TrainMeUK LogoTrainMeUK

Mandatory Training

Set up required training that users must complete

Overview

Mandatory courses are:

  • Required for all users in your organisation
  • Visible to everyone
  • Tracked for compliance
  • Typically company-wide policies or essential training

When to Use Mandatory Courses

✅ Good Candidates for Mandatory

  • Company policies (GDPR, H&S, Code of Conduct)
  • Legal requirements (compliance training)
  • Security awareness training
  • Core induction content

❌ Better as Group Assignment

  • Role-specific training (only for certain jobs)
  • Department training (only for one team)
  • Optional development courses

Use Group Assignment for targeted training.

Making a Course Mandatory

1

Open Course Management

  1. Log in as an Admin
  2. Go to Admin → Course Management
  3. Find the course you want to make mandatory
2

Edit the Course

  1. Click on the course to open settings
  2. Look for the Settings or Assignment tab
3

Enable Mandatory Setting

Find and enable the Mandatory toggle or checkbox.

This setting may be labelled: "Mandatory", "Required for All", or "Company-Wide Requirement"

4

Save Changes

Click Save to apply the change.

What Happens When a Course is Mandatory

Immediate Effect

  • Course appears on all users' dashboards
  • Shows as "Required" or "Mandatory"
  • Included in everyone's compliance calculation

For New Users

When new accounts are created:

  • Mandatory courses are automatically assigned
  • No manual assignment needed
  • Part of their initial training requirements

Visibility

  • Mandatory courses are visible to all users
  • They ignore visibility rules
  • Everyone sees and must complete them

Mandatory vs Default for New Starters

Two related but different settings:

SettingScopePurpose
MandatoryAll users (existing and new)Company-wide requirements
Default for New StartersOnly new user accountsOnboarding courses

Example:

  • "Data Protection Policy" - Mandatory (everyone must complete)
  • "Welcome to the Company" - Default for New Starters (only new people)

Viewing Mandatory Course Compliance

On Reports

Mandatory courses appear in:

  • Overall compliance statistics
  • Individual user progress
  • Department-level reports

Common Metrics

MetricMeaning
Completion Rate% of users who've completed
Overdue CountUsers who haven't completed by deadline
In ProgressUsers who've started but not finished

Setting Mandatory Course Deadlines

Using Expiry

If the course needs annual renewal:

  1. Enable Expiry
  2. Set period (e.g., 12 months)
  3. Users must recomplete after expiry

Setting Due Dates

For new mandatory courses:

  1. Enable due date setting if available
  2. Set a reasonable completion deadline
  3. Users see countdown to deadline

Removing Mandatory Status

If a course should no longer be mandatory:

1

Edit the Course

  1. Go to Admin → Course Management
  2. Find and open the course
2

Disable Mandatory

Toggle off the Mandatory setting.

3

Decide on Existing Progress

Consider:

  • Existing completions remain on record
  • Users who haven't completed lose the requirement
  • No automatic removal from dashboards (may need to refresh)
4

Save Changes

Click Save to apply.

Best Practices

Limit Mandatory Courses

  • Only truly essential training should be mandatory
  • Too many mandatories = overwhelmed users
  • Focus on legal/compliance requirements

Clear Communication

When adding mandatory courses:

  1. Notify users about the new requirement
  2. Explain why it's mandatory
  3. Give reasonable completion time
  4. Provide support resources

Regular Review

Periodically review mandatory courses:

  • Are they all still needed?
  • Is content up to date?
  • Are completion rates acceptable?

Set Realistic Expectations

For mandatory completion:

  • Allow 2-4 weeks for new courses
  • Consider busy periods
  • Account for absences

Tracking Mandatory Compliance

Dashboard View

  • Mandatory course completion is a key metric
  • Shows on admin dashboards
  • Often highlighted separately

Reports

Run reports filtered to mandatory courses:

  1. Go to Admin → Reports
  2. Filter by category (e.g., "Policies")
  3. Or filter to specific mandatory courses
  4. Export for compliance records

Following Up

For users who haven't completed:

  1. Identify through reports
  2. Send reminders
  3. Escalate to managers if needed
  4. Document any exceptions

Troubleshooting

User says they completed but still shows required

  • Check if course has expiry
  • Verify completion status in reports
  • May need to check course progress data

New user doesn't see mandatory course

  • Give the system time to sync
  • Have them refresh their browser
  • Verify the course is set to mandatory

Want to make mandatory but only for certain groups

Don't use mandatory - use group assignment instead:

  • Create a group with those users
  • Assign the course to that group
  • Achieves targeted requirement

Too many mandatory courses

Consider reorganising:

  • Which are truly essential?
  • Can some be group-assigned instead?
  • Can some be merged?

Related Guides