> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.skillsdb.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Frontline Training
> Learn how to configure and manage frontline training in SkillsDB — covering the training library, training suggestions, team training tracking, and trainer metrics.
**Quick Summary:** SkillsDB Frontline Training capabilities help admins build a centralized training library, manage and approve employee training requests, track team training completion, and monitor trainer performance — all in one place.
# Overview
Frontline Training in SkillsDB is designed for organizations where structured, role-based training is central to operations — industries like manufacturing, healthcare, retail, logistics, and construction, where compliance, safety, and skills qualification are ongoing requirements.
Rather than managing training records in spreadsheets or disconnected systems, SkillsDB gives admins a single platform to build a training library, review and approve training requests from employees, track who has completed what training and when, and measure how effectively your expert trainers are responding to requests.
The Frontline Training workflow in SkillsDB involves several interconnected capabilities: **Career Settings** to enable training dates and timelines per career, the **Training Library** as the catalog of resources, **Skill Flags with Trainer Permission** to designate who can approve training, **Training Suggestions** for employee-proposed resources, **Team Training** views (All Activity, Training Matrix, Career Overview), the per-career **Activity Log** for audit and bulk actions, and **Trainer Metrics** for monitoring trainer responsiveness. Admins configure the setup; managers monitor progress; employees request and complete training through their own profile.
**Note:** The Training Library must be enabled for your organization before these features are available. Contact your SkillsDB account manager or check **Settings** if you do not see training-related navigation items.
***
## Prerequisites
Before you begin configuring frontline training, ensure you have:
* **Permission level:** Administrator role in SkillsDB
* **Feature enabled:** Training Library enabled for your organization
* **Setup requirement:** At least one career and skill set created in SkillsDB (so training can be linked to roles)
* **Access required:** **Library > Training**, **Settings > Training**, and sidebar access to **Training Approvals**
***
## Configuring Careers for Frontline Training
Before the Training Library and training approvals become meaningful to a given group of employees, each career needs **Training Dates** enabled in its Career Settings. This is the switch that turns on training approvals, adds the career's skills to the Training Matrix, and unlocks the per-career Career Overview dashboard.
Navigate to **Library > Careers** and open the career you want to configure. Select **Settings**.
In the **Measurement Model** section, toggle **Training Dates** on. Additional controls appear: Training Timeline and the Bulk Update Skill Training Settings tool.
Enter the expected duration for an employee to complete training across all skills in the career. Use any combination of **Days**, **Months**, and **Years** — for example, 6 months or 1 year 30 days. The timeline drives on-track / upcoming / overdue indicators on each employee's career detail view.
Select **Configure** on the **Bulk Update Skill Training Settings** card. In the modal that opens, select the skills to update and set common values in one pass:
* Whether training is required for the skill
* Whether **text evidence** is required on submission
* Whether **file attachments** are required on submission
* Training **expiration** (days, months, years) after approval
Select **Save Changes** under the Measurement Model section.
**Note:** Career Settings are per-career — each frontline career can have its own training timeline, evidence requirements, and expiration settings. See [Career Settings](/configurations/career-settings) for the full reference.
***
## Setting Up Training Approval Authority
Frontline training approvals are authorized through two levers:
1. **Default managers and administrators** — always able to approve training for their scope.
2. **Skill Flags with Trainer Permission** — any flag with the **Trainer Permission** toggle enabled grants approval authority to everyone who holds that flag for a given skill.
SkillsDB ships with **Expert** as a system flag that has Trainer Permission enabled by default. If your organization wants a role like "Qualified Trainer" or "Line Lead" to sign off training without being a manager, configure a custom skill flag with Trainer Permission and apply it to the people in that role.
**To create a custom trainer flag:**
1. Navigate to **Settings > Flags** and select the **Skill Flags** tab.
2. Select **Add Flag**. Enter a **Flag Name** (for example, `Qualified Trainer`), optional description, and a color.
3. After creation, toggle **Trainer Permission** on for the new flag row.
4. Apply the flag to the appropriate people at the skill, section, or career level using the **Flag People** workflow from any career or skill page.
Users who hold a Trainer-enabled flag receive the training approval requests in their [Inbox](/core-concepts/inbox) and appear in the **SME** dropdown when employees submit training for those skills. See [Skill Flags](/configurations/skill-flags) and [Training Approvals](/core-concepts/training-approvals) for the full workflow.
***
## Configuring Training Library Settings
Before building out your training library, configure the metadata attributes that classify your training resources. These settings control the dropdown options available when creating or editing training entries.
Navigate to **Settings > Training** to access Training Library Settings.
The following attributes can be configured:
| Setting | Purpose | Example values |
| ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| **Training Categories** | Classify the type of learning resource | Course, Video, Article, Workshop |
| **Training Providers** | Identify the vendor or source | Coursera, Internal L\&D, Safety Board |
| **Training Formats** | Specify how training is delivered | Online, In-Person, Hybrid, Self-Paced |
| **Target Audiences** | Define who the training is intended for | All Staff, Supervisors, New Hires |
| **Course Levels** | Indicate difficulty or prerequisite level | Beginner, Advanced, Expert |
To manage any attribute:
1. Navigate to **Settings > Training**.
2. Locate the attribute you want to configure (for example, **Training Providers**).
3. Select **Manage**.
4. In the drawer that opens, add, edit, or remove values as needed.
5. Close the drawer when complete. Changes are saved automatically.
**Tip:** Set up your Training Categories, Providers, and Formats before adding training resources to the library. Consistent metadata makes it easier for employees to browse and search training, and for admins to filter and report on completions.
***
## Building the Training Library
The Training Library is the central catalog of training resources available to your organization. Admins create and manage library entries; employees can view and browse the library.
To access the Training Library, select **Library** from the left sidebar, then select **Training**.
#### Adding a new training resource
1. Navigate to **Library > Training**.
2. Select **+ New** in the top right.
3. In the training form, complete **Step 1**:
| Field | Required | Description |
| -------------------- | -------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| **Title** | Yes | The name of the training resource |
| **Provider** | Yes | The vendor or team delivering the training |
| **Category** | Yes | The learning type (configured in Training Settings) |
| **Description** | No | A summary of what the training covers |
| **Cost (USD)** | No | The cost of the training, if applicable |
| **Duration (Hours)** | No | Estimated time to complete |
| **URL** | No | A link to the training resource or provider page |
4. Select **Next** to continue to **Step 2** (optional metadata):
| Field | Description |
| ------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| **Course Level** | Difficulty level (Beginner, Advanced, Expert) |
| **Training Format** | Delivery method (Online, In-Person, Hybrid) |
| **Target Audience** | Who the training is designed for |
| **Labels** | Organizational tags for filtering and reporting |
5. Select **Submit** to create the training resource.
The new resource appears in the Training Library and becomes immediately available to employees for discovery and request.
#### Editing or removing a training resource
Administrators can edit any existing training resource from the Training Library. Select a resource to open its detail view, then select **Edit** to modify any field. Changes apply immediately across the platform.
**Important:** Removing a training resource from the library does not delete historical completion records associated with that resource. Training history for employees is preserved regardless of library changes.
***
## Reviewing and Approving Training Suggestions
Employees can suggest training resources through SkillsDB. These suggestions appear in the **Training Suggestions** queue for admin review. Admins can approve a suggestion to add it to the Training Library, update its details before approving, or reject it with a reason.
Administrators can access the Training Suggestions queue by selecting **Training Approvals** from the left sidebar.
Each suggestion displays:
* **Submission date** — shown as "TODAY", "YESTERDAY", or "X DAYS AGO" next to the training title
* **Status badge** — Pending (yellow), Approved (green), or Rejected (red)
* **Review button** — opens the full suggestion detail for admin action
#### Filtering suggestions by status
The Training Suggestions page displays all suggestions by default. Use the filter tabs at the top of the page to narrow by status:
* **All** — shows every suggestion regardless of status
* **Pending** — shows only suggestions awaiting review
* **Approved** — shows suggestions already added to the library
* **Rejected** — shows suggestions that were declined
#### Reviewing a training suggestion
1. Navigate to **Training Approvals** from the left sidebar.
2. Locate the suggestion you want to review.
3. Select **Review**. The Review Training Suggestion dialog opens.
4. In **Step 1**, review or update the core details: Title, Provider, Category, Description, Cost, Duration, and URL.
5. Select **Next** to proceed to **Step 2**: Course Level, Training Format, Target Audience, and Labels.
6. Review the submission details shown below the dialog header, including the name of the person who submitted the suggestion and its current status.
#### Approving a training suggestion
To approve and add the training to the library:
1. Open the Review dialog and complete any edits across both steps.
2. In Step 2, select **Save & Approve**.
When you approve a suggestion, the training resource is created in the Training Library with the details shown in the review form. The suggestion status updates to **Approved** and the submitter's suggestion is marked accordingly.
#### Saving without approving
To save your edits to a pending suggestion without approving it:
1. Open the Review dialog and complete your edits.
2. In Step 2, select **Save**.
The suggestion remains in **Pending** status. You can return to approve or reject it later.
#### Rejecting a training suggestion
To reject a suggestion:
1. Open the Review dialog.
2. In Step 2, select **Reject**.
3. Enter a reason for the rejection in the text area provided.
4. Select **Reject Training**.
The suggestion status updates to **Rejected** and the reason is recorded. Rejected suggestions cannot be re-opened, but the submitter may create a new suggestion.
**Note:** Only administrators with the appropriate group access can approve or reject training suggestions. Managers and standard users can view the review dialog in read-only mode but cannot take approval actions.
***
## Tracking Team Training Activity
Managers and administrators can monitor team training progress from three complementary views: **All Activity**, **Training Matrix**, and the per-career **Career Overview** dashboard. The first two are accessed from **Training** in the left sidebar under the Team section; the Career Overview is accessed from **Team > Skills** by opening a specific career.
#### All Activity view
The All Activity view shows a record of training events across your team. You can scope the view to **Direct Reports** (people who report to you) or **My Org** (your broader reporting structure).
To access All Activity:
1. Select **Training** from the left sidebar.
2. The page opens in **All Activity** view by default. If not, select **All Activity** from the view dropdown in the breadcrumb.
To switch between Direct Reports and My Org, select the corresponding tab in the breadcrumb navigation.
To export the training activity data, select **Export** in the top right. SkillsDB downloads an Excel file named `All_Training_Activity_[date].xlsx`.
#### Training Matrix view
The Training Matrix view displays a skills-based grid showing which team members have completed training for specific role requirements, along with training dates. This view is particularly useful for compliance verification and identifying training gaps across your team.
To access the Training Matrix:
1. Select **Training** from the left sidebar.
2. In the breadcrumb view dropdown, select **Training Matrix**.
The Training Matrix can be scoped to **Direct Reports**, **My Org**, or **All** using the tab options in the breadcrumb navigation.
#### Filtering the Training Matrix
Use the filters at the top of the Training Matrix page to focus on specific segments:
| Filter | Purpose |
| --------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Earliest Training Dates** | Toggle to show the earliest training date recorded per skill per person |
| **Has Training Date** | Toggle to show only team members who have at least one training date recorded |
| **Inactive Users** | Toggle to include deactivated user accounts in the matrix |
| **Role** | Filter to show training requirements for a specific career role |
| **Department** | Filter by organizational department |
| **Division** | Filter by organizational division |
| **Region** | Filter by business region |
| **Label** | Filter by label applied to team members |
**Tip:** Use the **Has Training Date** and **Role** filters together to quickly identify all team members in a specific career who have at least one completed training record. This is useful for compliance audits.
To export the Training Matrix, select **Export** in the top right. SkillsDB downloads a file named `Training_Matrix_[date].xlsx`. The export includes all visible columns and reflects the current filter state.
#### Career Overview dashboard
The Career Overview is a per-career manager dashboard that surfaces training progress without having to stitch together multiple reports. It appears automatically for any career with **Training Dates** enabled in Career Settings.
To open the Career Overview, navigate to **Team > Skills**, select the career, and open its overview page. The dashboard includes:
* **Stat cards** — people assigned, percentage approved, expiring and expired counts
* **Team Progress Preview** — a per-employee progress bar against the career's training requirements
* **Progress by Section** and **Progress by Label** — breakdown views to see which parts of the career are on track and which are lagging
* **Mini Training Matrix** — a condensed preview of training dates with a link into the full Training Matrix
* **Expert Matrix Preview** — who holds Expert (or other flag) status on the career's skills
See [Analyze Training](/manager-guide/analyze-training) for the full reference. The Career Overview is especially useful for frontline leaders managing a single career line and wanting one view to coach to.
#### Activity Log (admin)
Administrators also have access to a per-career **Activity Log** at **Library > Careers > Activity** that records every meaningful change to the career — people assigned or removed, skill edits, section and level changes, training-setting updates. The log is searchable and filterable by date range, event type, and performer.
Two actions can be triggered directly from the Activity Log:
* **Notify** — send a targeted email to a selected audience (for example, "All assigned" or "Experts only" on a skill that was just updated)
* **Force re-approval** — reset training approval status so affected users must resubmit training against the new skill definition
See [Activity Log](/core-concepts/activity-log) for the full reference, and [Version History](/core-concepts/version-history) for the related per-skill audit trail and the Renew Training action for significant skill updates.
***
## Monitoring Trainer Performance with Trainer Metrics
The Trainer Metrics dashboard gives admins and managers visibility into how effectively your designated expert trainers are handling training approval requests. Trainers with the Expert flag for a skill are responsible for approving training requests for that skill. Trainer Metrics tracks their responsiveness and throughput.
Managers access Trainer Metrics by navigating to **People > Trainer Metrics** in the left sidebar. Administrators access organization-wide Trainer Metrics from the admin People section.
#### Trainer Metrics view types
Trainer Metrics can be viewed from four perspectives, selectable via the filter tabs at the top of the page:
| View | What it shows |
| -------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **By Expert** | Each row represents a person designated as an Expert. Includes the Expert's name and email address. |
| **By Skill** | Each row represents a skill. Shows aggregate training request data across all experts for that skill. |
| **By Section** | Each row represents an organizational section. Aggregates data for all skills and experts within that section. |
| **By Role** | Each row represents a career role. Aggregates training request data for all skills associated with that role. |
Select any view tab to switch the display. The table updates automatically to reflect the selected perspective.
#### Understanding Trainer Metrics columns
| Column | Description |
| ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Expert/Skill/Section/Role Name** | The name of the entity being measured (header label changes by view type) |
| **Email** | The expert's email address (visible in By Expert view only) |
| **Total Requests** | The total number of training approval requests received |
| **Approvals** | The number of requests approved (displayed in green) |
| **Rejections** | The number of requests rejected (displayed in red) |
| **Pending** | The number of requests that have not yet been actioned (displayed in amber) |
| **Response Rate** | The percentage of total requests that received a response (approved or rejected), formatted as a percentage |
| **Avg Response Time** | The average time between a request being submitted and a response being recorded, shown in hours (under 24 hrs) or days (24 hrs and above) |
#### Filtering Trainer Metrics
Each view type supports an additional filter to narrow results by name. For example, in the **By Expert** view, a **Person** filter appears; in the **By Skill** view, a **Skill** filter appears. Use this filter to isolate one or more specific entries for closer analysis.
To apply a name filter:
1. Select the filter label in the filter bar (for example, **Person**).
2. Choose one or more names from the list.
3. The table updates to show only the selected entries.
To clear the filter, close the filter or deselect all items.
**Note:** Trainer Metrics data reflects requests managed through the SkillsDB training approval workflow. Only training requests associated with skills that have an Expert designated will appear in the metrics. If a skill has no Expert assigned, training requests for that skill will not appear in Trainer Metrics.
***
# Common Questions
Administrators with the appropriate group access can approve, reject, and edit training suggestions. Managers and standard users can open and view a suggestion's review dialog in read-only mode, but they cannot take approval actions. If a manager needs the ability to approve training suggestions, contact your SkillsDB account manager to adjust their access.
When an administrator approves a training suggestion, SkillsDB creates a new entry in the Training Library using the details from the review form. The suggestion status updates to **Approved**. The approved training resource is then available in the library for all employees to view and add to their learning plans.
No. Employees cannot add training resources directly to the Training Library. Employees can submit a training suggestion, which then enters the admin review queue. Admins review and must approve the suggestion before it becomes a library resource. This ensures the training library remains curated and quality-controlled.
The **Training Matrix** is a grid-based view that shows training completion status by skill and team member, along with recorded training dates. It is designed for compliance verification and gap analysis across a specific role or team. The **All Activity** view shows a chronological activity feed of training events and is better suited for day-to-day monitoring of team training progress.
The Training Matrix only displays skills that belong to careers with training dates enabled. If a career's training date tracking has not been configured, its associated skills will not appear in the matrix. Contact your SkillsDB administrator to enable training date tracking for the relevant career.
Training approval authority comes from **Trainer Permission** on a skill flag. SkillsDB's **Expert** system flag has Trainer Permission enabled by default, so anyone flagged as Expert for a skill can approve training requests for that skill — they appear in the **SME** dropdown on training submissions and receive the request in their Inbox. Administrators can also enable Trainer Permission on any custom skill flag (for example, `Qualified Trainer` or `Line Lead`) to grant approval authority to other roles without requiring them to be Experts. Apply the flag from the Skills Matrix, a career or skill page, or the user's profile. See [Skill Flags](/configurations/skill-flags) and [Training Approvals](/core-concepts/training-approvals) for the full workflow.
Training timelines are per-career. Navigate to **Library > Careers**, open the career, and select **Settings**. With **Training Dates** enabled, enter the expected duration (days, months, and/or years) in the **Training Timeline** section and select **Save Changes**. Existing employees assigned to the career automatically pick up the new timeline — their on-track, upcoming, and overdue indicators recompute against it.
Use the **Bulk Update Skill Training Settings** tool inside a career's Settings. When Training Dates is enabled, select **Configure** on that card and in the modal choose the skills to update. You can set required / evidence text / evidence attachments / expiration on every selected skill in one pass instead of editing them individually.
Two options, depending on scope. For a single skill, open the skill's **Activity** tab and use **Renew Training** — this resets training status for everyone who held approval against that skill. For broader changes at the career level, open the career's **Activity Log** (Library > Careers > Activity) and use the **Force re-approval** action on the relevant event row to reset approval for a selected audience. Both actions are logged. See [Version History](/core-concepts/version-history) and [Activity Log](/core-concepts/activity-log).
Response Rate is the percentage of total training requests that received a response — either an approval or a rejection. It is calculated as: *(Approvals + Rejections) / Total Requests x 100*. A pending request does not count toward the response rate until it is actioned.
Currently, the Trainer Metrics page does not have a built-in export button. To extract this data, use SkillsDB's broader Analytics and Reporting features or contact support for a data export. See [Analytics and Reporting](/core-concepts/analytics-and-reporting) for available reporting options.
***
# Related Articles
Enable Training Dates, set the training timeline, and bulk-update training settings per career
Configure Expert, custom flags, and Trainer Permission to designate training approvers
The full training approval workflow — submission, review, and SME routing
Team-level views — All Activity, Training Matrix, and the per-career Career Overview dashboard
Per-skill audit trail with the Renew Training action for significant skill updates
Per-career audit log with Notify and Force re-approval actions
Browse, create, and manage training resources in the organization's library
Reference for the training-related emails SkillsDB sends automatically
***
# Need Help?
If you run into any issues or have questions, reach out to your organization's SkillsDB administrator or contact [SkillsDB Support](https://www.skillsdb.com/support).