Skills (or skill items as they are sometimes called) are the individual skills that sit within a skill framework.
To add a skill, follow these steps:
Go to Quick-access menu > Skills.
Click on the name of the skill framework in which you would like to add a skill item.
Click the Add new skill button.
Configure the skill settings as required.
Click Save changes.
Your new skill now appears in the selected skill framework.
Add skills in bulk
If you have multiple skills you wish to add then you can add them in bulk.
To bulk add skills, follow these steps:
Go to Quick-access menu > Skills.
Click the name of the skill framework you wish to update.
Select Add from the Bulk actions dropdown menu.
Select the Parent skill.
Enter each skill item you wish to add on a new line (i.e. one per line).
Choose the Who can assign the skill (to allow either self-assignment or assignment to others by those with the correct permissions).
Click Save changes.
Your new skill items now appear in the skill framework.
You can also add skills using HR import.
Edit a skill
You can edit an existing skill by following these steps:
Go to Quick-access menu > Skills.
Click the name of the skill framework you wish to update.
Click the edit icon (
) in the Actions column for the corresponding skill item.Make the required changes to the settings.
Click Save changes.
Skill settings
When creating or editing a skill item you will notice that the settings are broken into three tabs:
General: The general settings for the skill
Linked courses: Where you can link courses to your skill
Achievement paths: You can set the path to achieving a particular rating for the skill (Totara Skills only)
The general settings allow you to configure each skill item, including who can assign it.
Setting | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Framework | This field cannot be edited and simply shows the selected skill framework. | This field cannot be edited and simply displays information. |
Parent | The parent skill allows you to build parent/child relationships between the individual skill items in your hierarchy framework. You must have at least one skill item set up in your framework for this option to be available. The default value is Top. | This option will not appear on the first skill item you create within a framework, however it will be available for all subsequent ones or when editing the initial one (after creating subsequent items). |
Full name | Enter the name of the skill item. | - |
ID number | The ID number is a unique number used to represent the skill. | If you try to use an ID that already exists you will get the following validation error: Record with this ID number already exists. |
Description | Presents a free-text field for providing more details about this skill. This data is displayed when viewing the hierarchy listing, and the individual skill page. | - |
Type | Choose whether you want to set a skill type. Types are containers for custom fields. When you assign a skill to a type, the skill inherits the custom fields associated with it. This is an optional field which can be left blank or set later. | If a skill is assigned a type it inherits any custom fields that have been assigned to that type. This allows you to organise metadata relating to your skills and only show the fields that each type of skill needs. |
Scale | This is the skill scale that is used in the skill framework. The skill scale is set in the skill framework. Only one skill scale can be used in each framework. | This field cannot be edited and simply displays information. |
Who can assign this skill | You can choose who can assign this particular skill by ticking one or more of the following:
| - |
Due date | Set a due date, informing participants when they are expected to complete their assessments. You can set the date in days, weeks or months. | The due date is calculated individually for each user based on the date the skill was assigned. |
Warning period | If an expiration date is set, you can configure a relative date for when the skill status will change to About to expire. You can set the date in days, weeks or months. | The warning date is calculated individually for each user based on the date the skill was assessed. |
Expiration date | Set how long the skill assessment will be valid for in days, weeks or months. | The expiration date is calculated individually for each participant based on the date the skill was assessed. |
Business critical | Check to mark the skill as business critical within your organisation. | This setting is for reporting purposes only. |
Strategic | Check to mark the skill as strategic within your organisation. | This setting is for reporting purposes only. |
If you change the Due date, Warning period, or Expiration date after the skill has already been assigned to users, you can choose whether the new dates should apply only to future assignments or to both future and existing assignments. If you apply the changes to existing assignments, the dates and statuses are recalculated automatically.
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