Training Types and How to Issue Credit: A Guide for Agency Administrators and Supervisors

Overview

TrainingLink offers several types of training to meet the diverse learning needs of your agency. Understanding each format — and how training credit is awarded — will help you manage your team's records accurately and efficiently.

This guide organizes training into two categories based on how credit is issued:

• Automatic Credit: TrainingLink records completion without any action from the Agency.
• Agency-Issued Credit: An Admin from the Agency must take a step to record completion.

Part 1: Training That Issues Credit Automatically

These training types have knowledge checks (quizzes or interactive elements) that allow TrainingLink to verify learning and record credit on the employee's training record without any Agency Admin action.

Training - Full Length Live Online Training (Not tailgate training)

• • What it is: Instructor-led virtual training delivered live, with real-time audience engagement including quizzes and polls.
  • Subscription access: Some courses are free with a TrainingLink Pro, TrainingLink Essentials, SERP Services, or SOMA subscription.
  • How to register: Employees register through TrainingLink's Register for Classes page.
  • How credit is issued: Automatically — after attendance is recorded and knowledge checks are verified. Credit may take up to 7 days to appear on the employee's training record.

Training - Recorded Full Length Live Online Training Sessions (Not tailgate training)

• • What it is: Recorded versions of Live Online Training sessions, available on demand as part of some subscriptions. Quizzes and polls are embedded so learners can demonstrate their learning.
  • How credit is issued: Automatically — based on time spent in the course. Credit is added to the training record upon completion.

Self-Directed Computer-Based Training (CBT)

• • What it is: Click-through, self-paced courses with interactive content. Some include video. CBTs are not instructor-led but include knowledge checks throughout.
  • Subscription access:
    • • All CBTs are included with the Pro subscription.
      • Select CBTs are included with SERP Services.
      • Any CBTs custom-developed for your agency are accessible to you regardless of what subscription you have.
  • How credit is issued: Automatically — when the course is completed, it is added to the employee's training record.

Part 2: Training That Requires Agency Admin-Issued Credit

These training types do not include tracked knowledge checks, so TrainingLink cannot automatically verify and record completion. Credit must be issued manually by an Agency Admin. 

How to Issue Credit (All Formats in This Section)

Admins have two ways to issue credit, plus a third option that allows employees to initiate the request:

• 1.  Agency Events tab (Admin Dashboard). Best for issuing credit to a group at once
  2. Completions tab (Admin Dashboard)  Best for issuing credit to an individual employee
  3. Employee Self-Request.  Employee clicks the teal "Request Training Credit" button on the relevant page.  Employee-initiated; any admin can approve on the Admin Dashboard Completions tab.

Tailgate Training - Live Online 

• • What it is: Live, instructor-led tailgate training held every other Tuesday at 7:15 AM Pacific. No registration is required. Designed to help agencies fulfill the CalOSHA requirement that certain employees receive tailgate training every 10 working days. Sessions include a Q&A section, but no knowledge checks.
  • Why credit is not automatic: There are no quizzes or tracked engagement, so learning cannot be verified automatically.

Tailgate Training - Recorded Video

• • What it is: Recorded versions of Live Online Tailgate sessions. All previous tailgate topics are available on demand.
  • Why credit is not automatic: Like the live version, there are no quizzes or tracked engagement.

Webinars - Live Online

• • What it is: Similar in format to tailgate training, but focused on webinar-style topics. 
  • Registration: Unlike tailgates, webinars require registration through the Register for Classes page.
  • Why credit is not automatic: No quizzes or tracked engagement.

Webinars - Pre-Recorded 

• • What it is: Pre-recorded versions of previous webinars.
  • Why credit is not automatic: No quizzes or tracked engagement.

Tailgate Training - Printable PDF

• • What it is: Downloadable PDF resources for in-house trainers. Each includes tailgate tips and conversation starters, providing approximately 15 minutes of content for a trainer-facilitated session.
  • Subscription access: Available to Pro subscribers only.
  • Why credit is not automatic: These are printed materials used in person; there is no digital tracking of engagement.

Quick Reference Summary

A note about Training Assignments

Training Assignments made on the TrainingLink Admin Dashboard are archived automatically when the following types of training are completed, because there are knowledge checks throughout the training:

• Full Length Pre-Recorded Training
• Self-Directed Computer Based (CBT) Training

An Agency Administrator will need to archive all other types of assignments when they have been completed.