How to track staff training certificates and refresher dates

What a training record should show

A training record answers three questions an inspector, an insurer or a client may ask: who was trained, in what, and is it still current. For each course a person completes, record:

• the person's name and role
• the course title and the hours of learning
• the date they passed
• the certificate number, and where to check it
• the refresh due date
• who provided the training

HSE's guide to health and safety training says "It can help you manage training if you keep records", and that this applies to training you run in house too (checked 18 October 2026). HSENI, the regulator in Northern Ireland, adds that "The records should also indicate the content and duration of the training" (checked 18 October 2026), which is why the hours of learning belong in the record.

A simple training matrix template

Copy these columns into a spreadsheet. Use one row for each person on each course, so a person with five courses has five rows. Sort by the refresh due column to see what is coming up.

Use three status values: Current, Due in 60 days, and Overdue. Each month, filter on Due in 60 days and book those refreshers. The certificate number lets you or anyone else confirm the certificate is real without asking for a paper copy.

Typical refresh periods

Most UK workplace training certificates do not have a legal expiry date. Your employer's risk assessment, your sector's regulator and your own policy set how often people retrain. Lift College prints a recommended refresh date on every CPD certificate. These are the periods on each live course page, checked on 18 October 2026:

The refresher is free on every course. For every Lift College course and its period, see how often workplace training should be refreshed.

What regulators say about training records

This section quotes official pages read on 18 October 2026. It is a summary, not legal advice; check the page for your sector.

HSE (health and safety, all workplaces). HSE's guide says "some people's skills may need updating by refresher training" and "You should monitor training records so that refresher training can be given when needed." It also says "You must provide training during working hours and not at the expense of your employees." (Health and safety training: A brief guide, INDG345, checked 18 October 2026.)

Food businesses. GOV.UK's guidance for food businesses says you must be able to show your staff have the right skills and up to date training for their role, and "Keep a record of any training staff have completed so you can show this during an inspection." It also says "Food handlers do not have to hold a food hygiene certificate." (Running a food business: staff training, illness and hygiene, checked 18 October 2026.)

Care providers in England (CQC). Regulation 18 requires staff to "receive such appropriate support, training, professional development, supervision and appraisal". CQC's guidance says training needs must be assessed at the start of employment and "reviewed at appropriate intervals during the course of employment", and "All learning and development and required training completed should be monitored". Regulation 17 asks providers to "maintain securely such other records as are necessary to be kept in relation to" the people they employ. (CQC Regulations 17 and 18, checked 18 October 2026.) Our guide to mandatory training for care workers lists the topics.

Nurseries and early years (EYFS). The EYFS statutory framework for group and school based providers, in force from 1 September 2026, says "Providers must record information about staff qualifications" (3.18). For safeguarding it says "Training must be renewed every two years" (3.33), and for paediatric first aid (PFA) "PFA training must be renewed every three years" (3.37). Providers "should display (or make available to parents and/or carers) staff PFA certificates" (3.40). (Checked 18 October 2026.) See our guide to nursery staff training online.

Personal data (ICO). A training record names a person, so keep it as you would other staff data. The ICO says "You must not keep personal data for longer than you need it", "You need a policy setting standard retention periods wherever possible" and "The UK GDPR does not dictate how long you should keep personal data." It also says you "should also periodically review the data you hold, and erase or anonymise it when you no longer need it." (Principle (e): Storage limitation, checked 18 October 2026.) Write down how long you keep training records and why.

How a Lift College organisation account keeps the record for you

The account does much of the matrix work as your people train.

• Dashboard. Every lesson finished, assessment passed and certificate earned, as it happens, and who needs a check in, with a one tap study reminder.
• Learners table. Progress, study time, last studied and assignments for each person. Filter to Needs attention, On track or Complete, and download a progress report that opens in Excel.
• Each learner. Progress against the finish date you set, and their certificate to view or download the day they finish.
• The certificate. The learner's name, the course, the hours of learning, the completion date and a recommended refresh date, with a unique number and a verification link.
• The refresher. When the refresh date comes round, the learner retakes the latest version of the course free and gets a new certificate. Lift College emails the learner 30 days before.

Managers see progress only; written work, feedback and marks stay between the learner and their tutor. Every CPD course is £19.99 pay once, or £16.99 on the account, paid by card or by invoice on 30 day terms with your own PO number, as our guide to staff training you can pay for by invoice explains.

Open a free organisation account and see the dashboard with example learners before you enrol anyone.