Managing Training Records with Expiry Dates
Some training expires and requires refresher training to keep it current. Here's how to manage training records with expiration dates in QSToolbox.
This version of Quality Systems Toolbox is no longer in use. Current documentation for v3 is here.
Managing employee training needs can be challenging even for a moderately sized workforce. Not only does everything change over time, but some training, like first aid, is only valid for a limited time before re-training or a refresher course is required.
For labour hire organisations or those with a transient workforce, the task of keeping up-to-date can be very difficult.
However, managing your training records and training needs is essential in order to avoid safety problems, quality problems, and legal liabilities.
Start by putting your data in.
Enter your data as training records or competency assessments. Either can store an expiry date for you.
For a new hire, you will start from scratch. Begin with their resume/CV/job application and enter in all of their previous training that matches up with the job requiremements. Add in anything else that seems relevant to your organisation. It’s a good idea to ask for the evidence (e.g. card, certificate) to verify the information and to extract what you need – like expiry dates. Some industries require it.
In this case you’ll use a ‘Competency Assessment’ since these are best for training that has already happened. Have a look at how to add one here. You can scan and upload the evidence to store it along with the data.
For existing employees, you will just need to check the records you already have on file and update any missing information. This is often done as part of an annual review process.
Analyse the data.
Now this part is really easy because QSToolbox collates all your data into a report for you. Just decide how you want to access that data.
For an employee annual review, where you want to plan their training needs for the coming year, you could access the employee view that shows you their expiry dates.
If you manage a particular group of employees (e.g. technicians) then you can see all of their training and expiry dates at once. You can also use the group view to manage a group you’re about to send out onsite. Check they all have the required inductions and don’t have any training that will expire during the assignment.
If you don’t have a huge workforce, you can get an overview of everyone’s upcoming expiry dates all at once. Competencies that are past due will be flagged with
This will help you plan for re-training and perhaps access group discounts by sending everyone who needs a refresher at the same time.
Managing a Transient Workforce
For a labour hire company or other business with a workforce that tends to come and go, you can still manage their training data. Treat a newcomer in just the same way as a normal new hire, by gathering all their information and entering their training data into QSToolbox with ‘Competency Assessments’.
You can now access the reports to ensure they have the required skills for their current assignment.
When they move on, mark them as ‘inactive’. This will just hide them, and will not delete any of their data. Their records and assessments will also be hidden, however any training events will stay visible since you can have multiple attendees to an event.
When the same person returns to you for more work, make them ‘active’ again and all their data will pop back in. (To find them, just click on the ‘inactive’ checkbox in the search options).
Make sure you update their records with any new training they have done in the meantime.