On any student record, you can find a 'Student Competencies' list under the 'Related' tab. This list provides a up-to-date list of everything that a student is competent in, along with achievement/expiration dates. 

If a student completes training, their new competencies are added to this list. However, if a student completes a training course which includes competencies that they have already achieved or if they are refreshing a competency a new record is not added to this list! Instead, the existing competency record is updated with their new achievement and expiration dates.

For example, lets say Joe Blogs completes a course in CPR on 01/01/2016. This is the first training he has ever completed and his CPR (HLTAID001) competency is added to this student competencies list with an achievement date of 01/01/2016 and an expiration date of 01/01/2017. 

Later in the year, on 01/03/2016 Joe completes a course in 'Provide First Aid'. Provide first aid includes HLTAID001 (which Joe has already achieved) and two brand new competencies in HLTAID002 and HLTAID003. Joe's existing HLTAID001 student competency record is updated - it now has an achieved date of 01/03/2016 and an expiration of 01/03/2017. He is also awarded two new student competency records for HLTAID002 and HLTAID003. 

Student Competencies serve as the perfect data source to figure out who to send re-certification emails too. As they are always up to date, there is no concern about sending a reminder to refresh a competency that a student may have already completed as part of another Course.

Every evening at 7.00 PM, Salesforce will query all the student competencies that are due to expire in one months time. This provides a list of students that require a re-certification email. Salesforce then does a check - how may competencies does each student have that are due to expire? It uses this calculation to determine which email template should be sent to the student. 

The logic is pretty simple. If a student has only one competency due to expire, then their re-certification email will ask them to refresh the competency listed on the student competency record:

If a student has more than one competency due for expiration, then the email will ask them to refresh the qualification that the student competency achievement originated from.

Each re-certication email sent to a student contains an unsubscribe option. When clicked, the student is directed to an online form (see the below screenshot). From the form, the student can unsubscribe from future re-certification emails. 

You can check whether a student has unsubscribed from re-certificaiton emails by checking the 'Marketing Information' section on the Student record (make sure you are in the 'Details' tab). Here you will find a checkbox - 'Recertification Email Opt Out'. This box is automatically updates when a user unsubscribes. Any student where this box is checked will be excluded from any future re-certification emails.

You can also choose to unsubscribe an entire customer from re-certication emails. For example, if Aurizon would like for their staff to not receive emails. 

You action this from the Salesforce Account, which you can find using the global search bar at the top of Salesforce. Once you have found your Account, simply scroll to the 'Marketing Information' section (make sure you are in the details tab) and check the Recertification Opt Out box. 

Doing this will automatically check the 'Account - Recertification Email Opt Out' box for all Contact linked to the Account. Whilst still on the Account page, if you select 'Related' and review the 'Contacts' list you can access a list of all those students affected by the change. All students in this list will no longer receive re-certification emails for any competencies they have achieved that are due to expire.