PS Form 2548, the Individual Training Record, is the paper form the U.S. Postal Service uses to document the training a new employee completes during their initial period on the job. The training agent and the immediate supervisor fill it out together; the employee being trained does not.1United States Postal Service. Employee and Labor Relations Manual – 732 Training Records and Reports It records what training was delivered, how long it took, and whether the new hire met proficiency standards for each task.
Who Fills It Out
Section 732.13 of the Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM) assigns responsibility to two people: the training agent and the immediate supervisor.1United States Postal Service. Employee and Labor Relations Manual – 732 Training Records and Reports The training agent is either the district Learning Development and Diversity Specialist (LDDS) or the on-the-job instructor who teaches the new hire their craft duties.2United States Postal Service. Employee and Labor Relations Manual – 7 Training and Development The employee’s role is to complete the training. The paperwork belongs to the people delivering and overseeing it.
When to Use Form 2548 and When Not To
Form 2548 is only for new employee training. For refreshers, advanced courses, or any ongoing training an existing employee completes later in their career, the correct form is PS Form 2432, Individual Training Progress Report, which records hours to be entered into the HERO system.1United States Postal Service. Employee and Labor Relations Manual – 732 Training Records and Reports If you’re a supervisor trying to log an experienced carrier’s refresher, Form 2548 is the wrong form.
The form also comes in craft-specific versions. PS Form 2548-03, for example, covers City Letter Carriers. When pulling a blank, match the version to the position; a form built for letter carriers won’t list the right requirements for a mail processing clerk.
What’s on the Form
The header captures identifying information about the new employee:
- Employee’s name
- Social Security number (used as the identifier on older versions)
- Date entered on duty
- Position title and number
- OCC code and salary level
- DES/ACT code for the installation
Below the header, the form is divided into training sections that follow the phases of new employee development. On the City Letter Carrier version those sections include Postal Orientation, Craft Basics, Craft Skills Building, and Career Basics. Each section lists specific requirements such as Driver Orientation, Vehicle Familiarization, Controlled Driving Instruction and Certification, and On-the-Job Training.
For each requirement, there are columns to record whether the training was given, the administrator’s signature and date, and the total training time used. If a requirement isn’t fully completed, the instructions tell the preparer to list the topics actually covered on the reverse side. Instructors should also use the Remarks area to note when additional training is still needed.
How It Relates to HERO
HERO, the Cornerstone OnDemand portal the Postal Service adopted in September 2018, is the official system of record for all employee training.1United States Postal Service. Employee and Labor Relations Manual – 732 Training Records and Reports3USPS Employee News. Hello, HERO Form 2548 is the paper counterpart. The ELM does not indicate that HERO populates the form or that the form populates HERO. It is a standalone signed record produced in real time during initial training, while all Postal Service-sponsored training is separately recorded in the appropriate electronic database.2United States Postal Service. Employee and Labor Relations Manual – 7 Training and Development
Where the Form Is Kept and for How Long
Once the training agent and supervisor sign off, the LDDS retains PS Form 2548 at a central location chosen by the training supervisor or manager.1United States Postal Service. Employee and Labor Relations Manual – 732 Training Records and Reports It does not route to the Human Resources Shared Service Center and is not scanned into the electronic Official Personnel Folder. It stays with the local training operation.
Under the Postal Service’s Records Control Schedule, the form is filed under Employee Training Files, cut off at the end of each calendar year, and destroyed five years after the cutoff.4United States Postal Service. Appendix – Records Control Schedules If your initial training happened more than six years ago, the paper form may already be gone.
Seeing Your Own Training Records
If you’re a postal employee who wants to see your training history, HERO is the fastest route. Your completed courses and hours should appear in your HERO transcript.1United States Postal Service. Employee and Labor Relations Manual – 732 Training Records and Reports When training data migrated from the old Learning Management System to HERO in 2018, only the previous three years of history, courses longer than 24 hours, and critical compliance training transferred. Anything outside those categories may not appear.3USPS Employee News. Hello, HERO
For the paper Form 2548 itself, contact the LDDS or training supervisor at the facility where your initial training took place. Handbook AS-353 sets out the process for employees to request access to their own records.5United States Postal Service. Guide to Privacy, the Freedom of Information Act, and Records Management – Handbook AS-353
Getting a Blank Copy
Training agents who need a blank form can pull one through the Postal Service’s internal forms systems. The Blue intranet site (blue.usps.gov) and the LiteBlue portal (liteblue.usps.gov) host downloadable postal forms, and your local LDDS or Human Resources office can also provide a physical copy. Confirm the craft-specific version before you start filling it in.