Summary
skillSYMS generates official documents—certificates, agreements, PoE covers, moderation reports—from templates. You start with QCTO-aligned system templates, customise them for your organisation, and assign letterheads and footers so generated documents carry your branding. This guide covers all three.
Who This Guide Is For
- Training providers producing official QCTO documents
- Administrators managing document generation and branding
- Compliance staff who need consistent, branded paperwork
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have:
- Admin access to your skillSYMS tenant
- At least one letterhead and footer created (see Branding & Themes)
- Knowledge of which document types you need
Step 1: Open Document Templates
Navigate to Settings → Templates (/sdp/settings/templates). You can also reach it from Branding & Documents → Manage Templates.
The page has three areas: System Templates, Custom Templates, and Template Assignments, available both as quick-action cards and as tabs.
Step 2: Browse System Templates
On the System Templates tab, browse the pre-built QCTO compliance templates. Use the category filter to narrow by type—Assessment, Certificate, Learner Agreement, Portfolio of Evidence, Workplace Agreement, or Moderation Report.
Tip: System templates are maintained for QCTO alignment. Rather than rebuilding from scratch, customise a system template into your own.
Step 3: Create a Custom Template
Switch to the Custom Templates tab to manage your organisation’s own templates. Use this when you need wording or layout beyond the system defaults.
Step 4: Assign Branding to Templates
Switch to the Template Assignments tab to connect templates with the letterhead and footer they should use. This is what ensures a generated certificate or report comes out with the correct branding.
Tip: Create your letterheads and footers first under Settings → Branding & Documents, then assign them here.
Step 5: Test Document Generation
Use Test Generation (from the Branding & Documents page, /sdp/settings/documents/test) to produce a sample document and confirm the branding and layout look correct before using a template in production.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- No branding assigned: Templates without an assignment fall back to defaults—assign letterheads and footers deliberately.
- Skipping the test: Always generate a test document before relying on a template.
- Editing system templates blindly: Customise a copy rather than expecting system templates to change.
- Wrong category: Match each template to the correct QCTO category so it’s offered in the right context.
Verification Checklist
Before moving on, verify:
- You’ve reviewed the relevant system templates
- Any custom templates you need are created
- Letterheads and footers are assigned to templates
- A test document generates with correct branding
- Templates are categorised correctly
Next Steps
- Branding & Themes — Create letterheads and footers
- Design-OS — Design certificates visually
- Integrations Setup — Connect document delivery
- Organisation Setup — Confirm QCTO details on documents