques to improve database performance
- Manage database security, user roles, permissions, and transaction control
- Export, import, and integrate SQL data with external tools including Excel and BI platforms
- Apply best practices in data integrity, backup strategy, and database documentation
Course Modules
Module 1: Introduction to Relational Databases and SQL
- What is a relational database? Core concepts and terminology
- Overview of popular RDBMS platforms: MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle
- Understanding tables, rows, columns, and data types
- The role of SQL: DDL, DML, DCL, and TCL explained
- Setting up the training environment and connecting to a database
- Navigating a database using basic commands: SHOW, DESCRIBE, USE
Module 2: Writing Your First Queries — SELECT and Filtering
- The SELECT statement: syntax and structure
- Selecting specific columns and using aliases
- Filtering rows with the WHERE clause and comparison operators
- Combining conditions using AND, OR, and NOT
- Working with NULL values: IS NULL, IS NOT NULL, COALESCE
- Sorting results with ORDER BY and limiting output with LIMIT/TOP/FETCH
Module 3: Working with Data Types and Functions
- Numeric data types and arithmetic in SQL
- String data types and text manipulation functions: CONCAT, TRIM, UPPER, LOWER, SUBSTRING
- Date and time data types: DATE, DATETIME, TIMESTAMP
- Date functions: DATEADD, DATEDIFF, EXTRACT, FORMAT
- Conditional logic in queries: CASE WHEN statements
- Type conversion using CAST and CONVERT
Module 4: Aggregating and Grouping Data
- Aggregate functions: COUNT, SUM, AVG, MIN, MAX
- Grouping data with GROUP BY for summary reporting
- Filtering grouped results with the HAVING clause
- Difference between WHERE and HAVING in query execution
- Counting distinct values and handling duplicates
- Building summary reports: practical exercises with business data
Module 5: Joining Multiple Tables
- Understanding relationships: one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many
- INNER JOIN: matching rows across tables
- LEFT JOIN and RIGHT JOIN: including unmatched rows
- FULL OUTER JOIN and CROSS JOIN use cases
- Self-joins for hierarchical and comparative queries
- Multi-table join queries in realistic business scenarios
Module 6: Subqueries, CTEs, and Derived Tables
- What is a subquery? Correlated vs. non-correlated subqueries
- Using subqueries in SELECT, WHERE, and FROM clauses
- IN, EXISTS, and ANY/ALL operators with subqueries
- Common Table Expressions (CTEs): syntax and advantages
- Recursive CTEs for hierarchical data traversal
- Derived tables vs. CTEs: choosing the right approach
Module 7: Database Design and Normalisation
- Entity-Relationship (ER) diagrams: reading and creating them
- Normalisation principles: 1NF, 2NF, 3NF, and BCNF
- Defining primary keys, foreign keys, and constraints
- Creating tables with CREATE TABLE and enforcing data integrity
- Altering and dropping tables: ALTER TABLE and DROP TABLE
- Designing a normalised schema for a sample business use case
Module 8: Data Manipulation — INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, and Transactions
- Inserting single and multiple rows with INSERT INTO
- Updating existing records with UPDATE and safe use of WHERE
- Deleting rows with DELETE and the TRUNCATE statement
- Using MERGE for upsert operations
- Transaction control: BEGIN, COMMIT, ROLLBACK, and SAVEPOINT
- Acid properties and why data consistency matters in production databases
Module 9: Advanced SQL — Window Functions and Analytical Queries
- Introduction to window functions and the OVER() clause
- ROW_NUMBER, RANK, and DENSE_RANK for ordering and ranking
- LAG and LEAD for time-series and period-over-period analysis
- Running totals and moving averages with SUM and AVG over partitions
- NTILE and PERCENT_RANK for distribution analysis
- Practical reporting scenarios: sales trends, ranking employees, cohort analysis
Module 10: Views, Stored Procedures, and User-Defined Functions
- Creating and managing views: syntax, benefits, and limitations
- Using views to simplify complex queries and enforce data abstraction
- Writing stored procedures with parameters and conditional logic
- User-defined functions (UDFs): scalar and table-valued
- Triggers: BEFORE and AFTER triggers for automated data actions
- Best practices for naming, documenting, and versioning database objects
Module 11: Indexing and Query Performance Optimisation
- How SQL query execution works: parsing, optimisation, and execution plans
- Types of indexes: clustered, non-clustered, composite, and covering indexes
- Using EXPLAIN / EXPLAIN PLAN to analyse query performance
- Identifying and eliminating common performance anti-patterns
- Index maintenance: fragmentation, rebuilding, and reorganising
- Balancing read performance and write overhead in index design
Module 12: Database Security, User Management, and Access Control
- Overview of database security threats and compliance considerations
- Creating and managing database users and roles
- Granting and revoking privileges with GRANT and REVOKE
- Row-level security and data masking techniques
- Audit logging and tracking data changes
- Best practices for securing sensitive data in production environments
Module 13: Integration, Export, and Capstone Project
- Exporting query results to CSV, Excel, and JSON formats
- Connecting SQL databases to Power BI, Tableau, and Excel for reporting
- Basic introduction to ODBC/JDBC connections and API data flows
- Importing external data into SQL using bulk insert and ETH/ETL concepts
- Capstone project briefing: designing and querying a business database from scratch
- Presentation of capstone projects: peer and facilitator feedback session
Requirements & Prerequisites
Participants should have basic computer literacy and be comfortable working with spreadsheets or tabular data. No prior programming or database experience is required for beginners, though some familiarity with data concepts such as tables, rows, and columns will be helpful. Intermediate participants who already have exposure to SQL are equally welcome, as the programme is structured to provide value across levels through progressively advanced content.
Training Methodology
- Live coding demonstrations in a database environment, with facilitators writing and explaining SQL queries in real time as participants follow along on their own machines
- Hands-on lab exercises after each module, where participants practise newly introduced SQL concepts against a shared training database populated with realistic business data
- Scenario-based challenges drawn from HR, finance, operations, and M&E contexts, requiring participants to apply SQL skills to solve real organisational data problems
- Peer code review sessions in which small groups examine and critique each other's queries, discussing alternative approaches and efficiency trade-offs
- Query debugging exercises where participants are presented with broken or inefficient SQL and must identify, explain, and fix the issues
- Guided mini-projects in the second week where each participant designs a database schema and writes a suite of queries to support a simulated business reporting requirement
- Facilitator-led whiteboard sessions to explain relational database design concepts, entity-relationship diagrams, and normalisation principles before practical application
- End-of-course capstone project requiring participants to demonstrate proficiency across querying, schema design, stored procedures, and data presentation
Organisational Benefits
- Employees gain the ability to independently extract and analyse data without relying on specialist IT support
- Organisational reporting becomes faster, more accurate, and less dependent on manual data handling
- Data-driven decision-making improves as more staff can query live databases and produce timely insights
- IT and data teams become more productive through automation of repetitive data tasks using stored procedures and triggers
- Organisations reduce the risk of data errors and inconsistencies through better understanding of relational data structures
- Database performance improves as staff learn to write optimised queries and apply appropriate indexing
- Compliance and data governance are strengthened through proper user access management and audit trails
- Cross-functional collaboration improves as teams across departments speak a common data language
Where Is SQL (Structured Query Language) Training Offered?
This course runs in-person across: Nairobi, Zanzibar, Dubai, Abuja, Nakuru, Pretoria, Addis Ababa, Kisumu, Naivasha, Kampala, Arusha, Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam, Accra, Mombasa, Riyadh, Cape Town, Lagos, Kigali, plus Live Virtual (online) cohorts. Browse live dates for your city below.
Upcoming Schedules
| Location | Format | Dates | Price |
|---|
| Nairobi, Kenya |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
KES 230,000 |
| Zanzibar, Tanzania |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 5,000 |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 8,200 |
| Abuja, Nigeria |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 5,600 |
| Nakuru, Kenya |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 230,000 |
| Pretoria, South Africa |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
USD 6,600 |
| Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
USD 4,800 |
| Kisumu, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
KES 240,000 |
| Live Virtual |
Online |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
KES 160,000 |
| Naivasha, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
KES 230,000 |
| Kampala, Uganda |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,800 |
| Arusha, Tanzania |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
USD 4,200 |
| Johannesburg, South Africa |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 7,000 |
| Live Virtual |
Online |
24 Oct 2026 – 13 Dec 2026 |
KES 160,000 |
| Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 6 Nov 2026 |
USD 4,600 |
+232 more dates — view live schedule →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need prior programming experience to attend this course?
No prior programming experience is required. The course begins with foundational database concepts and SQL syntax, making it accessible to complete beginners. Participants who already have some SQL exposure will benefit from the intermediate and advanced modules in the second week.
What database platform will be used during the training?
The training primarily uses MySQL and PostgreSQL, which are widely used, open-source platforms. Core SQL concepts taught are standard across all major RDBMS platforms, so skills transfer directly to SQL Server, Oracle, and other environments.
Will I receive a certificate upon completion?
Yes. Participants who attend the full programme and complete the capstone project will receive a Certificate of Completion from TrainingComplex, confirming their demonstrated proficiency in SQL and relational database management.
What equipment do I need to bring?
Participants attending in person should bring a laptop with administrative rights to install software. TrainingComplex will provide setup instructions in advance so that the required database tools are installed before Day 1. For virtual participants, a stable internet connection and a working webcam are required.
Is this course suitable for someone who already uses SQL at a basic level?
Absolutely. The curriculum is structured progressively, so participants with basic SQL experience will find significant value in the advanced modules covering window functions, stored procedures, query optimisation, indexing, and database security — areas where many practitioners have gaps.
