Training and certification tracking

Training Matrix and Certification Tracker

Track employee training, certification expirations, skills coverage, and training gaps in one Excel file. It answers three questions a list cannot: who is trained, what is expiring, and where one person is the only one who can do the job, with the status and the dashboard calculated for you.

$49USD

One-time purchase, no subscription. Instant download.

Built by expert HR practitioners and leaders

  • The tracker that does the counting: set the training your business requires, list your people, record completion dates on the Training Matrix, and log each certification on the Certification Tracker, where days to expiration and the status calculate for you
  • A dashboard you read in one minute: your completion rate, what is expired or expiring within 30, 60, and 90 days, your coverage risk, and the action items to work this month
  • The coverage read a list cannot give: a Skills Heat Map that flags every critical skill only one person can do, and a Cross-Training Planner that turns each gap into a named trainee with a target date and a priority score
  • New hires and the schedule: a New Hire Training Plan that tracks each onboarding item to Complete, and a Training Calendar that lists sessions and renewals with the days until each comes due
  • Open it and it works: a Start Here guide, worked sample data on every tab, a Definitions tab for every status and flag, and the house convention throughout: amber cells are yours to edit, white cells calculate

The workbook gives you the tracking and the reads, not the training and not a ruling. It records who is trained and what is current; it does not deliver courses, issue certifications, or decide what the law requires, so confirm the certification and safety requirements that apply to your work and your location.

One-time purchase Instant download Editable files 14-day guarantee

One editable Excel workbook with recordkeeping and planning support, general business information, not legal or tax advice. It tracks training and certifications; it does not deliver training or decide who is qualified, and requirements differ by industry, jurisdiction, and the work itself, so confirm the certification and safety requirements that apply to your work and your location.

Last reviewed June 2026

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Editable filesExcel, Word, PDF
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What you get

One workbook, eleven tabs, from requirements to dashboard

Everything runs in a single Excel file that also works in Google Sheets, with worked sample data on every tab and a one-page Google Sheets guide included. Amber cells are yours to edit; white cells calculate.

PDFStart here

Start Here Guide

What you bought, the order to work in, and the color code that runs the whole workbook, on paper and again as the workbook's first tab.

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Training Requirements + Employee Roster

Set the training your business requires and list your people. Every other tab reads from these two, so setup is these rows and nothing else.

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Training Matrix

One row per person, one column per training. Enter the completion date, leave a blank where it is not done, and items done and percent complete compute per person.

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Certification Tracker

Each certification with its issue and expiration dates. Days to expiration, the status flag, and the reminder date calculate for you.

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Skills Heat Map

Mark who can perform each critical skill and whether a backup exists. Risk and cross-training priority calculate, and a skill only one person can do is flagged HIGH.

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Cross-Training Planner

Turns each coverage gap into a plan: the trained count against the minimum needed, a recommended trainee, a target date, and a priority score.

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New Hire Training Plan + Training Calendar

Track each new hire's onboarding items to Complete, and keep sessions and renewals on a dated list with the days until each comes due.

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Dashboard + Definitions

The one-screen rollup of completion, expirations, and coverage risk, with a Definitions tab that explains every status and flag in plain language.

How it works

Start in about fifteen minutes

Set the requirements and your people, fill the dates, then read the dashboard. The workbook opens on sample data so the logic is clear before you change anything.

STEP 01

Set the requirements and the roster

Replace the sample rows on Training Requirements with the training your business requires, then enter your people on Employee Roster.

STEP 02

Fill the dates

Record a completion date for each training on the Training Matrix, and enter each certification and its expiration on the Certification Tracker. Leave a cell blank if it is not done.

STEP 03

Read the dashboard and keep it current

Open the Dashboard to see your completion rate, what is expiring, and where you have only one trained person, then each month add new completions and work the action items it surfaces.

The standard

Built for the coverage read and honest about its limits

A folder of certificates tells you what happened. This workbook turns the same records into the reads that show where you are exposed, and it says plainly what it is not.

A folder of certificates tells you what happened; it does not tell you where you are exposed. The workbook turns the same records into the three reads that matter: what is expiring before it lapses, where one absence stops the work, and how complete training is across the team, with the status flags and the dashboard calculated from the dates you enter.
Expirations before they lapse. The Certification Tracker counts down the days and flags what is expired or expiring at 30, 60, and 90 days, so a lapsed certification does not surprise you on the day it matters.
The single-point-of-failure read. The Skills Heat Map flags every critical skill only one person can do, the gap that turns one absence into a stoppage, and the Cross-Training Planner turns each one into a named trainee and a target date.
A tracking tool, not a learning platform, and not a ruling. It records who is trained and what is current; it does not deliver courses, issue certifications, or decide what the law requires, so confirm the certification and safety requirements that apply to your work and your location.
Is this for you

Who it is built for

Who the workbook fits, and where to go if your need is something else.

Built for

  • An owner or operations manager at roughly 10 to 500 employees in manufacturing, warehousing, construction, healthcare, field service, or food service.
  • An HR or safety lead who has to keep certifications and safety training current and provable.
  • A supervisor who needs to see skills coverage and where a single absence would stop the work.

If you’re looking for

  • The dollar return on the training you run. The Training ROI Calculator builds that case.
  • A full employee records and forms system. The HR Operations Binder covers that, and this workbook runs alongside it as the training layer.
Questions

Before you buy

What format is it and can I edit it?
One Excel workbook that also works in Google Sheets, with a one-page guide to running it there included. Every requirement, date, and formula is editable, and the file is yours to keep. Add people or training by inserting rows inside the tables.
Is this a learning platform?
No. It is a tracking and planning tool, not a learning management system. It records who is trained, what is expiring, and where coverage is thin; it does not deliver courses or issue certifications.
How accurate is it?
The status, the days left, and the dashboard calculate from what you enter, so the read is only as current as the dates you log. Update completions and expirations each month and the workbook keeps the picture current.
Is this legal advice on what training is required?
No. It is general business information, not legal or tax advice. Training and certification requirements differ by industry, jurisdiction, and the work itself, so confirm the requirements that apply to your work and your location.
What is the refund policy?
Digital products are covered by a 14-day money-back guarantee. See the refund policy for the full terms.
What happens after I buy?
Checkout delivers an instant download link, and a receipt with the same link arrives by email. Open the workbook in Excel or Google Sheets, set the training your business requires on the Training Requirements tab, add your people, and read the Dashboard. If a file gives you trouble, email support@truestephr.com.
Can I expense this purchase to my business?

Most customers buy TrueStep HR tools for business use, and a tool you use for work often qualifies as a deductible business expense. Whether it does for you depends on your situation, so confirm with your accountant or tax professional. Your receipt arrives by email at checkout and works as documentation.

Free guide

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Get the kit

Set the requirements once, read the dashboard every month

Your requirements, your people, and the dates you already have: the workbook turns them into the completion rate, the expirations counting down, and the coverage gaps that need a name next to them.

$49
One-time purchase, no subscription

Recordkeeping and planning support, not legal or tax advice. Last reviewed June 2026.