Odoo 18 keeps skills on the employee record itself, in the free Employees app: you define skill types with their levels, tag each employee with what they have, and filter the workforce by it. There is no separate Training app, so training runs through eLearning courses, internal Events and Surveys certifications, which write back to the employee's resume.
In today's fast-changing world, your team's skills are your most valuable asset. Whether it's technical knowledge, certifications, or leadership development — Odoo 18 helps you manage and grow your workforce intelligently, reducing skill gaps and improving retention.
Creating a Skills and Competency Database
Start by building a central skills library:
- Define skills and levels (e.g., Beginner, Intermediate, Expert)
- Group skills by department, job family, or category
- Assign desired skill levels for each job position
This creates a clear benchmark for current employees and new hires.
Tracking Certifications and Expiry Dates
For regulated industries or roles with compliance needs, Odoo can track certifications:
- Upload certificates to employee profiles
- Set issue and expiry dates
- Receive automated renewal reminders
- Assign certifications to job roles or departments
This helps HR avoid expired licenses or last-minute renewal rushes.
Planning and Managing Training Programs
Odoo 18 allows HR teams to create internal or external training sessions:
- Define courses, sessions, and trainers
- Assign employees based on roles or skill gaps
- Track attendance and completion status
- Evaluate training effectiveness via feedback
All training activity is linked to employee records and skills automatically.
Linking Skills to Employee Profiles
Each employee has a profile that displays their skills, certifications, and training history:
- Track acquired and target skill levels
- Compare with role expectations
- Log self-assessments or manager evaluations
This visibility empowers both employees and managers to own career development.
Skill Gap Analysis and Career Pathing
Odoo makes it easy to identify where training is needed most:
- Compare required vs. actual skill levels per employee or team
- Highlight gaps for compliance or promotions
- Plan future training budgets based on gaps
HR can also create custom development plans for high-potential employees.
Reports and Insights for HR and Managers
Odoo 18 offers powerful reports to monitor learning and development efforts:
- Training completion rates
- Skill distribution by team or location
- Certification status tracking
- Learning impact scores and feedback summaries
These insights help drive data-backed decisions and planning.
Best Practices for L&D
- Map every job role to a skill and certification set
- Keep certification records updated and verified
- Use a blend of classroom, online, and peer-led training
- Monitor ROI on training investments
- Encourage employees to self-assess and propose trainings
Conclusion
With Odoo 18, managing employee growth isn't just easier — it's smarter. You get full visibility into your team's capabilities, training progress, and readiness for future roles — all from a single, integrated system.
Want to strengthen your workforce with better L&D tools? Let's implement Odoo Skills and Training together!
Questions we get asked
Is skills tracking free in Odoo 18?
Yes. The hr_skills module is LGPL-3 and part of the Employees app in Odoo 18 Community. You define skill types such as languages, software or soft skills, set the levels inside each one, and then add skills with a level to each employee. Filtering and grouping the employee list by skill needs no Enterprise subscription.
Which Odoo 18 app do I use for employee training?
There is no app called Training. Online courses live in eLearning, classroom sessions and workshops are usually run as internal Events, and knowledge checks are built in Surveys, which can issue a certification on a passing score. All three are Community-licensed in Odoo 18, so the licence cost of a training programme is nothing.
Do completed courses show up on the employee record?
Yes, if you install the Skills e-learning bridge that links eLearning to Employees. When an employee finishes a course, a line is added to the resume on their employee form, so their training history sits beside their experience and education. Certifications earned through Surveys can be recorded on the same resume in the same way.
Can Odoo 18 show me a skill gap?
Partly. Because skills and their levels are stored per employee, you can filter and group the employee list to see who holds a skill and at what level, and break it down by department. Comparing that automatically against a formal requirement for each role, and planning a training budget from the difference, is not something the standard app does for you.
Where do certificates and their expiry dates go?
On the employee record. A resume line on the employee form holds the certification with its dates, and the certificate file itself is attached to the employee, filed automatically into the HR workspace if you have the Enterprise Documents app. Chasing renewals is normally driven by an activity or an automation rule on those dates.