How to Learn ETL: Courses, Training, and Other Resources

Today, businesses need real-time business intelligence to succeed. This has led to an increase in self-service options developed using the ETL process of copying data. Now, there is a growing need for employees with experience in ETL development to help businesses achieve their objectives. 

You can learn ETL on a variety of platforms. Many people prefer to enroll in a physical class, but others prefer reading books or attending online courses and training. You may also choose to watch YouTube tutorials to round out your knowledge of ETL. The mode of study you choose depends on what works best for you.

What Is ETL?

ETL is a data integration process that refers to the three distinct, interrelated steps of extract, transform, and load. The process involves extracting data from different systems and transforming it, then loading it into the appropriate data warehouse. Using ETL, businesses can gather data from a variety of sources and consolidate it into one centralized location. The three functions are defined as follows:

• Extract. This is the process of gathering data from multiple sources.
• Transform. In this step, the data is converted into a form that can be stored in the database. In the transformation process, related data are combined with other data using rules or lookup tables.
• Load. This is the process of writing the data into the correct database. 

Anyone with experience in data hubs, data warehouses, or data lakes will understand the need to extract, transform, and load data. It is an excellent approach to data processing that will result in better performance. 

What Is ETL Used For?

ETL is used to seamlessly migrate data from one database to another. The process is efficient when loading data from data warehouses and data marts. It is also reliable in converting the format of large databases.

In the digital era, most businesses recognize the need to prepare data and store it properly. The use of ETL has made it a go-to solution for many companies and corporations. Below are some of the possible uses of ETL.

• Providing historical context. Businesses can acquire historical context when using ETL with an enterprise data warehouse. It provides extended reference material for both old and new data. 
• Giving a consolidated view. ETL provides a common data repository. This makes it easier to analyze, visualize, and evaluate large data sets.
• Improving productivity. With ETL, there is no need for technical assistance, as it can code and reuse processes to transfer data. There is no need to hand-code a migration of big data.
• Making business decisions. Companies can make well-informed decisions when they are strategizing based on proper data analysis. ETL can be used to tackle complex business problems that a traditional database could not handle.

Features of ETL

ETL tools are efficient when used in operations such as reformatting, filtering, sorting, merging, and aggregating data. They are essential if a company is seeking to transform data from a source system that could impact the data quality. It also supports monitoring, transformation scheduling, and data management. Let’s look at some of the main features of ETL.

Connections

ETL can connect to Excel, FTP, Bloomberg, FpML, SAP, Cloud, and different Web services. The ability to process data would be irrelevant if the processing tool can’t connect to the data source. 

Management

An ETL tool should manage nodes, administer and deploy packages, and manage the database administration.

Performance

Incremental loading or bulk loading is standard in many businesses. A great ETL tool will be able to perform efficiently regardless of the amount of data that is being transmitted. 

Executing

Execution is essential in an ETL. It will tell you how long a task will take, the person responsible for the task, and any errors that have arisen. 

Workflow

An excellent ETL tool will create an operational data flow that will arrange and connect commands. This is achieved by branching, looping, and grouping tasks.

Tasks

It is integral that a tool can handle certain transformations on a data set, like expression, joining records, sorting, grouping, looping, and combining. 

Learning ETL

There are many resources available to you to improve your ETL skills. However, not all are reliable. Rather than signing up for the first class you come across online, you should research to make sure you’re getting a quality education.

To help, we have compiled this guide featuring the best ETL resources and classes out there. Read on if you’re ready to learn this new skill.

How Long Does It Take to Learn ETL?

The amount of time it takes to learn a concept and apply it is difficult to quantify. Many factors affect the amount of time it takes to learn ETL. Your educational background, schedule, and instructor, will all come into play in determining your success.

To learn this type of data integration, you will have to put in time and effort. The more dedicated you are, the faster you will learn. However, there is no need to rush, so take your time to properly internalize and apply the best practices.  

How to Learn ETL: Step-by-Step

Below is a step-by-step guide to how you can learn to use ETL.

1. Install an ETL tool. There are many different types of ETL tools available. Select the one that’s most appropriate for you or your business. 
2.  Watch tutorials. Tutorials will help you get familiar with the best practices and the best ETL tools available.
3. Sign up for classes. Classes will provide a great platform for you to interact with industry specialists. 
4. Read books. Books are instrumental in relaying relevant ETL information to both beginners and experts.
5. Practice. The more you use the ETL tools available to you, the better you will become. 

The Best ETL Courses and Training

It is difficult to find a quality provider to teach you ETL. The rise in demand for ETL-savvy employees has led to more websites claiming they can teach you the necessary skills.

We have sorted through all the courses on offer and compiled the following list of the best courses and training sessions available for learning ETL. These sites and courses are validated by reviews and post-course employability rates.

Best In-Person ETL Classes

Many people prefer attending classes in person, as it enables them to freely ask questions of the instructor. If you enjoy classroom participation, this is the best way to get a deep understanding of a topic. Below are the best in-person courses.

ETL Testing: From Beginner to Expert

• Provider: Udemy
• Time: 19 hours
• Cost: $9.99
• Prerequisite: N/A

By the end of this course, you will have an understanding of business intelligence and data warehousing concepts, data warehouse workflow, how to perform data checks using SQL, and ETL testing scenarios.

ETL Framework for Data Warehouse Environments

• Provider: Udemy
• Time:  6 hours
• Cost: $9.99
• Prerequisite: N/A

This is an exceptional course if you want to learn ETL frameworks, process flows, metadata categories, and data sourcing. You will also get to know more about the staging area for data, the business validation layer, and data warehouse layer.

Best Online ETL Courses

Due to COVID-19, more students are signing up for online courses rather than physical classes. Many of these courses offer the same level of education as any physical class, with teachers who are experts in their industry. Below are the best online ELT courses.

Learn to master ETL data integration with Pentaho kettle PDI

• Provider: Udemy
• Time: 2 hours
• Cost: $54.99
• Prerequisite: N/A

In this course, you will learn how to install and set PDI to connect to data sources and use schedules with ETL. You will also study data integration theory and learn all the basics of data transformations.

Learn ETL Testing With Informatica PowerCenter Today

• Provider: Udemy
• Time: 2 hours
• Cost: $9.99
• Prerequisite: N/A

This is a great option for students who want to learn about ETL testing, the normalization of data, issues impacting data quality, data warehousing concepts, and how to conduct ETL processes with transformations.  

Talend: ETL Data Integration Guide with Talend Open Studio

• Provider: Udemy
• Time: N/A
• Cost: $9.99
• Prerequisite: Basics of ETL and data warehousing

This Udemy course will cover the best ETL tools, generation, mapping, and filtering data. It also moves on to more advanced ETL concepts such as data integration, regex expressions, and splitting and joining data. It’s a good course for beginners and experts, although it is suggested that you have some basic ETL knowledge before you begin. 

Best Free ETL Courses

You shouldn’t have to pay a large sum to learn ETL. There are providers out there who can help you study the subject for free. Below is a free course you can take if you want to learn on a budget. 

Data Warehousing for Business Intelligence Specialization

• Provider: University of Colorado
• Time: 7 months
• Cost: N/A
• Prerequisite: N/A

By the end of the course, you will know all about data structures, data warehouse design, and data manipulation. The first two months of this course are free, but if you want to continue for the following five months, you will have to pay a fee. Throughout the curriculum, students will work with large data and learn to use a variety of tools and visual analytics.

Best ETL Books

Reading books is always a good way to gain insight into a new topic. There are plenty of books by industry specialists and data experts that will help you refine your new ETL skills. 

The Data Warehouse ETL Toolkit: Practical Techniques for Extracting, Cleaning, Conforming, and Delivering Data 

The first edition of this book by Kimbal delivers real-world solutions for labor-intensive warehouses. It will fill you in on all the best practices for extracting data, including time-saving techniques. 

SQL Server 2017 Integration Services Cookbook

In this book, Cote offers powerful techniques on how to load and transform data from any source. It’s an excellent choice for ETL developers, software engineers, and ETL architects. 

Please Don’t Panic! I’m A Professional ETL Tester

This is a journal-style book written to help others gain a better understanding of ETL from the author’s perspective. 

Best Online ETL Resources

Below are some online references that can be quite helpful as you are learning about ETL.

Building Your First ETL Pipeline Using Azure Databricks

This ETL training is provided by Pluralsight. It will teach you how to build your first ETL process. You will also learn about data collaboration and optimization methods.

Data Warehousing and BI Certification Training

This is an excellent training website by Edureka that will help you become an expert in data warehousing and business intelligence. It covers topics such as data modeling, warehouse architecture, and ETL fundamentals. 

Intelligent Data Integration Training

This is a 30-hour training course that teaches how to integrate data tools, big data management, operational intelligence, and PowerExchange for Cloud.

Should You Study ETL?

To make the most of business intelligence, conducting data analytics is essential. Regardless of a company’s size or its number of data sources, all businesses can benefit by improving their data access and organization. Through ETL tools, a company can access its ongoing data collection processes and create reports and metrics that can be used to build the best possible business strategy.

You should study ETL if you want to help corporations have better access to their information. You will be able to find information through many platforms using ETL processes, which can help further your career in data analysis or data science.