Guide · Updated 2026-08-08
How to Manage Training Records for Subcontractors
Manage subcontractor training records by treating named workers as first-class rows on your matrix, collecting evidence before mobilisation, and reviewing expiry on the same rhythm as employed staff — against requirements your organisation assigns for that job.
Subcontractor chaos is rarely malice. It is late PDFs, renamed cards, and a different spreadsheet per package. Fix the process, not the inbox.
Decide who is in scope
Be explicit: labour-only individuals, small specialist firms, agency workers, or only people who need site access. If they can be refused at the gate because of missing assigned credentials, they belong on the tracker.
Collect before they start
- Send a short list of assigned requirements for the role (not a novel).
- Ask for card/certificate images plus expiry dates in one reply or portal upload.
- Reject unclear photos early — blurry cards waste everyone’s time.
- Enter dates into the matrix the day files arrive.
- Confirm not-required items so blanks do not mean “forgot”.
One matrix, worker-type column
Keep subcontractors on the same construction training matrix as employees with a company / worker-type field. Separate “subbie folders” feel organised until a client asks for everyone on Site A by Friday.
| Data point | Why |
|---|---|
| Legal employer / trading name | Evidence packs and insurance cross-checks |
| Named individual | Cards are personal, not company-wide |
| Assigned requirements for this job | Requirements vary by role, activity, customer and site |
| Expiry dates | Renewals mid-contract |
| Evidence link | Prove the date quickly |
Verification without overreach
Your job is to check that records meet assigned requirements and look consistent — not to invent legal mandates. Software and spreadsheets do not determine what is legally required; they help you see who meets what you assigned.
Refresh during the contract
- Re-check anyone extending past their earliest expiry
- Require updates when the gang changes
- Archive people who leave the package so the due list stays clean
- Escalate missing renewals to the subcontractor’s supervisor, not only the worker
Evidence packs on demand
Name files predictably (company-surname-requirement-expiry) and store them against the person. When a principal contractor requests proof, export the filtered site list plus attachments — do not rebuild from email threads.
If chasing uploads is the bottleneck, put subcontractors into the same upload workflow as staff so evidence and dates live in one place.
Already have a spreadsheet?
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