Work skills
Enhance your work skills without committing to full-time study.
Science, Maths & Technology
Personal development planning for engineering
This free course, Personal development planning for engineering, has been written in keeping with the requirements of UK-SPEC and the professional engineering institutions (e.g. ImechE, IET etc). It will provide you with a range of relevant information and guidance in critically assessing and scrutinising your career development aspirations.
Money & Business
Build your personal brand
Discover tools to help you to understand what makes you uniquely you - and how to share it with the world.
Education & Development
Bringing up problems at work (without making things worse)
Talking about problems at work can feel risky but it doesn’t have to be. This article explores how to raise issues constructively, using a simple framework that focuses on clarity, solutions and professionalism.
Education & Development
Shared documents and constructive collaboration
Giving feedback on shared documents can be tricky, especially when you’re trying to balance clarity with kindness. In this article, we explore how to collaborate constructively, choose the right tone, and avoid the common pitfalls of remote teamwork.
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Education & Development
How to say no at work without guilt or conflict
Setting boundaries at work can be challenging, but knowing how to say no effectively is an essential skill. Whether you're protecting your time, managing workload, or maintaining a healthy work-life balance, the way you communicate your refusal can make all the difference. Here’s how to do it with clarity and professionalism.
Health, Sports & Psychology
Approaching leadership with care
Unlock the secrets to becoming an effective and empathetic leader with our free course, Approaching leadership with care. Delve into the core concepts of leadership by exploring the significance of empathy, compassion, and understanding when leading others and yourself. This course is designed to help you define your leadership style, cultivate ...
Health, Sports & Psychology
The Value of Emotional Intelligence in a Challenging Workplace
Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand, use, and manage emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathise with others, overcome challenges, and defuse conflict. Developing emotional intelligence skills can help us to be more successful in both our personal and professional lives: developing better ...
Health, Sports & Psychology
Taking a Fresh Look at Managing Employee Engagement and Wellbeing
Recognising the positive and reciprocal link between employee engagement and wellbeing, may help organisations navigate post-pandemic challenges. Andrea Pearce investigates...
Health, Sports & Psychology
Could you work in end of life care?
Have you ever wondered what it's like to work in end of life care as a health care professional supporting dying patients and their families? Working with people who are dying can be both rewarding and emotionally draining.
Education & Development
How to write a CV
A CV (curriculum vitae) is a brief account of your education, qualifications, skills and work-based experience, used mainly when applying for a job. Your CV is your first opportunity to tell an employer what you can do. A well written CV can make the difference between getting an interview and not being considered for the role.
Health, Sports & Psychology
My career goal: Social care
You can change lives by using your personal skills to aid those in need. Your communication skills, resilience and empathy are key assets when working in social care, a crucial societal structure that matters to everybody.
Education & Development
My career goal: Childcare and education
A career in childcare and education is an investment in future generations. Find out how to engage your strong communication and leadership skills to care for young ones and guide their learning.
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Whatever subject you want to study, and whatever qualification you want, we've got the right course for you.
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