Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Clearfield Systems Training Inc. (“Clearfield,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the personal information of everyone who interacts with our website and services. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, how we use and store it, and what rights you have over that data.

We comply with Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). Where we collect or process personal data from individuals located in the United Kingdom, we also observe the obligations set out in the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. If you are located in another jurisdiction, we apply whichever standard provides you the stronger protection.

By using our website or submitting information to us, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy. If you do not agree with any part of it, please do not use our website or provide us with your personal information.

2. Data Controller

The data controller responsible for your personal information is:

3. Data We Collect

We collect personal information that you provide directly and information gathered automatically when you visit our website.

3.1 Information You Provide

When you submit our assessment request form or contact us, we may collect:

• Full name
• Email address
• Company or organisation name
• Phone number
• Team size
• Primary concern or training interest

All fields marked with an asterisk on our forms are required. Remaining fields are optional and collected only if you choose to provide them.

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you browse our website, we may collect technical data such as your IP address (anonymised — see Section 6), browser type, operating system, referring URL, pages visited, and timestamps. This data is gathered through cookies and similar technologies, as described in Section 7.

4. Purpose and Legal Basis

We process your personal information for the following purposes and under the following legal bases:

5. How We Use Your Data

We use the information we collect to:

• Deliver skills assessments and generate your gap-analysis report
• Communicate with you about your assessment results, course options, and scheduling
• Process enrolments, payments, and invoicing
• Administer course delivery, lab access, and credential issuance
• Conduct the 90-day post-course re-assessment
• Respond to your enquiries, support requests, or privacy-related questions
• Analyse website usage patterns so we can improve site performance and content
• Measure the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns
• Meet legal or regulatory obligations applicable to our business

We will never sell your personal information to third parties. We do not use your data for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal effects.

6. Third-Party Services

We use a limited number of third-party services on this website. Each is loaded only after you grant cookie consent via the banner at the bottom of the page.

6.1 Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors navigate our website. IP anonymisation is enabled, meaning the last octet of your IP address is masked before any data is stored or processed. No personally identifiable information is sent to Google Analytics. Analytics cookies are set only after you click “Accept All” in the consent banner. If you select “Necessary Only,” no analytics scripts are loaded.

6.2 Google Ads Conversion Tracking

We use Google Ads conversion tracking to measure when a visitor who arrived through a paid advertisement completes an action on our site, such as submitting the assessment form. Like analytics, conversion-tracking scripts are loaded only after you provide consent. No form-field data (name, email, phone, etc.) is transmitted to the advertising platform.

7. Cookies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. We use three categories of cookies:

You can change your cookie preferences at any time by clearing your browser’s local storage for this site, which will cause the consent banner to reappear on your next visit. You may also block or delete cookies through your browser settings, though doing so may affect site functionality.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy. Specific retention periods are:

• Assessment requests (non-enrolled): 18 months from the date of submission, then securely deleted.
• Enrolled students: 5 years from the date of course completion, to support credential verification and re-assessment requests.
• Analytics data: 14 months, in line with the default anonymised-data retention period configured in our analytics platform.

After the applicable retention period expires, your data is either permanently deleted or fully anonymised so that it can no longer be linked to you as an individual.

9. Your Rights

Depending on where you are located, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

9.1 Rights Under PIPEDA (All Users)

• Access: You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: You may ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Withdrawal of consent: You may withdraw your consent for the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions. We will explain the consequences of withdrawal upon request.

9.2 Additional Rights Under UK GDPR (UK-Based Users)

If you are located in the United Kingdom, you also have the right to:

• Erasure: Request that we delete your personal data where there is no compelling reason for its continued processing.
• Data portability: Receive a copy of your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format, and transmit it to another controller without hindrance.
• Restriction of processing: Ask us to suspend the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances — for example, while we verify its accuracy following a dispute.
• Objection: Object to our processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interest as our legal basis, or where we process data for direct marketing purposes.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@clearfieldsystems.ca. We will respond to your request within 30 days. We may ask you to verify your identity before acting on any request.

10. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include encryption of data in transit using TLS, access controls that restrict data to authorised personnel on a need-to-know basis, and regular reviews of our data-handling procedures.

While we work to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we are committed to maintaining strong safeguards and acting promptly if a breach occurs.

11. International Transfers

Clearfield is based in Canada. If you are accessing our website from outside Canada, your personal information will be transferred to and processed in Canada. Canada has been recognised by the European Commission and the UK Secretary of State as providing an adequate level of data protection, which means your data benefits from equivalent safeguards when processed here.

Where any sub-processor is located outside Canada, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place — such as standard contractual clauses or equivalent mechanisms — before any transfer occurs. You may contact us to request details of the specific safeguards applied to any international transfer of your data.

12. Complaints

If you are dissatisfied with how we have handled your personal information, we encourage you to contact us first at privacy@clearfieldsystems.ca so we have an opportunity to resolve your concern directly.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority:

• Canada: Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
  30 Victoria Street, Gatineau, QC K1A 1H3
  Toll-free: 1-800-282-1376 · Website: priv.gc.ca
• United Kingdom: Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
  Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF
  Helpline: 0303 123 1113 · Website: ico.org.uk

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or applicable law. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of our website after any changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

If a change materially reduces your rights under this policy, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you — for example, by posting a notice on our website or, where we hold your email address, by sending you a direct communication.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, want to exercise any of your rights, or wish to raise a concern about how your data has been handled, please contact us:

We aim to respond to all privacy-related enquiries within 30 calendar days.