Introduction

In your platform, completing certain courses, and learning plans, or reporting certain external training activities can result in earning a certificate or a certification

Certificates versus certifications

Certificates indicate that you have acquired knowledge or skills in a particular area by completing a training program and do not usually require an exam for completion. Certificates do not typically expire and are often used to enhance one’s resume or provide foundational knowledge for career advancement, though they may carry less industry weight compared to certifications.

Certifications are professional credentials conferred by a recognized authority that verify your expertise in a specific field. Certifications often require passing exams and meeting certain professional standards, which may include work experience. Unlike certificates, certifications usually need to be renewed through continuing education or retraining to ensure ongoing competence. They are highly valued in many industries, signifying a commitment to professional standards and often serving as prerequisites for specific roles or career advancement.

Obtaining certificates and certifications

Independently of whether the training you are enrolled in awards a certificate or a certification, you will automatically obtain them upon completing the content. A pop-up on the course page will inform you about your achievements.

Certificates and certifications for learning plans are issued only when you have completed all the courses within a learning plan. This also applies if you are only enrolled in a few, but not all, of the courses within a learning plan.

Please note: Administrators can manually assign certifications (but not certificates).

Checking and downloading certificates

You can download a certificate by clicking Download certificate upon completing the training associated with it or at any time after completion by clicking on that same button (or the Achievement button, depending on the platform configuration) in the content header.

To check the certificates you obtained, open the platform main menu and click My activities. Select the tab corresponding to the type of content you completed to obtain your certificates (Courses for e-learning courses, ILT (Instructor-Led Training) for classroom and webinar courses, Learning plans, or External training) and click on the certificate icon at the end of the content row. The icon is visible only after you are awarded the certificate.

Note that the format of the dates displayed on certificates depends on the settings set for the certificate by the administrator, independently from the date format associated to the language you selected in the My profile area.

Checking and renewing certifications

To check the status of your certifications, open the platform main menu and click My activities. Click the Certification tab listing the certifications that you obtained.

Certifications often have a validity period, thus an expiration date. When they expire, you may be able to recertify with the same course or learning plan, or by completing a different training content.

You can start the renewal process from different areas of your platform:

• The Certification tab of the My activities page (see the Checking your certifications chapter of this article): the certifications listed in the Certification tab show their expiration date, and once expired, you may be able to renew them. If you can renew a certification, the Renew now link is shown in the To renew in column.
• The course or learning plan page: when you are entitled to renew a certification by attending again the same content, the Renew certification button is shown on the page of the course or the learning plan linked to the expiring or expired certification.
• The Certifications to renew tab of the Task list widget: if this widget is displayed on any page of your menu, and if it includes the Certification to Renew tab, it lists all of the certifications available for renewal. Click on Renew to proceed.

Please note! When renewing a certification through a course, the previous course enrollment will be archived, and not overwritten.

Renewing with the same course or learning plan

If you can retake the same course to renew the certification, when you click:

• Renew certification on the page of the course or the learning plan or
• Renew on the Certifications to renew tab of the Task List widget

and you renew a certification with the same course (not with a learning plan), a  message in a pop-up window will inform you that the current course completion status will be reset and that you will have to complete the course again to renew the certification.

As an option, you can renew the expired certification by clicking Renew now on the Certification tab of the My activities page. In this scenario, no pop-up message is displayed, but the same warning message is displayed in the certification expiration banner.

Click on Renew to continue.

Renewing with other courses or learning plans

If you cannot retake the same course to renew the certification, when you click on:

• Renew certification on the page of the course or the learning plan or
• Renew now on the Certification tab of the My activities page, or
• Renew on the Certifications to renew tab of the Task List widget

you will land on the Certifications & retraining tab of the My activities page listing the courses and the learning plans you can take to recertify. Click on the course or learning plan card to start the training.

Some courses or learning plans may not be available for recertification and are marked with a padlock on the card.

As an alternative, click on Go to my external activities to record a new external training activity valid to renew the certification. After you upload it, the Administrator will evaluate it to confirm it is a valid option for renewal.

Notifications and certifications

Depending on Administrator settings, you may receive a notification (either via email, in the notifications area, or via Slack) informing you that a certification has been issued or is about to expire.

The notification informing you about the certification that is about to expire includes a link to renew the certification.

If you do not navigate through the Renew now link or your certification expiration notification, the certification will not renew.