Staff Learning & Development

From microcredentials and free short courses, to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, our fully flexible qualifications let you build bespoke staff training programmes to meet your needs.

Through accessible online and blended learning, we cater for learners at every stage of their career, to unlock their potential and advance your organisation’s ambitions.

Flexibility and choice

Our mission is to be open, so we offer unrivalled flexibility to build L&D solutions that work for your business, helping you access the right training at the right time.

Access and exit training as needed
Adapt and advance with credit transfer
Build bespoke pathways
Widen participation

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Qualifications available

Staff can study from a single module up to a postgraduate degree, all aligned with their career goals and the needs of the organisation. And thanks to our 50 years of experience in distance learning, we have an exceptional range of courses and resources on offer.

Bite-sized learning

Microcredentials and short courses – upskill in as little as a few weeks
Standalone modules – choose individual modules on specific topics
Free online learning – access 1000s of free online learning resources and courses

Apprenticeships

Degree and graduate apprenticeships – make your apprenticeship levy work for your staff development needs with our UK-leading degree and graduate apprenticeships

Undergraduate

Unlock staff potential with distance and blended learning up to undergraduate degree level:

Access courses and foundation degrees – prepare staff for undergraduate study with preparatory courses to develop their skills and confidence
Certificates and Diplomas of Higher Education – use as standalone qualifications or stepping stones to an Honours degree
Honours degree – select from over 120 Honours degrees to equip your staff with an internationally recognised undergraduate qualification
Open degree – choose modules from any undergraduate degree to build an Honours degree tailored to the unique needs of your business and staff

Postgraduate

Bring specialist knowledge and advanced learning to bear on your business:

Master’s degree – advance degree holders to the next professional level
Integrated Master’s degree – prepare staff for specialist roles with a degree combining undergraduate and postgraduate-level learning

The Open University has got a proven track record in delivering skills and knowledge to a business environment. We find the OU incredibly easy to work with. One of its real strengths is flexibility.”
Paul Milner
Senior Early Professional Manager, IBM