Skills & Certifications

The Skills & Certifications system in NexusRMS ensures that every crew member's qualifications are tracked, verified, and kept up to date. Skills define what a person can do; certifications prove they are qualified to do it. Together, they power intelligent scheduling, compliance enforcement, and resource planning across your entire workforce.

Skills

Skills represent the practical abilities and technical knowledge of your crew members. Each skill is defined by a name, category, and optional description. NexusRMS includes over 80 predefined skills organised into 15 categories, covering the full spectrum of live events and rental operations.

Skill categories

• Audio / Sound — Mixing (FOH), mixing (monitors), system design, RF coordination, audio recording, broadcast audio, and more
• Lighting — Lighting design, lighting programming, follow spot operation, LED technician, moving lights, conventional fixtures
• Video / Broadcast — Camera operation, vision mixing, LED wall operation, projection, video playback, streaming, broadcast engineering
• AV / General — AV technician, presentation support, conference systems, digital signage, control systems programming
• Rigging / Staging — Rigging (arena), rigging (ground support), truss assembly, stage construction, scenic installation, rope access
• Production / Management — Production management, stage management, event coordination, site management, logistics coordination, client liaison
• Power / Electrical — Power distribution, generator operation, temporary electrical installation, PAT testing, electrical inspection
• Backline / Musical — Backline technician, drum technician, guitar technician, keyboard technician, instrument tuning
• General Crew — Load-in/load-out, general labouring, warehouse operations, packing, inventory management
• Transport / Logistics — HGV driving, van driving, forklift operation, load planning, route planning, fleet coordination
• Health & Safety — Fire marshal, first aider, crowd management, risk assessment, CDM coordinator, site safety officer
• Catering / Hospitality — Catering management, bar management, front-of-house hospitality, crew catering
• Creative / Design — Set design, scenic painting, graphic design, CAD drafting, technical drawing
• Special Effects — Pyrotechnics, confetti and streamers, haze and smoke, laser operation, flame effects
• Other Specialist — Interpreter, sign language, photography, drone operation, and custom skills

Proficiency levels

When assigning a skill to a crew member, you set a proficiency level that indicates their competence:

• Beginner — Has basic knowledge and can perform simple tasks under supervision
• Intermediate — Can work independently on standard tasks and has practical experience
• Advanced — Highly experienced, can handle complex scenarios, and can mentor others
• Expert — Industry-leading expertise, capable of designing systems, troubleshooting advanced issues, and leading teams

Skill assignment fields

Each skill assignment on a crew member's profile tracks the following data:

• Skill Name — The selected skill from the predefined list
• Proficiency Level — Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, or Expert
• Years of Experience — Numeric value indicating how long the crew member has practised this skill
• Verified By — The user who confirmed or validated the skill (set automatically when a manager verifies)
• Verified At — Timestamp of when the skill was verified

Skills are displayed as cards on the crew member's detail page, each showing the skill name, a proficiency chip colour-coded by level, and the years of experience. Unverified skills are visually distinguished from verified ones.

Certifications

Certifications are formal qualifications, licences, and accreditations that prove a crew member is trained and authorised to perform specific work. NexusRMS includes 15 predefined certification types commonly required in the live events and rental industry.

Predefined certification types

1. Forklift Operator — Licence to operate counterbalance, reach, and/or telehandler forklifts
2. IPAF (Powered Access) — International Powered Access Federation certification for MEWPs and scissor lifts
3. First Aid at Work — HSE-approved first aid qualification (typically valid for 3 years)
4. PAT Testing — Competence to perform Portable Appliance Testing on electrical equipment
5. Electrical Safety — Qualification for working with electrical systems (e.g., 18th Edition Wiring Regulations)
6. Manual Handling — Training in safe lifting and carrying techniques
7. Fire Safety — Fire marshal or fire warden certification
8. Working at Height — Training and certification for working safely at height (scaffolding, ladders, roof work)
9. Confined Spaces — Certification for entering and working in confined spaces
10. Asbestos Awareness — Training for identifying and working safely around asbestos-containing materials
11. COSHH — Control of Substances Hazardous to Health awareness and handling certification
12. CSCS Card — Construction Skills Certification Scheme card (required on many UK construction sites)
13. Driving Licence — Standard driving licence (Category B or equivalent)
14. HGV / LGV Licence — Heavy or Large Goods Vehicle licence (Category C, C+E, or equivalent)
15. Rigging Certification — PLASA, ETCP, or equivalent rigging qualification

You can also add custom certification types if your organisation requires qualifications not covered by the predefined list.

Certification fields

Each certification record contains the following data:

• Certification Type (required) — Selected from the predefined list or entered as a custom type
• Certification Number — The unique reference number on the certificate or licence
• Issuing Authority — The organisation that granted the certification (e.g., IPAF, St John Ambulance, CSCS)
• Issue Date (required) — The date the certification was awarded
• Expiry Date — The date the certification expires. If the certification does not expire, tick the No Expiry checkbox.
• Document Upload — Scanned copy of the certificate stored in S3. Supported formats: PDF, JPEG, PNG
• Skills Array — Skills associated with this certification (e.g., a Forklift Operator certification may link to the Forklift Operation skill)
• Requires Renewal — Toggle indicating whether this certification needs periodic renewal
• Renewal Period (Months) — The renewal cycle in months (e.g., 36 for a 3-year First Aid certificate)

Certification statuses

Every certification has one of four statuses:

• Active — The certification is current and valid
• Expired — The expiry date has passed and the certification is no longer valid
• Pending Renewal — The certification is approaching its expiry date and renewal action is needed
• Suspended — The certification has been manually suspended (e.g., pending investigation or retraining)

Expiry tracking and auto-reminders

NexusRMS automatically tracks certification expiry dates and calculates three key indicators for every certification:

• is_expired — True if the expiry date has passed
• is_expiring_soon — True if the certification expires within the next 30 days
• days_until_expiry — The exact number of days remaining until the expiry date

The system sends automatic renewal reminders on the following schedule:

• 90 days before expiry — Early warning notification to the crew member and their manager
• 30 days before expiry — Urgent renewal reminder with instructions for rebooking the course or exam
• 7 days before expiry — Final warning notification flagged as high priority
• Day of expiry — Expiry notification confirming the certification is no longer valid

Reminders are sent via email and appear as in-app notifications. Administrators can view all expiring certifications from the Expiring Certs statistics card on the Crew List page.

Compliance blocking

When a freelancer's public liability insurance (PLI) or any required certification has expired, the system enforces compliance blocking. This means:

• The freelancer cannot be booked onto new projects until the expired certification is renewed or replaced
• A warning banner is displayed on the freelancer's detail page and on any scheduling attempt
• Existing project assignments are flagged for review but not automatically removed

Compliance blocking ensures your organisation never inadvertently deploys unqualified or uninsured crew to a job site.

Tips for managing skills and certifications

• Verify skills during onboarding — When a new crew member joins, have a manager review and verify their claimed skills. Verified skills carry more weight when making scheduling decisions.
• Set up renewal reminders for all time-limited certifications — The 90-day early warning gives crew members enough time to book and complete a renewal course before their current certificate lapses.
• Use the skills matrix for resource planning — The Matrix view on the Crew List page lets you quickly identify skill gaps in your workforce and plan recruitment or training accordingly.
• Upload certification documents immediately — Having a scanned copy on file means you can produce proof of competence instantly if asked by a venue, client, or health and safety inspector.
• Review the Expiring Certs card weekly — Make it part of your Monday morning routine to check which certifications are expiring soon and follow up with the affected crew members.
• Link certifications to skills — Connecting a certification to its related skills helps the scheduler understand which qualifications a crew member holds for specific tasks.

Next steps

You now have a thorough understanding of the Crew module's core features. Continue exploring the knowledge base to learn about the Time Clock system for GPS-verified attendance tracking, the Scheduler for visual crew assignment, and advanced topics such as freelancer Nexus Node integration and crew performance reviews.