LevelUp

Leveling Up LevelUp

Get ready for HUGE changes coming to learning technology for GitLab team members! We are upgrading the technology solution that powers Level Up to better support the pace, demand, complexity, and CULTURE of GitLab. This overhaul will allow team members to engage around learning in a COMPLETELY different way.

Learning today goes way beyond self-paced content, far passed webinars, leaps above documents; learning is much much more. And GitLab’s new “LevelUp” (integrated talent EXPERIENCE platform) will show you just how dynamic learning, growth, skills development, and performance can go.

Consider this page your LevelUp information highway. Over the coming weeks, you’ll see updates, announcements, and rollout plans here.

What’s the difference between LevelUp and GitLab University?

With the launch of this new technology solution, it’s important to note that LevelUp and GitLab University our now two completely separate platforms, each with a different purpose and audience. GitLab University is used for customer education, whereas LevelUp is designed to support team member learning and professional development.

	GitLab University	LevelUp
Target Audience	Designed for educating customers and community members	Designed for educating internal team members
Platform	Runs on ThoughtIndustries Learning System	Runs on Cornerstone Talent Experience Platform
Training Type	Delivers external-facing product training	Delivers internal training for team members - including product, professional development, and compliance training

If you’d like to take any courses / certifications that are currently hosted on GitLab University, don’t worry, we’ll make them accessible via LevelUp.

Benefits and Features

The new Cornerstone Talent Experience Platform (TXP) offers significant improvements over our current learning management system, and is specifically designed to support internal employee development and career growth at GitLab. Key features include:

• Internal gigs and side projects to provide hands-on learning opportunities
• Enhanced management tools for training assignment and recommendations
• Advanced user-generated content capabilities
• Seamless integration with our talent management infrastructure, ensuring skills development is reflected in performance data
• Skills library linked to GitLab job architecture

Project Team

• Tre Ely - Sr Director Talent Management & Development
• Jamie Allen - Sr Talent Development Program Manager
• Michelle Bencomo - Sr Program Manager, People Leadership Group

Timeline

Initial launch is planned for the engineering teams in late March 2025, with details on company-wide rollout to follow.

FAQs

• I completed a number of learning courses in the Legacy platform, what will happen to my learning data?

• Your learning history may not be migrated when you first login to the new LevelUp system, but all team members’ learning data is preserved, and will be migrated as the system over the next weeks and months, team members don’t need to take any action.

• You do not need to retake any courses you’ve already completed.

• I’ve noticed somethiing in the new system that isn’t working properly, or would like to give feedback on a platform feature, who should I tell?

• Please share any feedback in the LevelUp feedback issue here.

• When will I lose access to the legacy system?

• The legacy Level Up system uses the same vendor (ThoughtIndustries), as GitLab University, which serves our partnes and customers with GitLab product training and education content. Therefore the system won’t be going away, but we will likely sunset it for team members at some point. We’ll announce more when a full timeline is planned, but access won’t be restricted, and it is expected to be after Q2.

• For a transition period, you’ll still have access to both systems.

• Will all content be migrated to the new system?

• We are conducting a full content audit from the legacy system, and all relevant content will be migrated to the new LevelUp. If you notice something missing that should be added, please let us know in the LevelUp feedback issue here, or the #learninganddevelopment slack channel.

• How do I login to the new system?

• Access will be granted via Okta - search the LevelUp Okta tile.

• I have a question about how something works in LevelUp, who should I ask?

• Please let us know in the LevelUp feedback issue here.

Platform Guide

Read on below to learn about the functionality in LevelUp, including terminology, and guides to specific features.

Smartcards

The basic unit of content in LevelUp. A SmartCard is a single piece of learning material like a video, article, quiz, or link to helpful resources.

Note: By default, all users can create SmartCards, but if you’re interested in putting a Pathway together, please open an access request to be a course author in LevelUp, and assign it to @jallen16, who can uplift your access permissions.

How to Create a SmartCard in LevelUp

Creating a SmartCard is simple and allows you to share valuable learning content with your team or the wider organization.

Basic Steps

1. From the LevelUp homepage, click the Create button in the top navigation bar
2. Select SmartCard from the options
3. Choose the type of content you want to share (article, video, link, etc.)
4. Add the URL or upload your content
5. Fill in the title and description
6. Set the estimated time to complete
7. Add relevant tags to make your content discoverable
8. Choose whether the content should be public or private
9. Click Create to publish your SmartCard

Best Practices

• Clear Titles: Use descriptive titles that clearly indicate what the content is about
• Add Instructions: Include a brief note telling learners what to do with the content
• Set Accurate Time Estimates: Be realistic about how long it will take to consume the content
• Use Relevant Tags: Add specific tags to help others discover your content
• Consider Privacy Settings: Create SmartCards independently (outside of pathways) if you want them to be reusable across the platform
• Add to Channels: Share your SmartCard to relevant channels to increase visibility
• Quality Over Quantity: Focus on sharing truly valuable content that addresses specific learning needs

Remember, SmartCards created within a Pathway will only be discoverable in that Pathway, while SmartCards created independently can be discovered and used across the platform.

Smartcard Thumbnails

We have a directory of branded Smartcard thumbnails available here for team members to use for content they’re creating - you can access it here.

Pathways

Collections of SmartCards organized in a sequence to help you achieve a specific learning goal. Think of a Pathway as a short course made up of individual learning pieces.

How to Create a Pathway in LevelUp

A Pathway is a collection of SmartCards organized as a learning sequence. Here’s how to create one:

Basic Steps

1. From the LevelUp homepage, click the Create button in the top navigation bar
2. Select Pathway from the options
3. Fill in the basic information: Title for your Pathway, a description explaining what learners will achieve, and any relevant tags
4. Decide if your Pathway should be public or private
5. Add existing SmartCards by using the search function
6. Create new SmartCards directly within the Pathway if needed
7. Arrange SmartCards in the desired order by dragging and dropping
8. Enable “Lock” functionality if you want learners to progress in sequence
9. Add a badge if applicable for Pathway completion
10. Click Create or Save to publish your Pathway

Best Practices

• Organize content in a logical sequence from basic to advanced concepts
• Include a clear introduction at the beginning explaining what learners will gain
• Consider using Lock functionality for content that builds on previous knowledge
• Add quizzes or knowledge checks to reinforce learning
• Keep Pathways focused on a specific learning objective
• Consider ending with next steps or related Pathways

Note: By default, all users can create SmartCards, but if you’re interested in putting a Pathway together, please open an access request to be a course author in LevelUp, and assign it to @jallen16, who can uplift your access permissions.

Journeys

Larger learning experiences made up of multiple Pathways. Journeys offer comprehensive learning on a topic by combining several related Pathways into chapters or sections.

Channels

Topic-based collections of content that help you discover learning materials on specific subjects. You can follow channels to stay updated when new content is added.

Groups

Communities of learners organized around teams, departments, or shared interests. Groups allow content to be shared with specific audiences.

Manager Dashboard

A tool for managers to view their team’s learning activity, assign content to team members, and track progress on assigned learning materials.

Skills

In Cornerstone, skills are the metadata that describe what you can do and know - like professional DNA that the system tracks and analyzes. They help connect you with the right learning content, projects, and opportunities to grow your capabilities, in keeping with your career and development goals.