A refresher training is a training that has to be taken again periodically to keep a certificate valid. Think of a first aid training that has to be repeated every two years, or a safety certificate that is renewed annually. By setting up a training as a refresher training, you make sure that only employees who already hold the corresponding certificate can register.
Requirements
Before you can set up a refresher training, the following requirements must be met:
- A certificate definition has been created with a validity (expiry date). See Certificate definition creation for more information.
- The certificate definition has the setting Can this certificate expire? active, with a validity period in months or a fixed expiry date.
- A training definition has been created to which the certificate is linked under the section Completion.
Activating the refresher training
Go to Planning > Trainings > Training definitions and open the training definition you want to set up as a refresher training.
Steps
- Click the training definition to edit it.
- Go to the tab Details.
- Scroll to the section Settings.
- Select the option Refresher training.
- Click Save.
When you activate the option Refresher training, the following applies:
- An employee can only register for this training if they already hold the linked certificate.
- Employees who do not have the certificate yet cannot register via the catalogue. They first have to take the training regularly to obtain the certificate.
Note: Check whether a certificate is linked to the training definition under the section Completion. Without a linked certificate, the setting Refresher training has no effect.
Setting a grace period
When the setting Refresher training is active, you can optionally set a grace period. This is the period after the certificate expires in which an employee can still register for the refresher training.
Steps
- Open the training definition and go to the section Settings.
- Select Refresher training (if this has not been done yet).
- At Interim registration period after certificate expiry (months), enter the required number of months.
- Click Save.
| Value | Result |
|---|---|
| Empty or 0 | No grace period. After the certificate expires, the employee can no longer register. |
| For example 3 | The employee can still register for the refresher training up to 3 months after the certificate expires. |
Note: If you do not set a grace period and the certificate has expired, the employee can no longer register. Discuss with your organisation which grace period is desirable.
Hiding content after completion
For refresher trainings it is important that employees can register again after they have completed the training earlier. By default the content of a completed training remains visible for reference. As a result the system considers the training "completed" and re-registration is blocked.
To prevent this, activate the setting Hide content once training is completed.
Steps
- Open the training definition and go to the section Settings.
- Select Hide content once training is completed.
- Enter the number of days after which the content is hidden.
- Click Save.
How many days should you set?
| Option | Number of days | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Register again immediately | 0 | The employee can register again immediately after completion. |
| Registration opens with the refresher reminder | Validity of the certificate (in days) minus the notification period (in days) | The training becomes available for re-registration at the moment the employee receives the refresher reminder. |
Example: A certificate is valid for 12 months (365 days) and the refresher reminder is sent 2 months (60 days) in advance. In that case set the number of days to 305 (365 - 60). The training then becomes available for re-registration at the same moment the employee receives the reminder.
Note: If you do not activate this setting for a refresher training, employees cannot register again because the content permanently remains available for reference under completed trainings.
Configuring notifications
To inform employees in time that their certificate is about to expire and that they have to register again, you configure the corresponding notifications.
Setting the refresher reminder on the certificate
- Go to Planning > Certificates > Definitions.
- Open the certificate definition that is linked to the refresher training.
- Check whether Send notifications is selected.
- At Number of months notification certificate expiry, enter how many months before the expiry date the employee receives a reminder.
- Click Save.
Activating the notification type
Go to Management > General management > Notifications and check whether the notification type Refresher training available is active. When this is active, employees automatically receive a message when their certificate is about to expire and a refresher training is available in the catalogue.
Summary of configuration steps
| Step | Where | Setting |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Certificate with validity | Planning > Certificates > Definitions | Select Can this certificate expire? and set the validity period |
| 2. Link training to certificate | Training definition > Details > Completion | Select the certificate |
| 3. Activate refresher training | Training definition > Details > Settings | Select Refresher training |
| 4. Grace period (optional) | Training definition > Details > Settings | Fill in Interim registration period after certificate expiry |
| 5. Hide content | Training definition > Details > Settings | Select Hide content once training is completed and set the number of days |
| 6. Configure notifications | Certificate definition + Management > Notifications | Set the notification period and activate Refresher training available |
Frequently asked questions
Can I set up a refresher training for all training types?
Yes, the setting Refresher training is available for classroom trainings, e-learnings and combined trainings. The setting is not available for the types direct learning, to read and to watch.
What if an employee does not have the certificate yet?
An employee without the linked certificate cannot register for a refresher training. The employee first has to obtain the certificate via the regular training.
Can a manager still register an employee if the employee cannot register themselves?
Yes, a manager registers an employee via the management screen. This bypasses the check on the visibility of completed content. The employee themselves, however, sees the training as "completed" and therefore does not get the option to register again. Always activate the setting Hide content once training is completed for this reason.
What happens if the certificate has expired and no grace period is set?
The employee can no longer register for the refresher training. You can solve this by setting a grace period on the training definition after all.
How does an employee know that it is time to take the refresher training?
If the notification Refresher training available is active and a notification period is set on the certificate definition, the employee automatically receives an email notification when the certificate is about to expire.