Free CPD is everywhere once you know where to look. The best sources of free courses, webinars and learning - updated thinking, not a list that goes stale.
Paid courses are not the only way to build your CPD hours. Some of the best development is free - here is where to find it, month after month.
Professional bodies
Most professional bodies run free webinars, guidance updates and member events. If you pay a membership fee, you are already paying for these - use them. Check your body's events page monthly.
Awarding organisations
Awarding bodies regularly offer free training sessions, standardisation events and updates. These are especially valuable because they come straight from the source.
Free course providers
- WorkplaceHero's free course of the month - a full accredited course, free each month
- Open University OpenLearn - free courses across hundreds of topics
- FutureLearn and similar platforms - free access tiers on many courses
- Government schemes - funded skills bootcamps and sector-specific programmes appear regularly
Webinars and events
Suppliers, regulators and industry associations run free webinars constantly. Follow the key organisations in your sector and the events come to you. Recorded versions count too - log them the same way.
Your own workplace
The most overlooked free CPD: shadowing, mentoring, stretch tasks, delivering training to colleagues. Zero cost, often the most relevant learning available, and it all counts.
Libraries and open access
Professional journals, industry books and research are increasingly open access. Your local library card often unlocks digital subscriptions too.
Make free CPD count
Free learning rarely comes with a certificate, so the record matters more, not less. Log what you did, how long it took, and what changed - that entry is your evidence.
Start with this month's free course
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