UK CPD Courses by Industry: 158 Accredited Online Courses Across 12 Sectors (2026) | Nexis CPD

UK CPD Courses by Industry: 158 Accredited Online Courses Across 12 Sectors (2026)

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UK employers spend more than a billion pounds a year on workplace training — and the mix has shifted sharply. The rise of remote work, tighter regulator expectations, the new preventative duty on sexual harassment, growing awareness of mental ill-health, and construction’s stubborn injury numbers have all reshaped what teams actually need to learn. This guide breaks Nexis CPD’s 158-course catalogue into the 12 sectors that matter most to UK employers, so you can find the right training for your team in one place.

Every course below is CPD accredited by Assured CPD, delivered 100% online, self-paced, and ends with an instant digital certificate on passing. All courses are £9, with team bundles available.

The 12 sectors at a glance

Our full library covers 158 accredited online CPD courses across the sectors that carry the heaviest UK compliance and training loads. Here is how the catalogue breaks down:

Sector Courses
Workplace Health & Safety 32
Safeguarding 21
Health & Social Care 20
Mental Health & Wellbeing 16
HR, Compliance & Legal 15
Construction & Site Safety 13
Food Safety & Hygiene 13
First Aid & Clinical Awareness 10
Environmental Awareness 5
Education & Childcare 5
Personal & Professional Development 5
Fire Safety 3
Total 158

1. Workplace Health & Safety — 32 courses

Workplace health and safety is the largest single sector for CPD training in the UK, and for good reason. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reports roughly 138 workers killed and 604,000 non-fatal workplace injuries each year, and businesses were fined £62.4 million in the most recent reporting year for health-and-safety breaches. Every employer has a duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to protect workers — and awareness training is a low-cost, high-impact starting point.

Who this is for: HR managers, health-and-safety officers, line supervisors, new starters, office workers and shop-floor teams — anyone whose day-to-day work is covered by HSE regulations.

Popular courses in this sector:

Plus courses tailored for executives, managers, homeworkers, young workers and driving-at-work situations. Browse all 32 →

2. Safeguarding — 21 courses

Safeguarding is a legal duty for anyone working with children or vulnerable adults, and post-Ofsted / CQC expectations mean training now runs from awareness through to Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) level. The introduction of the Prevent duty, the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and growing awareness of child criminal exploitation (“county lines”) have widened what safeguarding training needs to cover.

Who this is for: schools, nurseries, care homes, sports clubs, faith organisations, health services, social care, hospitality and retail teams that deal with the public — and every DSL / deputy DSL.

Popular courses in this sector:

The catalogue covers Levels 1, 2 and 3 for both adults and children, plus specialist topics such as Safeguarding Babies, Safer Recruitment and Understanding Bullying.

3. Health & Social Care — 20 courses

The UK’s health and social care sector is one of the country’s largest employers — the CQC regulates around 30,000 providers, and Care Certificate compliance is expected of every new starter in adult social care. Legal frameworks (Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Health and Care Act 2022) plus CQC’s “well-led” quality statement have made ongoing CPD training essential rather than optional.

Who this is for: care homes, domiciliary care, hospices, hospitals, GP practices, dental practices, mental health services and specialist supported-living providers — for care workers, senior carers, nurses and management.

Popular courses in this sector:

4. Mental Health & Wellbeing — 16 courses

Mental ill-health now accounts for over half of long-term work absences in the UK, and roughly 1 in 6 workers experiences a mental health condition at any given time. Deloitte estimates the cost of poor mental health at £51 billion per year to UK employers — through absenteeism, presenteeism and staff turnover — and demand for Mental Health First Aider training and manager-level awareness has grown accordingly.

Who this is for: HR teams, line managers, wellbeing champions, school staff, education providers, and anyone stepping into a Mental Health First Aider role.

Popular courses in this sector:

Since October 2024, UK employers face a new preventative duty on sexual harassment under the Worker Protection Act, meaning every employer must now take reasonable steps to prevent harassment — not just react to it. Add GDPR, the Equality Act 2010, evolving anti-bribery and money-laundering rules, and the shift to hybrid work, and workplace compliance training has become a live board-level issue.

Who this is for: HR managers, compliance officers, DPOs, finance teams, legal counsel, and any employer with 5+ staff.

Popular courses in this sector:

6. Construction & Site Safety — 13 courses

Construction remains the UK’s most dangerous industry to work in — the HSE reports it accounts for approximately 25% of all workplace fatalities each year, with falls from height the single biggest killer. On top of that come long-latency health risks from asbestos, silica dust, hand-arm vibration and noise. CDM Regulations, PUWER and LOLER all require documented competence, and site-safety awareness training is expected as a baseline for anyone stepping onto a site.

Who this is for: contractors, site managers, subcontractors, architects and designers, MEWP operators, scaffolders, demolition teams, refurbishment specialists.

Popular courses in this sector:

7. Food Safety & Hygiene — 13 courses

The UK Food Standards Agency oversees around 500,000+ food businesses, from national restaurant chains to takeaways and market stalls. Local-authority food-hygiene ratings are now a competitive lever — a poor rating displayed in the window damages footfall — and food-allergen awareness has become critical since Natasha’s Law came into force in 2021. Every food handler needs Level 2 training as a baseline, with Level 3 required for supervisors and managers.

Who this is for: restaurants, cafes, takeaways, hotels, food manufacturers, retailers, schools, care homes, event caterers, mobile-food operators.

Popular courses in this sector:

8. First Aid & Clinical Awareness — 10 courses

Every UK workplace must complete a first-aid needs assessment under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981. Beyond first-aider training, awareness of common medical emergencies (anaphylaxis, sepsis, stroke, cardiac arrest) has become part of standard workplace induction — particularly for hospitality, retail, schools and events.

Who this is for: appointed persons, first-aiders, teachers, hospitality staff, retail teams, event organisers, EYFS practitioners, sports clubs.

Popular courses in this sector:

9. Environmental Awareness — 5 courses

Net-zero commitments, ESG reporting, and increasingly strict environmental regulation (packaging, single-use plastics, waste hierarchy) mean environmental awareness is no longer just for large corporates. Even small businesses now face pressure from clients, tenders and consumers to demonstrate environmental competence.

Who this is for: facilities and property teams, construction firms, retailers, hospitality, offices, individuals wanting to reduce their environmental footprint.

Available courses:

10. Education & Childcare — 5 courses

Schools, nurseries and childminders operate under an Ofsted / EYFS regulatory framework that expects staff to demonstrate ongoing CPD. Beyond the safeguarding requirements (covered in Section 2), specific SEN and childhood-development awareness is expected of anyone working with children.

Who this is for: teachers, TAs, EYFS practitioners, nursery staff, childminders, after-school and holiday-club leaders.

Available courses:

11. Personal & Professional Development — 5 courses

Softer skills round out any CPD portfolio and are increasingly favoured by career-development budgets and personal-development plans.

Who this is for: individuals looking to develop career skills, HR teams looking to broaden internal training, education-leavers.

Available courses:

12. Fire Safety — 3 courses

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (and, since 2023, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations), every non-domestic premises must have a responsible person who understands fire risk, and staff must receive appropriate fire-safety training. Fire warden competence is a legal requirement in most workplaces.

Who this is for: responsible persons, fire wardens, fire marshals, office managers, hotel and hospitality staff, schools, care homes.

Available courses:

How to pick the right training for your team

The starting point is always a training needs analysis — matching what your people do to the training they must have. As a rough starter for most UK employers:

  1. Everyone: Introduction to Health & Safety + a role-specific safety course.
  2. Anyone using a screen for four hours or more a day: DSE Awareness.
  3. Anyone managing people: Sexual Harassment (new preventative duty) + Mental Health for Managers.
  4. Anyone with access to personal data: GDPR Awareness.
  5. Anyone with a fire-warden role: Fire Warden / Fire Marshal.
  6. Sector-specific: pick from the relevant section above.

Frequently asked questions

Are these courses CPD accredited?

Yes. Every Nexis CPD course is independently accredited by Assured CPD, one of the UK’s recognised CPD accreditation bodies. Your certificate carries the Assured CPD verification logo and is verifiable via a unique QR code on the certificate.

How long does each course take?

Most awareness-level courses take 1–3 hours to complete, depending on the topic and how quickly you read. All courses are self-paced, so you can pause and resume any time.

Do I get a certificate on completion?

Yes. On passing the end-of-course assessment (80% pass mark) your PDF certificate is issued instantly and emailed to you. You can also re-download it any time from your account.

Can I buy for my team?

Yes. Add multiple courses or multiple learners to the basket for team enrolments. For bulk orders (10+ certificates), contact us for team pricing.

What happens if I don’t pass?

You can retake the assessment. Every course is designed to be passable when you’ve read the material — the assessment is there to confirm understanding, not to trip you up.

Are these courses recognised outside the UK?

The CPD framework is internationally recognised. Content is written to UK law and UK regulatory frameworks (HSE, CQC, FSA, etc.) but the underlying principles and safe practice apply worldwide — Nexis CPD certificates are used by employers in the UK, Ireland, EU, Middle East and beyond.

Ready to enrol?

Browse the full 158-course catalogue, or jump straight to your sector using the links above. Every course is £9, instant certificate, no subscription. For team enrolments and volume pricing, get in touch.

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