Free Training courses
Free Level 3 Opportunities
Did you know that if you’re aged 19 or over, you could study for a Level 3 qualification for free? Level 3 qualifications are the equivalent of A-levels or an advanced technical certificate or diploma. You could be eligible if you don’t already have a Level 3 qualification, or if you have a Level 3 qualification but are currently unemployed or earning below the National Living Wage.
There are more details on gov.uk or see the updated course provider list to find out what’s available in your area.
Accountancy Learning
Free and Online
Bookkeepers can work anywhere and at times that fit with a busy life. Online platforms allow you to continue servicing customers even if your family is relocated. Our free sample course teaches you double entry bookkeeping and lets you assess if bookkeeping is for you. Delivered online, it is accessible at home or while deployed. It starts you on your path to becoming a licenced, qualified bookkeeper and then to starting your own business or employment when resettling. ELCAS funding is available for level 3 qualifications as you progress, please check the ELCAS website for funding eligibility.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
Accountancy Learning is proud that 10% of our workforce comprises veterans or reservists. We provide proactive support for our armed forces learners to help them complete their training and gain a qualification within the agreed time-frames. We can assist with finding suitable employment with the employers with whom we cooperate.
Visit the Accountancy Learning website to find out more.
AWS re/Start
Helping people launch careers in the cloud
AWS re/Start is a full-time, classroom-based skills development and training program that prepares individuals for careers in the cloud and connects them to potential employers. A technology background is not required to apply. The program is focused on unemployed or underemployed individuals, including military veterans, their families, and young people.
Through real-world, scenario-based learning, labs, and coursework, learners can gain the technical and soft skills they need for an entry-level cloud role. AWS re/Start also provides learners with resume and interview coaching to prepare them for employer meetings and interviews.
Visit the AWS re/Start site to find out more.
Building Heroes
Building Heroes is a charity that supports military service leavers, veterans, reservists and their families. We recruit, re-skill and redeploy those wanting to find employment. We offer a range of FREE 5/6 week training courses in Property Maintenance, Engineering, Plant, and Groundworks from 13 training locations around England and Wales. No previous experience or qualifications required, just a genuine interest in construction and work ready to enable us to find employment on completion of our course.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
Every learner on our course is provided with a dedicated member of staff offering one to one support including workwear, welfare, employability skills and support to find employment within the construction industry. We work with partners and signpost assistance with funding, mental health & living arrangements.
During the course, work experience or site intervention is included enabling hands on experience within the industry. Assistance is provided with CVs, interview techniques to preparing for job interviews. We also provide direction on employment, self-employment or further training with access to national opportunities. The Building Heroes team pride themselves on our person centred approach; removing the barriers which leads to skills, qualifications and positive outcomes.
Visit the Building Heroes site
BFBS Academy (SMS Spouses)
Free & Online
Social Media Spouses is a training programme offered by the BFBS Academy. It's the UK’s first free online social media training programme for the spouses and partners of full-time HM Forces personnel. The course is funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and people can apply at sms.ssvc.com. Social Media Spouses addresses a real need amongst military spouses and partners to obtain the skills required to find flexible and interesting work that fits around military and family life. As well as being the first dedicated course to offer detailed training on how to use social media to grow a business, or find a career in social media.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
BFBS recognises the value serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families bring to our business. We will seek to uphold the principles of the AFC by:
- supporting and enhancing the morale, welfare and sense of community, interests and effectiveness of the Armed Forces community by providing entertainment, comms, information, online communities, training and other related activities;
- promoting and supporting the Armed Forces and the work they undertake to the general public via our TV, radio, and digital channels;
- supporting the up-skilling and employment of veterans, service leavers and families of those currently serving by offering training programmes, which launched in 2017 with the Forces Media Academy.
- striving to support the employment of Service spouses and their partners across our bases in the UK and overseas;
- endeavouring to offer a degree of flexibility in granting leave for Service spouses and partners before, during and after a partner's deployment;
- seeking to support our employees who choose to be members of the Reserve forces, including by accommodating their training and deployment where possible;
- offering support to our local cadet units, either in our local community or in local schools, where possible;
- aiming to actively participate in Armed Forces Day by promoting and championing the work of the Armed Forces;
- raising money for a number of Forces charities through the 'Big Salute'.
Visit the SMS BFBS site to find out more.
Catch 22
Are you a female or nonbinary and looking for a career in Tech but don’t know where to start? TechUP Women will soon be launching their new free IT training programme, in partnership with Catch22. It will provide 120 learners with the knowledge and skills they need to start in a career in the Tech sector.
To be able to apply you must: • Be resident and eligible to work in the UK (evidence to be checked on application). • Identify as female or non-binary. • Preferably hold GCSE level Maths and English or equivalent. • Open to people aged 18yrs + (priority will be given to those 18–24). • Experience a barrier to education and employment. • Have a salary less than £25,000 or be unemployed.
TechUP Women is a multi-award-winning programme, developed closely with industry, which supports women into tech careers. Delivered by Durham University & Catch 22. Designed to provide knowledge and skills to start a career in the tech sector. Developing IT skills, IT support skills, specialist taster career path sessions, along with workplace readiness skills.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
We are an open programme and keen to have applications for the Armed Forces community. TechUP Women is a multi-award-winning programme, developed closely with industry, which supports women into tech careers. Delivered by Durham University & Catch 22. Designed to provide knowledge and skills to start a career in the tech sector. Developing IT skills, IT support skills, specialist taster career path sessions, along with workplace readiness skills.
Visit the Catch 22 site to find out more or email Gareth.Moore@catch-22.org.uk
Career Returners
Career Returners is a purpose-led Network, Coaching and Consulting organisation which enables talented professionals to return to work after an extended career break. Our mission is to remove the career break penalty. If you’re thinking about returning to work, join our free Career Returners Professional Network to benefit from:
- Info about the latest returner opportunities and engagement events
- Monthly free practical return to work webinars
- Monthly ‘Your Return’ support magazine
- A comprehensive Advice Hub and resource signposts
- A Success Story Library with over 100 returner stories to inspire and motivate
- Paid for individual support from our experienced coaching team.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
We recognise the value that serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families bring to our business and to our country. We will seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant and ensure that veterans and service spouses and partners in particular have full access to all Career Returner opportunities.
Visit the Career Returners site to find out more.
EM3
The EM3 Armed Forces Veterans and Families Programme helps veterans, partners and spouses, and their children to gain new skills in digital, medical technology, medical science, gaming, sustainable construction, cyber, space and satellite industries! This is a unique opportunity to access free accredited courses and qualifications via our expert partners and get personal careers and employability support from our dedicated caseworkers who have all either served, are military-spouses, or have lived experience of forces family life. Build your confidence, improve your skills and future-proof your career today!
Sign up here. EM3 LEP initiative part-funded by ESF, available for families living in and around Surrey and Hampshire.
imployable
Free and Online
imployable give you a completely free, accredited qualification when you download the imployable app and set up a digital profile.
It's important to stay mentally active, have a goal and achieve it. imployable have partnered with the Study Academy to bring EVERY registered imployable user a completely free qualification which is CPD & Birmingham University accredited. With nearly 30 courses to choose from, maybe now is the time to achieve a new skill, explore a new career or work towards that promotion.
If you don't find a course which suits you, there are thousands of free online courses to choose from - just download the app, register your details and search 'training opportunities'
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
Our co-founders are both former military and 11% of our users are veterans or family. The App was originally built to help veterans transition in their career, but now it helps everybody. The journey to a more fulfilling career starts here. The imployable App gives you control of every step so that you can identify, map and track your way into the career that you deserve by building your digital CV with imployable. Identify the career you want, see how you fit and what you need to break in to that career. Get access to the qualifications and experience you need, once you are ready use our inbuilt job board to apply for jobs that suit you. The app is packed with coaching videos, support features and access to exclusive perks. We exist to make a difference.
Visit the imployable site to find out more.
Lancashire Digital Skills
IT-Ready UK is a free digital training programme offered to individuals from all walks of life with varying levels of skills and experience. The training is preparation for IT roles such as IT Help-Desk or Network Support. During the course you will be prepared for two industry recognised qualifications (CompTIA IT Fundamentals+ and A+), receive professional development training to refine highly sought after business skills and are prepared to apply both technical and professional skills from day one of their next job. Candidates after the training will be placed with employers to gain work experience and potentially an offer of a permanent position.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
This programme is funded through the Digital Skills Innovation Fund – The Lancashire Digital Skills partnership is just one of four regions in the UK to have secured over £250,000 of investment from the Government’s £1 million Digital Skills Innovation Fund (DSIF). The funding, from the department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), is specifically aimed at helping people underrepresented within the Lancashire digital workforce gain more sector specific skills and boost their employability. One specific target group we are looking at is ex-armed services personnel and forces family members, and have been working with the Lancashire Covenant Hub to promote and encourage involvement.
Visit the Lancashire Digital Skills site to find out more.
Microsoft
Take the first step toward reinventing your career in the cloud. Learn how Azure supports security, privacy, compliance, and trust, and prepare for the AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals certification exam. Microsoft Azure Training Day: Fundamentals is a free one-day learning opportunity for those transitioning out of the forces or service spouses. After your training you will get a free voucher to take the AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals certification exam, which you can use later.
Topics include:
• Getting started with Azure
• Integrating Azure with your own existing networks
• Key cloud concepts and core services, including storage, pricing, compute, messaging, networking, data, identity, and cloud security.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
At Microsoft UK we signed the Armed Forces Covenant and have pledged to support serving personnel and their families up-skill in tech, help leavers move into a career in technology and to provide ongoing support for veterans, military spouses, CFAVs and reservist employees.
Microsoft is committed to the support and inclusion of the military community. As part of this commitment we are offering the above training to veterans and service spouses.
Visit the Microsoft site to find out more.
NHS Health Education England - Return to Nursing
Health Education England have fully funded return to practice courses for nurses who may have left the profession and want to return and be GP practice nurses.
NHS Health Education England will pay for your course and placement fees. You'll also be given £500 for childcare, travel and book costs. Led by supportive tutors and mentors, there are approximately 40 courses available across the country, all created to refresh your nursing skills so that you’re ready to return to practice. A proportion of your programme will be based at a university, with the tutors working with you to support your learning experience.The remainder of the time will be spent on a clinical placement, where a mentor will work with you to record your competence in clinical skills.
Visit the NHS Health Education England site to find out more.
Frimley Health and Care
Our Return to Practice courses enable you to achieve the confidence and competence to return to your nursing career in a supported environment and re-register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) within 6 months or less. There are placement opportunities for you to complete your clinical practice hours within Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, General Practice, Community, Acute and Maternity environments.
Visit the Frimley Health and Care site to find out more.
Pearson PLC
UK Learns is the one-stop destination for some of the very best online courses and qualifications offered anywhere today. Our mission is to help you improve your skills and employability through affordable learning that can be completed from the comfort of your own home, 100% online. We have over 400 courses, covering a breadth of subjects, budgets and length of study, ensuring you reach your professional and personal goals. From school leavers to industry professionals, there’s something for everyone at UK Learns.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
Pearson is a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant, with an actively engaged Veterans Employee Reference Group. We promote our role with the Armed Forces via external partners and stakeholders. We grant leave for reservists, promote our vacancies and apprenticeship vacancies on aligned websites, and host several activities on Armed Forces Day, in addition to a number of other events running throughout the year.
Visit the Pearson UK Learns site to find out more.
Protocol
Are you working in a trade, looking to down tools and considering a career in vocational education but don’t know how to get started? HCUC are currently looking for both experienced and non-experienced candidates just like you who are either looking to further their career with a great college or to start one making use of your industry experience. Not a qualified teacher? No problem! HCUC will help you to pass on your industry skills to their students, get trained in-house and carve out a new and rewarding career path! With The Talent Academy, in partnership with HCUC and Protocol, you can start your teaching career with HCUC today. They will finance your in-house training, provide you with a mentor to support you through the process and pay you whilst you train! You just need to be committed to obtaining the appropriate qualification within two years. Want to find out more? Join us at the College to discover how you can be part of building the next generation of skilled workers.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
Protocol are a leading provider of flexible staffing and recruitment services in the education, skills, training and employability sectors and have been placing people first for over 26 years. As a silver award holder of the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme, we are committed to ensuring those who serve, or who have served in the armed forces, and their families are provided with career opportunities within the education sector.
Visit the Protocol HCUC Talent Academy site to find out more.
Royal Artillery Centre for Personal Development (RACPD)
RACPD is a thriving and successful provider of apprenticeships and nationally recognised civilian qualifications to the military and wider Defence community including veterans and forces family members. We offer civilian vocational and professional qualifications to help improve your skills and knowledge now, and for enabling brighter futures. Providing a number of free courses and, because we are a charity, providing various courses at subsidised rates. Courses include IT, Teacher training (including Teaching Assistant courses), Business Admin and Health & Safety, (including First Aid at Work and Mental Health Awareness). Courses are mainly conducted from the Salisbury Plain area, although some are now delivered entirely online or can be taught from one of our Learning Centres, there is one in every regular RA unit.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
RACPD recognises the value service personnel, reservists, veterans and military families bring to our business. We actively encourage employment of veterans, service spouses and partners, 40% of our staff are veterans, 27% of our staff are members of forces families. We advertise vacancies through military channels for both veterans and spouses. We offer a discount to members of the Armed Forces Community by setting discounted rates for training courses to serving personnel, veterans and forces family members.
Visit the RACPD site to find out more.
RAF Association
Are you or someone you care about finding it tough?
The RAF Association is offering free training, through an online mental wellbeing course for non-serving members of the RAF family. We recognise that RAF service can sometimes place a strain on everyday life. And we all need a little bit of help from time to time.
Book your free place now.
Salesforce
Free
Salesforce is the leader in customer relationship management solutions, which brings companies and customers together. It's one integrated CRM platform that gives our customers a single shared view of their customers.
Our Vetforce Programme connects members to free training, certifications and career opportunities within the Salesforce ecosystem. The programme is available to active duty personnel, reservists, veterans and military spouses.
The Salesforce/Trailhead Military programme is still available to Military Spouses. All learning and certification can be taken remotely and it opens up fantastic opportunities in the Salesforce ecosystem. You can register here. We will need confirmation of your 'military spouse status' so an email will follow the registration process before approval.
Over 3.3 million jobs will be created in the Salesforce ecosystem by 2022 with many different career paths and opportunities open to certified Salesforce professionals.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
Salesforce, a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant and recipient of a Silver Award on the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, is committed to upskilling the military community with high-demand technology skills and providing our customers and partners with a diverse and trained talent pipeline.
Visit the Salesforce site to find out more.
SaluteMyJob
Free
SaluteMyJob provides Serving and former military personnel and their families with free education and training opportunities through IBM’s online training platform, Skillsbuild. The Armed Forces Community can gain exclusive access to a variety of free courses in areas including Cyber Security, Data Analysis, Marketing, Project Management and many more. Skillsbuild enables you to develop the professional skills and qualifications you need to achieve your career goals.
Between March 2024 and April 2025, SaluteMyJob is pleased to bring FREE cybersecurity training to all members of the UK Armed Forces community.
Courses available on a rolling basis cover Penetration Testing (Ethical Hacking), Artificial Intelligence, Open Source Intelligence, Data Analytics, and Cyber Security. All content is delivered remotely, with pre-course training provided. General understanding or knowledge of computing, networks, Linux, and Python are beneficial but not required.
More information can be found on the SaluteMyJob site under the Pathways tab.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
SaluteMyJob holds a Gold ERS award for its outstanding support of the Armed Forces community and we strive to provide the best possible support to the ex-forces community and their families.
Visit the Salute My Job site to find out more.
SAS Software Ltd
SAS Software offer a mix of free and discounted learning resources to the Armed Forces Community.
Free Data Literacy Essentials digital learning offering a free, globally recognised digital badge credential. Access to free Data Literacy, Data Analyst and Data Scientist software and training to upskill or reskill for today's digital jobs economy. Free learning resources are available here.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
We are proud to hold a Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award.
The MOD has used SAS software for over thirty years. We provide advanced analytics, data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities to thousands of data scientists, data analysts and information consumers.
Visit the SAS Software site to find out more about discounted offers.
St. James's Place Academy
The Academy's two-year career change programme is aimed at successful second careerists who want to retrain to become qualified financial planners and then either run their own wealth management business or join one of our many established Practices as an Adviser.
The programme begins with six months of blended learning followed by a period of face-to-face mentored training in the field. The first few weeks provide a full introduction to financial planning and wealth management, and equip delegates with the study skills needed to achieve qualification. No financial services background required. Successful candidates are fully funded, no financial outlay is required. We pay for all training and materials.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
- We will be coordinating the signing of The Armed Forces Covenant post General Election.
- Working towards receiving acknowledgement from the MOD Employment Recognition Scheme (Gold).
- We hold military specific Academy events to highlight our retraining and career change programme.
- The Academy has strong bonds with ex-military personnel and are proud to have trained many ex-servicemen and women to successfully graduate from the Academy programme.
- We are partnered with many military support organisations.
- We have established a SJP Military Network (90+ employees and SJP Partners (financial advisers) from across all the services) which manages our military affiliation across the SJP company.
- Due to launch our SJP Military LinkedIn page.
Visit the St James's Place to find out more.
Stem Returners
The STEM Returners programme helps employers recruit, develop and retain the best available talent. We want to implement radical change to aid diversity and inclusion within the STEM sectors. Operating within an incredibly skills short market, the programme allows employers to attract candidates from a new talent pool, and give candidates a supported route back to their career. Providing employers with talented professionals and helping them to view CV gaps in a different way.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
STEM Returners recognise the contribution that military families make to our organisation, our community and to the country. We will seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant by: Promoting our support by publicising our covenant on our STEM Returners website and displaying the covenant logo; Supporting careers for members Armed Forces Community, as part of our STEM Returners programmes; Employing members of the Armed Forces Community and providing ongoing support via the dedicated Programme Career Coach and Mentoring Programme.
Visit the Stem Returners site to find out more.
Sussex, Kent and Medway Armed Forces Networks
The Sussex, Kent & Medway Armed Forces Networks offer free online training courses to the Armed Forces Community, these e-learning modules include:
Service Champions Training; SERVES (Suicide Prevention); LGBT+; Mental Health; Physical health; Family and Carer; Gambling; Criminal Justice (domestic/sexual abuse); Digital Poverty; Workforce and more.
We are a single point of access for families and carers, will support on any topic whether signposting or using NHS navigation Resources - app, pathways, factsheets, Nepalese health toolkit.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
Have been running the Armed Forces Network since February 2011, we signed the Covenant first in 2012 and resigned in Jan 2022. The Armed Forces Network Team Covers the whole of Sussex, Kent and Medway and provides training across England/UK in some cases. We support the whole Armed Forces Community and work in partnership with the wider diverse community. The Network provides knowledge, resources, training and support to professionals to enable them to deliver services to the AFC.
Visit the Sussex Armed Forces Network site to find out more.
The Family Foundation
The Family Foundation is a not for profit registered charity that operates across Wales, we offer a targeted Skills Programmes to support Armed Forces Families.
We offer key skills NVQ courses such as first aid, health & safety in work, customer service etc. We have a conversation with the individual to see what they need help with - CV writing to interview preparation. We offer a free and online service.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
As a charity we understand how difficult it can be for forces families to adapt to 'civi' life, we are committed to be there to break down the barriers. We work closely with other charities to make sure we are providing the most suitable help for each individual. Our staff and trustees have a wealth of experience of working with individuals and families in local communities.
Visit The Family Foundation site to find out more.
The Open University
OpenLearn is the home of free learning from The Open University. Our vision is to break down barriers to education by reaching millions of learners each year, through free educational resources. Free learning resources are core to our social mission. We believe that the main barriers to starting education are access, lack of confidence and cost. OpenLearn offers bite-sized learning experiences designed to fit easily into daily life. Whether you're looking to get promoted at work, support your children with their schoolwork, a student looking for extra study materials, or simply passionate about a subject, we are open. There are no requirements to access our free materials.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
The Open University is a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant and a recipient of a Bronze Award on the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, committed to pursuing Silver. We support career development of the Armed Forces community providing access to flexible higher education, with approximately 1,500 service personnel studying with us each year. We also offer 50 Disabled Veterans' Scholarships each year along with specialist careers and disability support. Visit our Armed Forces page to learn more.
Visit the OpenLearn site to find out more.
The Soldiers' Arts Academy
The Soldiers' Arts Academy is a not for profit C.I.C. which provides a platform through which serving and ex-serving military personnel and their families can participate in the creative and performing arts, using their skills and experiences to engage audiences. We offer free workshops to veterans and a discounted price for those still serving, or family members of those still serving.
We currently provide over 12 free weekly workshops online in various art forms; such as singing, theatre, art, guitar, photography, film and theatre. Working closely with actors, directors, producers, dancers, writers, poets and artists the SAA creates opportunities for participants to fulfil their artistic potential. As well as free weekly creative workshops, we professionally produce exhibitions, readings, films and theatre productions.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
Our organisation aims to provide serving and veteran military personnel, and their families, with access to the creative arts. This access may be through our free weekly creative arts workshops, or through one of our productions or exhibitions. This engagement may form part of a recovery process; provide training for a step into a new industry; or help support the transition into civilian life.
Visit The Soldiers' Arts Academy website to find out more.
University of Cambridge
One of the University of Cambridge’s core values is ensuring and encouraging the widest possible student access to the University. I am therefore delighted to announce details of the University of Cambridge’s Foundation Year, which will admit its next class of students in October 2023.
The Foundation Year Programme
The University of Cambridge’s Foundation Year Programme offers a fully-funded, year-long, residential programme, targeted at students who have experienced a range of educational disadvantages or disruptions. Educational disadvantage will be assessed on multiple levels, taking into consideration an applicant's individual characteristics, their family circumstances, and the context of the schools/colleges they have attended.
These eligibility criteria include, but are not limited to, students who are currently in care or care experienced; students who are or have been young carers, or who may have experienced homelessness or bereavements; students from low-income households; and students whose schools or colleges have low rates of progression to higher education.
This programme is an important step in our mission to ensure that the student intake at Cambridge is truly representative of the UK population.
A fully-funded opportunity to experience life and study at Cambridge
Thanks to a generous philanthropic commitment to the Foundation Year, no tuition fees will be charged for the course. Students admitted to the Foundation Year will also receive a full scholarship to cover rent and other living costs.
On the Foundation Year, students can expect a challenging academic curriculum in the arts, humanities and social sciences. This offers the best possible preparation for the rigours of a Cambridge degree by broadening and deepening knowledge and understanding as well as introducing the ways students learn at Cambridge.
Students admitted onto the Foundation Year will become part of a College community; they will live alongside other undergraduates and have full access to all the University’s societies and facilities. Their learning will be supported by lectures, seminars and supervisions.
An important aspect of the programme is to provide a new pathway to a Cambridge degree for students who have experienced disadvantage and disruption during their education. Therefore, from an early stage in the Foundation Year’s academic programme, senior academic staff in Colleges will be providing students with advice and support regarding their degree subject choice.
All Foundation Year students who complete the programme with a Pass or above will receive a recognised Level 4 CertHE qualification from the University of Cambridge, which will enable them to access a wide range of undergraduate level courses. Those attaining at 65% or higher will be able - should they wish to do so - to progress straight through to a full undergraduate degree at Cambridge in one of eighteen courses in the arts, humanities and social sciences.
Academic requirements for Foundation Year entry
All applicants for this course must apply via UCAS by 31 January 2024.
The academic entry requirement is 120 UCAS points. This is equivalent to BBB at A-Level, but allows for easy equivalence of a wide range of Level 3 qualifications, and for fair consideration of combinations of qualifications such as BTECs and A-Levels.
This level has been chosen because we believe it represents an achievable level of attainment for candidates who have had non-traditional journeys to higher education while also providing evidence of a firm academic foundation from which students will have a good chance of progressing to Cambridge from the programme.
Find out more at the University of Cambridge site.
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford’s Astrophoria Foundation Year is a one-year fully-funded foundation programme for UK state school students with significant academic potential, who have experienced severe personal disadvantage or disrupted education which has resulted in them being unable to apply directly for an Oxford undergraduate degree programme.
It will enable motivated students to reach their academic potential through a supportive and challenging academic course aimed at developing their skills, self-belief and academic confidence. Students from military families meet part of our eligibility criteria. All students will have to check they meet our other eligibility criteria before applying.
This opportunity is for students who have experienced disadvantage or disruption during their education. We recognise that students from military families may have experienced disruption during their education.
All applications for the foundation year courses must be submitted via UCAS by the 31 January 2024 deadline.
Visit the University of Oxford site to find out more.
VACT Limited
VACT offer a hybrid of coaching, training and mentoring to individuals with an admin background to become Virtual Assistants and to established Virtual Assistants to have better independent businesses. Training is delivered through paid for courses such as the VA Mastery Course and/or the VA Membership, both of which have been accredited by the CPD Standards Office, and through free webinars and support communities. Training is delivered through distance learning and via online learning platforms and so location and time zones do not cause any issues.
Additional mentoring worth £150 given free to military spouses and members of the Armed Forces.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
VACT Limited first signed the Armed Forces Covenant in the summer of 2016, since then we have gone on to work with many service leavers and spouses helping them to set up, create and build their VA businesses. Our team is made up of both veterans and spouses and so understand the challenges both face in launching and growing a business.
Visit the VACT site to sign up and find out more.
WeCare Wales
WeCare Wales is offering free training for people interested in working in social care. The three-day online programme is available for anyone living in Wales. The training will cover the essentials needed to start working in social care such as communication, safeguarding and working practices, find out more here.
You can apply for roles in care at WeCare Wales Jobs before, during or after attending the training course, but completing the course will help you to be ‘job ready’. At the end of the training our work coach will assist you to look for available vacancies.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
WeCare Wales aims to raise awareness and understanding of social care, early years and childcare and attract more people with the right skills and values to work in caring roles with children and adults.
If you have a positive attitude and a commitment to care for others, then for most roles you can gain any training and qualifications you need on the job. There are lots of ways to work flexibly, so you can fit caring for people around you and your family.
Visit the WeCare Wales site to find out more.
Wiltshire College and University Centre
Wiltshire College is based on four main campuses in Trowbridge, Chippenham, Lackham and Salisbury and offers a wide range of apprenticeships as well as full-time, part-time and university level courses within the following areas: Access to HE Adult Supported Learning Agriculture, Animals and Land-based Arts, Creative Media and Games Development Automotive Maintenance and Motor Sport Engineering Business, Finance and Management Catering, Hospitality and Travel Computing and IT Construction and Trades Engineering and Manufacturing English, Maths and Science Foundation Studies Hair, Beauty and Complimentary Therapy Health and Safety, and Licensing Health Care and Early Years Languages Life Sciences Music, Performance and Production Arts Sport and Public Services.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
Wiltshire College and University Centre has a long association with the military and is a proud supporter of the Armed Forces Covenant. Our staff recognise the many positive benefits that students from the military community can bring to their courses and fellow students. A number of our tutors and support staff are from the military community and help to reinforce the close links we have established. Located in the Salisbury Plain Super Garrison, we aim to support serving Armed Forces personnel, Veterans, Reservists and their families by providing quality courses designed to enhance personal and professional development. Wiltshire College and University Centre enables members of the military community to translate their knowledge and experience into nationally recognised qualifications that can be applied to their current role within the Armed Forces, or transferred onto a future career.
Visit the Wiltshire College site to find out more.
Wiltshire College and University Centre
Free
The Care Academy offers an exciting and flexible study opportunity for those wishing to enter the health and care professions. You will study a level one award in Preparing to Work in Adult Social Care, along side the core certificate. This will give you an excellent platform to jump start a career in the care sector.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
With four campuses across Wiltshire, Wiltshire College and University Centre aims to support serving armed forces personnel, veterans, reservists and their families by providing quality courses designed to enhance personal and professional development and offer impartial careers advice.
Visit the Wiltshire College site to find out more.
With You With Me
We offer upwards of 18 different tech/digital pathway training courses from entry to intermediate levels including: Intro to IT, data analytics, coding, software development and cyber security.
The courses are user friendly, and you can choose if you would like to do self-paced learning which takes up to 120 hours or jump into a virtual bootcamp to get you across the course in one week. Help and advice is always easily accessible from our instructors, or our friendly community.
Our online testing and training service is free.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
With You With Me (WYWM) have trained over 10,000 veterans around the world. We assist veterans, serving personnel and their spouses to get tech training without having to invest years and money into training. We help tech roles become accessible by harnessing Potential not experience through our aptitude testing, and expect nothing in return but your commitment of time on the course. Spouses are of particular interest as we drive to unlock the potential in our forces households. Jobs can be available for you at the other end. Be bold, be curious, be fierce!
Visit the With You With Me website to find out more.
York St John University
We offer degree apprenticeships in leadership & management, project management, data science, biomedical science. Available from our York and London campuses, apprenticeships combine full-time paid work and part-time University study leading to a full Bachelors or Masters degree, all paid for by your employer while you earn.
Our commitment to the Armed Forces community
York St John University signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2014 and was awarded MOD ERS Silver status in 2018 and the ERS Gold Award in 2020. Committed to a robust recruitment policy and a range of support for reservists and ex-military personnel, the University also provides a range of Military Human courses to support veterans and their family members.
Visit the York St John University site to find out more.