Free · Excel & Google Sheets
Free Staff Training Matrix & Certification Tracker (Excel & Google Sheets)
A free training matrix: list each person’s certificates once with their expiry dates, and the sheet builds a colour-coded grid of people against certificates, a book-by date for every refresher and a dashboard of what is expired or due in the next 30 and 90 days.
In the file
6 sheets · 152 KB · opens in Excel, Google Sheets and LibreOffice
- Start here
- Training list
- Matrix
- Dashboard
- Import to ExpiryEdge
- Lists
Prefer a plain list? The CSV (1 KB) has the same columns and example rows, without formulas or colours.
Preview
The tracker sheet, with example rows
This is the colour logic the spreadsheet uses. Move the date to see which rows turn amber or red next.
staff-training-matrix.xlsx
| Person | Certificate / training | Expiry date | Book-by date | Days left | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example – Alex Sample | First aid at work | 9 Oct 2026 | 10 Aug 2026 | 11 | Due ≤30 days |
| Example – Alex Sample | Forklift operator | 1 Sep 2026 | 3 Jul 2026 | -27 | Expired |
| Example – Alex Sample | Manual handling | 2 Apr 2027 | 3 Mar 2027 | 186 | OK |
| Example – Jo Placeholder | Food hygiene | 1 Dec 2026 | 17 Oct 2026 | 64 | Due ≤90 days |
| Example – Jo Placeholder | Fire warden | 20 Nov 2026 | 21 Oct 2026 | 53 | Due ≤90 days |
| Example – Chris Demo | Driver qualification | 14 Mar 2027 | 14 Nov 2026 | 167 | OK |
| Example – Chris Demo | First aid at work | 1 Jun 2027 | 2 Apr 2027 | 246 | OK |
1 expired, 1 due ≤30 days, 2 due ≤90 days, 3 OK. The example dates are fixed, so as real time passes more of them turn amber and red: that is the formula working.
How to use it in 3 steps
Set your certificate list
On the Lists sheet, replace the example certificate names with the ones your roles need. They become the dropdown and the matrix columns.
Add one row per person per certificate
Use the same spelling of each name every time. Copy the expiry date from the certificate, or the date your policy says it must be refreshed.
Read the Matrix, act on the Dashboard
The Matrix shows gaps and colours at a glance. The Dashboard lists the next 10 refreshers to book.
What’s inside
- Start here
- How to use it in three steps, the colour key and what every column means.
- Training list
- Training list (one row per person per certificate). Filters, dropdowns, frozen header and status colours, with formulas filled down 500 rows.
- Matrix
- Training matrix: latest expiry date per person and certificate, colour-coded.
- Dashboard
- Counts by status and the next 10 dates, as of today.
- Import to ExpiryEdge
- The same rows in the ExpiryEdge bulk-import columns, filled by formula.
- Lists
- The options behind every dropdown. Add your own.
Open it in Google Sheets
There is no shared Google copy to request access to. You import the same file, so you own your copy from the start.
Download the .xlsx
Use the button above. It saves straight to your computer.
Import it into a blank Google Sheet
Open Google Sheets, create a blank spreadsheet, then choose File › Import › Upload and pick the file. Select "Replace spreadsheet".
Check the dates
Formulas, dropdowns and status colours carry over. If your Google account uses a different locale, dates show in that format, which is fine: they are real dates underneath.
Columns explained
Type in the input columns. Calculated columns fill themselves. Columns marked required are the ones the import sheet needs.
| Column | What to enter | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Person | Full name, spelled the same way every time (the matrix matches on it). | Input · required |
| Role | Job title or role. | Input |
| Team | Team or site. Edit the list on the Lists sheet. | Input |
| Certificate / training | Pick from the Lists sheet so the matrix can match it. Add your own there. | Input · required |
| Provider | Who delivered the course or issued the card. | Input |
| Completed on | Date of the course or issue date. | Input |
| Expiry date | Expiry date on the certificate, or the date your policy says it must be refreshed. | Input · required |
| Lead time (days) | How many days before the date you want to start acting. Leave blank for 30. | Input |
| Book-by date | Calculated. Expiry minus the lead time: book the refresher before this. | Calculated |
| Days left | Calculated. Days until the date; negative once it has passed. | Calculated |
| Status | Calculated. Expired, Due ≤30 days, Due ≤90 days or OK. | Calculated |
| Priority | Low, Medium or High. Matches the ExpiryEdge priority field. | Input |
| Manager email | Who should be reminded. Becomes notification_email on import. | Input |
| Certificate link | Link to the certificate copy. | Input |
| Notes | Anything the next person needs to know. | Input |
When a spreadsheet stops being enough
For a handful of dates and one careful owner, this template is all you need. These are the signs it has become the wrong tool.
Sign 1
More than one person owns the dates
When several people add rows, dates get typed as text, copies drift apart and nobody is sure which file is current.
Sign 2
Reminders depend on someone opening the file
The status turns red whether or not anyone is looking. If the person who checks it is on leave, the date passes quietly.
Sign 3
You need to prove what happened
An audit, insurer or inspector may ask who was told, when, and where the certificate is. A spreadsheet does not keep that history.
When you would rather not remember
What this looks like when it runs itself
The same row, tracked for you: an owner, reminders at 90, 60, 30 and 7 days by email, SMS, WhatsApp, Slack or Teams, the document on file and a log of who did what. The "Import to ExpiryEdge" sheet in this template is already laid out for Bulk Import, so moving across is one upload.
Try it with your own dates, free for 14 days, no cardExpiryEdge · Tracked item
First aid at work · A. Sample
ValidOwner
Warehouse manager
Expires
9 Oct 2029
Reminders before expiry
90d
60d
30d
7d
Due
Staff training matrix: questions, answered
A grid with people down the side and certificates or courses across the top. Each cell shows whether the person holds it and when it expires, so you can see gaps and upcoming refreshers in one view.
A grid is easy to read but hard to keep accurate: there is nowhere to record the provider, the certificate link or a history. So you type into a simple list (one row per person per certificate) and the Matrix builds itself from it with formulas.
It depends on the certificate and who issued it. Copy the expiry date from the certificate or card. Our free validity guides cover common ones, such as first aid at work, food hygiene, DBS checks and CSCS cards, each with its official source.
Yes. Open a blank Google Sheet, choose File › Import › Upload, pick the .xlsx and select "Replace spreadsheet". The formulas use only functions that Google Sheets, Excel and LibreOffice all support (no FILTER, SORT or XLOOKUP), so the status colours, dropdowns and dashboard carry over. The Excel table styling becomes a plain range with filters.
It is the same rows laid out in the ExpiryEdge bulk-import columns (name, expiry_date, type and so on), filled in by formula. You can ignore it. If you ever move the list into ExpiryEdge, upload the file in Bulk Import and pick that sheet, or save the sheet as CSV. Nothing is sent anywhere by the file itself.
It is free to download, use, change and share inside your organisation. There is no sign-up and no email needed: the download starts when you click.
A free template, not legal advice. It tracks the dates you enter; it does not decide which rules apply to you. Check requirements against the official source for your situation.