Hi Geanz

We would like to see that kind of feature implemented too.

We cover your both scenario, with a dozen of certifications that would match your scenario one and the First Aid in the UK follows the same pattern: Initial course > Refresher > Refresher > Initial course.

Being able to configure the certification/recertification path to match these scenarios would be great,

Regards

Matt

E.g.

Year 1 - Initial Course (5 Day)

Year 2 - Logbook Day (1 Day)

Year 3 - Logbook Day (1 Day)

Year 4 - Requalification (3 Day)

Then repeat the cycle from Year 2 etc.

A big +1 one for a few clients of ours. 

Another scenario that we often have coming up in certifications is how to deal with users who are not active for some reason e.g.

• a short period like annual leave
• longer like parental leave
• they leave the organisation and come back (common where the learners are casual, sessional or on short term contracts)

Clients have tried a number of solutions:

• If you leave them in the audience assigning them to the certification, the completion stats are inaccurate and this is particularly a problem for compliance courses
• It isn't always appropriate to suspend the user and exclude them from reports
• If you remove them from the audience, when they return their certification may be expired and there has to be manual intervention which is not feasible with a large number of users
• Multiple certifications for the same course content means complex, confusing configuration in the certification and audiences, and reporting has to look at multiple certifications - not easy for managers especially

It is often difficult to get good leave dates from HR systems, because of the complexity of users' leave arrangements (e.g. multiple types of leave being used for a period of absence), so that would make an automated extension based on that data difficult in many cases.

We've considered a range of options including 'pausing' the certification timer, being able to add on a period equal to their period of leave/absence, or enabling a bulk manual upload of new window open dates. There may be a way to deal with this with existing functionalityvthat I'm missing, but so far, I haven't been able to work one out.

I realise that the logic could become very complex. I think what might work is that the administrator of each certification can set rules about what happens if the user is unassigned from a certification, is reassigned, and then their certification has expired.

• In some cases, you'd want the certification stay as expired.
• Do they return to the original path, or do they go into the re-certification path with a new assigned date, window open and required completion date? 
• Maybe time periods are required also e.g. if unassigned for less than x period and their certification expires, they are assigned to recertification, but if longer than y period then they're treated like a new hire.

This has to be automated where there are a large number of users - manual intervention isn't feasible whether it's by managers or, as in many organisations with compliance training requirements, by the compliance team of even the LMS administrators.  It's going to vary by certification, so I don't think central rules will do it.

An 'expired and extend' email to a manager, for example, won't work. In many organisations, while managers might be responsible for making sure that their team members complete assigned training, the learning is assigned automatically and further, the manager isn't responsible for giving extensions on dates and won't have the skills to do anything technical.

This is a brilliant idea. We are struggling with the same First Aid scenario currently with a large number of staff. If we could have the First Aid course in the Initial pathway and the CPR refresher in the re-certification pathway and then bump staff back to the initial pathway at year four that would save a lot of pain. 

Currently we are using 2 separate certifications, one for CPR and one for First Aid, but they require a double-up in courses that is causing confusion for staff and administrators.

A solution like this could be used for other refresher training scenarios as well.

+1 from us 

The scenario for us is vaccination training (flu and Covid) for pharmacists:

Y1 - face 2 face training

Y2 - online refresher 

Y3 - Online refresher

Y4 - face 2 face

Another more complex one is our Accuracy checking assistant training. certification is valid for 2 years. However if the learner changes employer before 2 years  they must take the recertification course.

We have set up the certification like this:

Y1 - Initial course A 

Y2 - Recertification course B

The only way we can see to cover this scenario is by opening up re-certification window almost immediately after they complete course A so if they change employers within 2 years they can then take course B and the expiry date will recalculate the 2 years from completing course B.

The problem is the due date alert now continually shows on the learner dashboard

Id like to add support to this request also.  We have scenarios where it would be useful to have recertification paths which mirror the course sets, so you can define as many recertification pathways as needed eg;

• Year 1 complete the initial course set(s)
  
• Year 2 complete the renewal course set(s)
  
• Year 3 complete different course set(s)
  
• Year 4 complete different course set(s)

It would also be very useful to include an option for expiry, so if a user expires which path should they return to eg the beginning, of if they expire on path 4 return to path 3 or the same path (and so on).

Another option that would be useful would be to set a return upon completion.So for example if they complete path 4 then return to path 2 to allow a greater level of flexibility eg.

• Year 1 complete the initial course set(s)
  
• Year 2 complete the renewal course set(s)
  
• Year 3 complete different course set(s)
  
• Year 4 complete different course set(s)
• Year 5 return to Year 3

Whilst thinking about certification enhancements, the certification tab in the settings is limited in how it works which was problematic during (and before) the epidemic. During COVID customers needed to extend renewal periods and due dates to accommodate furlough and redeployment.

Certifications are primarily used to manage policy driven training, eg mandatory, statutory and essential training. In some situations the Active Period changes to meet local or national policy.  Currently when you change the Active Period it only applies when users move between paths and does not change users due dates if they are currently within a path. It would be useful to have an option on the Certification tab in settings to force the change to all assigned users, or only to users when they complete or expire. This would avoid having to rebuilt and upload legacy /existing completions to new certifications used to replace existing certifications when Active Periods change due to internal or national policy.  

This could also be applied to the window period, so if an admin needs to change the window period so it opens sooner or later than currently defined, that this applies to all assigned users immediately. Again we have seen customers having to rebuild certifications to manage this when they want to make changes.

Happy to provide more clarity if needed.

This would be a great enhancement.  

We have the same difficulty with the first aid certification and recertification

adding a "bump" to this as this in becoming an increasing important/urgent requirement - particularly with Health Sector client-partners.

.h

This would be a useful functionality so a plus one here too.

Yes please a big plus 1 to all the scenarios mentioned in this thread - thank you

Vote from me as well. Definitely functionality that is required within the healthcare sector.

Thanks all

Me too - this one is a no brainer and we cannot use certifications without this resolved. They are not functional.