GRI 404: Training and Education·Disclosure GRI 404-2
Programs for upgrading employee skills and transition assistance programs
Practical guidance for preparing this disclosure. Use this card to identify the information to prepare, verify claims and organise supporting evidence. For exact requirements, always refer to the official GRI source.
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GRI 404: Training and Education
Disclosure GRI 404-2 · 2016
Last reviewed
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LRA educational guidance · Not issued or endorsed by GRI
Disclosure focus
This disclosure asks an organisation to explain whether it has programmes that help employees build new skills or move into different work, and whether it provides support for people whose jobs are changing or ending. The focus is on the practical arrangements in place, not just a policy statement: what the programmes are, who can use them, and what kind of help they provide.
In practice, the reporting should show the breadth of coverage across the organisation. That means clarifying whether these programmes apply only in certain locations, business units or employee groups, or whether they are available more widely across operations. If coverage is uneven, it is useful to explain where the gaps are and why they exist.
This LRA educational guidance supports disclosure preparation. For the exact requirements, always refer to the official GRI source.
Before you start
Before you start
A quick mental checklist before you prepare this disclosure — tick each as you settle it.
Preparation
Key information to prepare
| Preparation field | What to capture | Evidence hint | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skills upgrade support | Describe the kinds of employee development programmes in place and the support given to help staff build or refresh skills. | Training plan, learning catalogue, budget approvals, attendance records, and internal summaries of development support. | HR / Learning and Development |
| Career transition support | Describe the support offered to help people stay employable and manage the end of working life when they retire or leave employment. | Outplacement materials, retirement support packs, leaver process notes, and records of transition services offered. | HR / Employee Relations |
How to prepare it
Request the data
Request the learning and exit-support evidence
Translate the disclosure into an internal business question — then adapt it to your organisation's own language.
What people-development and exit-support arrangements did we run in the period, and what proof do we have for them?
Use your organisation’s own labels first, then map them to the disclosure. For example, you may talk about learning, capability building, redeployment support, retirement support, or leaver support rather than using framework terms in the request.
Weak request
Please send anything you have for GRI 404-2 on employee skills programmes and transition assistance.
Why it fails: It uses framework language only, gives no boundary or period, and does not tell the owner what records to pull or how to describe them in the organisation’s own terms.
Better request
Please send the [period] evidence for our learning, capability-building, redeployment, retirement, and leaver-support activity in [business area]. Include the programme names you use internally, who was covered, how it was delivered, the source record, and any exclusions or changes. I’ll map it for reporting and check the official source before sign-off.
Formal email template
Subject: [Period] people-development and leaver-support evidence request Hi [Name], I’m preparing the sustainability reporting pack and need your help with the evidence for our learning and exit-support activity for [reporting period]. Please send the following in your team’s own terms, then we’ll map it to the reporting disclosure: - the main programmes or support offered to build employee capability during the period - any support offered to help colleagues stay employable or manage career endings linked to retirement or leaving the business - the scope covered, including which employee groups were included - the source documents or system extracts that show what was delivered - any notes on exclusions, exceptions, or changes during the period If possible, please include the period covered, the business area, and the owner for each item. A possible LRA training template is attached for reference only; please adapt this to your organisation and check the official source before sign-off. Thanks, [Your name]
Short Teams / Slack version
Hi [Name] — could you share the [period] learning / capability-building and leaver-support evidence for [business area]? Please use your team’s own terms, include scope, source, and any supporting docs. I’ll map it for reporting and check the official source before sign-off. Thanks.
Industry examples
Manufacturing
Context. A plant has a structured training academy plus support for workers whose roles are ending because of line changes.
Adapted request. Please share the [period] evidence for the plant academy, upskilling courses, redeployment support, and retirement/leaver support in [site name]. Include the internal programme names, the worker groups covered, delivery method, source records, and any exclusions.
Example response. Academy induction, forklift refresher, and maintenance upskilling logs; redeployment workshop pack; retirement briefing slides; leaver support leaflet; attendance reports from the LMS and HR case file references.
Professional services
Context. A firm runs digital skills training and career-change support for staff affected by restructuring or retirement.
Adapted request. Please send the [period] evidence for digital capability training, career-change support, and retirement/leaver guidance across [practice / office]. Use your team’s own labels, and include the audience, delivery format, source files, and any exceptions.
Example response. Digital skills curriculum, coaching schedule, redundancy support guide, retirement planning webinar deck, attendance list, and HR case notes showing the affected population and delivery dates.
Draft your disclosure
Notes that turn data into a disclosure
LRA training templates — adapt them to your organisation, and check the official source before sign-off.
Method note
Define the reporting boundary, the employee groups included, and the basis used to count each support activity so readers can see what was treated as a programme and what was treated as assistance.
Context note
Explain what the figures show about how the organisation helped people build skills for ongoing work and supported those approaching retirement or leaving employment.
Fluctuation statement
If the mix or volume changed materially, note whether this was driven by changes in workforce needs, programme design, or the number of employees using the support.
Content index entry
GRI 404-2 Programs for upgrading employee skills and transition assistance programs — [location / page] / [notes]Download Centre
Preparation tools & forms
Professional preparation tools for GRI 404-2 — free with an LRA Community membership. Register once (it's free) and every download unlocks, together with the Disclosure Library, templates and the LRA AI Assistant.
Assurance readiness
For each claim, check the evidence
| Claim | Risk | Evidence to check |
|---|---|---|
| We have described the kinds of staff development activity we ran and the support we gave to help people build their skills. | An assurer may test whether the description is complete, whether the activities were grouped consistently, and whether the support claimed is actually reflected in underlying records. | Training catalogue or programme list; course outlines; attendance and completion records; internal guidance on how activities were classified; sample employee files or learning records; management review notes confirming the wording used in the report. |
| We have set out the support we offered for people moving on from the business, including help that was meant to keep them employable and help with retirement or exit planning. | An assurer may probe whether the reported support was actually provided, whether the population covered was defined consistently, and whether the wording overstates what was available versus what was used. | Policy or programme documents for transition support; records of sessions, workshops or one-to-one support; eligibility criteria; participant lists or anonymised usage data; communications issued to affected staff; sign-off evidence showing the final disclosure was checked against source records. |
| The reporting boundary used for this disclosure is documented. | Coverage exclusions or late scope changes are not evidenced. | Boundary memo, entity or site list, and sign-off record. |
| The source data reconciles to the working file used for reporting. | Figures or statements are copied into the disclosure without a traceable source. | Source-system export, calculation workbook, and reconciliation note. |
Evidence pack to prepare
Common reporting gaps
Common gaps
Mistakes to avoid when collecting the data
Where judgement is often needed
Examples
Illustrative examples
Synthetic, written by LRA — not from a company report, not text from any standard.
We ran a mix of in-role learning and formal development support for 420 employees, covering technical refreshers, digital tools, and supervisory skills; 315 people took part, and 210 completed more than one activity. We also offered career-end support to 38 colleagues whose employment ended through retirement or redundancy, including guidance on next steps, CV help, and access to external advice; 29 used at least one service, and 12 joined a follow-up session after leaving.
This example shows how to describe both capability-building support for current staff and practical help for people leaving the business, using plain language and internally consistent figures.
Our group provided learning support to 260 staff through classroom sessions, coaching, and funded qualifications aimed at clinical, digital, and people-management skills; 198 employees used the offer, and 144 completed two or more elements. For colleagues whose roles ended because of retirement or organisational change, we provided transition help such as retirement planning, job-search guidance, and signposting to outside services; 41 people were eligible, 33 accepted support, and 9 attended a post-exit check-in.
This example combines upskilling activity with transition assistance for leavers, while keeping the wording distinct from the source and the numbers mathematically consistent.
Company reports
How companies report GRI 404-2 in practice
Examples of full and partial reporting practice. These are evidence-led reviews, not exact disclosure templates to copy.
Ask the Study Studio AI Assistant about this disclosure
Get practical answers for your reporting context. Your first two answers are free — join LRA Community for free to continue without a limit.
Check your understanding
Scenarios to work through
A manufacturer ran two in-year initiatives: a digital-skills course for 48 production staff and a mentoring scheme for 12 supervisors moving into team-lead roles. The draft note currently says only that the business 'supports development'.
A services firm offered outplacement workshops, CV clinics and interview coaching to 19 employees whose roles ended after a restructuring. The draft disclosure mentions the restructuring but leaves out the support offered after employment ended.
A retailer provided a six-month retraining pathway for 30 store workers, but only 18 completed it before year-end. The draft text says '30 employees completed retraining'.
A group has a career-ending support package for employees leaving at retirement, but it is only available to staff in one country and only when a manager refers them. The draft disclosure says the group has a 'global transition programme'.
Framework references
Relevant GRI requirements and related disclosures
Available framework references and nearby disclosures relevant to preparing this requirement.
GRI
GRI 404-2
within GRI 404: Training and Education
Related & explore
More in GRI 404 → Browse full catalogue → Disclosure Library home → Search all disclosures →
FAQ
Questions this page answers
The page says to prepare two datapoints: skills upgrade support and career transition support. Use those as the starting point for your data request, then check the step-by-step preparation section to make sure the scope and evidence are clear.
Use it as a working checklist rather than a finished answer: it is there to help you organise the disclosure, confirm what data you have, and spot any gaps before drafting. The page is designed as practitioner guidance, so it supports preparation rather than replacing your own process.
The page includes an evidence pack with five items to support assurance readiness. Build your pack around those items and make sure they link back to the datapoints, the claims you plan to make, and the underlying source records.
The page flags four assurance claims to check, each with a claim, risk and evidence prompt. Use them to test whether your draft is supportable and whether the evidence pack actually backs up what you plan to report.
The page lists common reporting gaps and mistakes so you can catch them before sign-off. It is useful for checking whether your scope, wording, evidence and data points are aligned with the draft you are building.
Use the draft-output section to move from data to wording: it gives visualisation ideas, narrative starters and a GRI content-index line. That makes it easier to turn the page into a first draft for internal review.
Treat the example as a model for structure and presentation, not as a template for your own figures. The page says the example is synthetic, so you should replace it with your own data and keep any numbers internally consistent.
The Download Centre includes a Prep & Assurance workbook in .xlsx format and a printable Library Card in .pdf format. Use the workbook to organise preparation and assurance checks, and the card as a quick reference while drafting.
The page is set up to help a practitioner identify the right data owner, collect the two datapoints, and assemble evidence for assurance. In practice, that means using the preparation steps and evidence pack to decide who provides each input and what documents support it.
The page notes ESRS S1 (Own Workforce) as the closest correspondence, so the same underlying data may be reusable. You should still check the specific reporting needs for each framework rather than assuming they are identical.
More questions this page can help with
Go deeper · GRI 404-2
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