For many people, the desire to learn is not the problem. Access is.
The cost of training, unemployment, ill health, disability, age, limited digital confidence or difficult personal circumstances can all make professional development harder to access. Yet these are often the very circumstances in which gaining new skills can make the greatest difference.
At ROSZH Foundation, we believe education should create opportunity rather than become another barrier to it.
That belief sits behind our new partnership with Certified CPD, through which we aim to widen access to high-quality professional learning while strengthening the training we develop for the people and communities we support.
Why this partnership matters
ROSZH Foundation exists to advance education by providing free access to skills training, digital education and employability programmes for people facing disadvantage due to poverty, disability, ill health, unemployment, age or other barriers.
There is, however, an important distinction between making learning available and making it genuinely accessible.
A course can exist online and still be beyond someone's reach.
Someone who has been out of work for several months may be reluctant to spend money they cannot afford on professional training. A person living with ill health may need greater flexibility in how and when they learn. Someone returning to employment after a long absence may need to rebuild both their skills and their confidence.
These are different circumstances, but they have something in common: education can help create a route forward.
Our partnership with Certified CPD is intended to help us create more of those routes.
Bringing accredited professional learning within reach
Through the partnership, Certified CPD will make selected online professional development courses available to ROSZH learners.
Its course portfolio covers areas including business and compliance, health and safety, cybersecurity and data protection, healthcare, management standards, leadership and workplace development.
For eligible learners supported by ROSZH Foundation, access to selected learning can be provided without the financial barrier that might otherwise prevent them from participating.
The flexibility of online learning is equally important. Being able to learn at an individual's own pace can make professional development more practical for people balancing employment, caring responsibilities, health considerations or other commitments.
But our ambitions extend beyond providing access to an existing catalogue of courses.
Developing our own learning programmes
The communities we support will not always need an off-the-shelf training course.
Over time, ROSZH Foundation intends to develop educational programmes around the particular needs of our beneficiaries.
As part of our agreement, Certified CPD will provide independent CPD accreditation for eligible programmes developed by ROSZH Foundation where they meet the applicable quality standards.
That matters because widening access should never mean lowering expectations of quality.
Independent accreditation gives us an additional quality-assurance mechanism as our learning provision develops, while helping learners understand that eligible programmes have been considered against defined professional development standards.
Certified CPD has published its own perspective on the collaboration in its announcement of the ROSZH Foundation and Certified CPD partnership.
A different approach to funding access
There is another aspect of the partnership that we believe is particularly important.
Providing learning free of charge to a beneficiary does not mean that learning has no cost.
Courses need to be created and maintained. Technology has to be provided. Programmes require administration, learner support and quality assurance. As a charity, finding sustainable ways to meet those costs is essential if we want our work to grow.
Our partnership introduces one way of helping to do this.
Alongside funded learning for eligible beneficiaries, ROSZH visitors who do not require financial assistance can choose to purchase professional courses provided by Certified CPD.
Under our partnership agreement, 20% of qualifying course purchases made through ROSZH is donated to ROSZH Foundation. Certified CPD also confirms this arrangement in its published partnership announcement.
The principle behind it is straightforward:
People who can pay for their own professional development can develop their skills while helping us create learning opportunities for people who cannot.
It means the same partnership can serve two very different learners without confusing their circumstances.
Someone experiencing disadvantage may apply for funded learning.
Someone seeking professional development who is able to pay can purchase their training through the ROSZH route.
The latter helps support the former.
Why does ROSZH offer paid courses if our mission is free access?
It is an important question.
Our charitable purpose remains focused on providing free access to education for people facing disadvantage. That has not changed.
The professional courses available for purchase through ROSZH are an additional route for people who do not require charitable support.
They also contribute towards making our charitable provision more sustainable.
Rather than asking every visitor to make a donation, the model allows someone who already intends to invest in their own professional development to make that purchase in a way that also supports our work.
For us, that creates a natural connection between professional development and social impact.
Learn for yourself, while helping someone else gain the opportunity to learn.
The wider challenge of employability
Training alone cannot solve unemployment or disadvantage.
We should be careful not to pretend that it can.
People can face complex barriers to employment, from health and caring responsibilities to transport, confidence, qualifications and the availability of suitable work.
Skills development can, however, be one part of the solution.
A course can introduce someone to a new area of work.
A certificate can demonstrate recent professional development after a period outside employment.
Digital education can give someone greater confidence navigating increasingly online recruitment processes.
Employability training can help someone better communicate the skills and experience they already possess.
Sometimes the most important outcome is simply helping a person believe that progression is possible again.
That is why our approach to education is ultimately about opportunity rather than certificates alone.
Building something sustainable
ROSZH Foundation is still developing its programmes, partnerships and learning provision.
We want to do that carefully.
Our objective is not to build the largest possible catalogue of courses. It is to build an educational offer that is useful, accessible and relevant to the people we exist to support.
Partnerships can help us do that without unnecessarily recreating infrastructure that already exists.
Certified CPD brings an established online learning environment, professional course portfolio and accreditation capability. ROSZH brings a charitable purpose centred on widening access and an understanding of the beneficiaries and communities our programmes are intended to serve.
Bringing those capabilities together gives us an opportunity to achieve more than either side of the arrangement could achieve alone.
Two pathways, one purpose
As the partnership develops, visitors to ROSZH will increasingly see two clear pathways into learning.
For people facing disadvantage, our funded learning pathway provides the opportunity to apply for free access to eligible skills training, digital education and employability programmes. Eligibility and assessment criteria apply so that our charitable resources can be directed towards those they are intended to support.
For people who can fund their own development, our professional learning pathway provides access to selected Certified CPD courses, with 20% of qualifying purchases made through ROSZH being donated back to the Foundation.
They are deliberately different routes.
But they ultimately support the same purpose:
using education to create opportunity.
Looking ahead
This partnership is a starting point rather than an end point.
We want to develop programmes that respond to genuine barriers to employment and education, expand the learning available to our beneficiaries and work with organisations that can help us improve both the reach and quality of that provision.
Most importantly, we want the people who come to ROSZH Foundation to see education as something within their reach.
Because talent and ambition are not determined by income, health, employment status or circumstance.
Opportunity should not be either.
To learn more about our training partner and its professional development programmes, visit Certified CPD.
You can also read Certified CPD's announcement of its partnership with ROSZH Foundation for its perspective on how the two organisations will work together.
Frequently Asked Questions About Certified CPD
What is Certified CPD?
Certified CPD is a UK-registered professional learning and training provider offering online courses, CPD accreditation and learning solutions for individuals and organisations.
Its work covers both the delivery of professional development and the independent review of training developed by external organisations.
ROSZH Foundation has partnered with Certified CPD to widen access to professional learning and strengthen the quality assurance of eligible training developed by the Foundation.
Why has ROSZH Foundation partnered with Certified CPD?
The partnership supports two important parts of ROSZH Foundation's educational work.
First, it gives ROSZH learners access to a wider range of established online professional development courses without the Foundation having to recreate specialist training that already exists.
Second, Certified CPD can independently review and accredit eligible training programmes developed by ROSZH Foundation.
This allows ROSZH to concentrate on identifying the needs of the people and communities it supports while drawing on Certified CPD's learning, accreditation and digital training infrastructure.
You can read Certified CPD's announcement about its partnership with ROSZH Foundation for the training provider's perspective on the collaboration.
What types of courses does Certified CPD provide?
Certified CPD provides online professional development across a broad range of workplace and career-related subjects.
Its course catalogue includes learning in areas such as:
health and safety;
business and workplace skills;
cybersecurity and data protection;
ISO standards and compliance;
leadership and management;
safeguarding;
adult care;
food safety;
mental health and wellbeing;
environmental and sustainability topics; and
education and teaching practice.
Learners can browse Certified CPD's online courses to see the current catalogue.
Not every Certified CPD course will necessarily form part of ROSZH Foundation's funded learning provision. Funded access is determined separately according to the Foundation's programmes, available resources and eligibility requirements.
What does CPD mean?
CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development.
It describes learning undertaken by professionals and workers to develop their knowledge, skills and capabilities throughout their careers.
CPD can take many forms, including online courses, workshops, seminars, webinars, conferences, structured workplace learning and other educational activities.
What does CPD accreditation mean?
CPD accreditation is a quality-assurance process through which professional learning is reviewed against defined standards.
Certified CPD describes its accreditation process as considering factors such as the accuracy and relevance of course content, clearly defined learning outcomes, appropriate delivery methods and suitable assessment or validation approaches.
You can learn more about the Certified CPD accreditation and quality-assurance process.
Does Certified CPD automatically accredit every ROSZH Foundation course?
No.
The partnership does not mean that every programme developed by ROSZH Foundation automatically becomes accredited.
Eligible programmes can be submitted for review and must meet the applicable accreditation requirements before accreditation is awarded.
This distinction is important because meaningful independent accreditation should involve quality assurance rather than simply allowing an organisation to display an accreditation logo.
How does Certified CPD assess courses for accreditation?
Certified CPD operates a structured review process for external courses and training organisations.
According to its published accreditation framework, this includes an initial enquiry, review of course materials and learning outcomes, evaluation by relevant subject-matter expertise, an accreditation decision and ongoing review.
Courses that do not initially satisfy the required standards may receive feedback for improvement.
Further details are available from Certified CPD's accreditation service.
Is Certified CPD accreditation the same as an Ofqual-regulated qualification?
No. These terms should not be used interchangeably.
CPD accreditation concerns the quality and suitability of continuing professional development.
An Ofqual-regulated qualification is a qualification regulated within the formal qualifications framework in England.
A CPD-accredited course can therefore provide valuable professional development without itself being an Ofqual-regulated qualification.
Learners should always check the description of the individual course to understand exactly what certification, accreditation or qualification it provides.
Do Certified CPD courses provide certificates?
Many courses available through Certified CPD provide certificates following successful completion.
Certified CPD also provides digital credentials that can be verified online, and its platform supports sharing eligible credentials to professional profiles such as LinkedIn.
The exact certificate and completion requirements can vary between courses, so learners should review the information on the individual course page before enrolling.
Are Certified CPD courses studied online?
A substantial part of the Certified CPD course catalogue is delivered online and on a self-paced basis.
This can make learning more accessible to people who need to fit professional development around employment, caring responsibilities or other commitments.
Certified CPD also works with other forms of professional learning, including face-to-face training, workshops and blended programmes.
Can Certified CPD courses be studied internationally?
Certified CPD provides online learning to an international audience.
Because many courses are delivered online and self-paced, learners can access professional development from different countries and time zones.
However, learners should distinguish between professional development and any training or qualification that may be legally required for a particular occupation or regulated activity in their country.
Where a role requires a specific licence, regulated qualification or locally recognised certification, learners should check the relevant requirements before relying on a CPD course for that purpose.
Are Certified CPD courses suitable for employment?
Professional development can help an individual strengthen knowledge, demonstrate continued learning and develop skills relevant to employment.
However, completing a course does not guarantee employment and ROSZH Foundation would not suggest otherwise.
The relevance of a particular certificate will depend on the course, occupation, employer and any regulatory requirements that apply to the role.
ROSZH views training as one part of a wider approach to employability that can also include digital skills, confidence building, CV and application support and other forms of development.
Are all Certified CPD courses free through ROSZH Foundation?
No.
ROSZH Foundation exists to provide free access to skills training, digital education and employability programmes for people facing disadvantage, but funded places are subject to eligibility, programme availability and assessment.
Professional courses are also available for purchase through the ROSZH partnership for people who do not require charitable support.
The two routes serve different purposes.
Why are paid Certified CPD courses available through ROSZH?
ROSZH Foundation's charitable provision is intended for people facing disadvantage and barriers to education.
Someone who is able to pay for their own professional development does not necessarily need charitable funding.
The partnership therefore provides a separate professional learning route through which individuals and organisations can purchase selected Certified CPD courses.
Under the partnership agreement, 20% of qualifying purchases made through the ROSZH route is donated to ROSZH Foundation, helping support the Foundation's charitable work.
This allows people to invest in their own development while contributing towards learning opportunities for others.
Does buying directly from Certified CPD support ROSZH Foundation?
The ROSZH contribution applies to qualifying purchases made through the agreed ROSZH partnership route.
If supporting ROSZH Foundation is important to a purchaser, they should therefore follow the course links provided through the ROSZH website rather than assuming that every purchase made independently through Certified CPD generates a contribution to the Foundation.
For general information about the training provider, visit Certified CPD.
What happens to the money ROSZH receives from the partnership?
Funds received by ROSZH Foundation form part of the resources available to support its charitable activities.
The Foundation's purpose is to advance education by providing free access to skills training, digital education and employability programmes for people facing disadvantage due to poverty, disability, ill health, unemployment, age or other barriers.
The partnership is therefore intended to help create a more sustainable model for widening access to learning.
Does ROSZH Foundation receive a commission for promoting Certified CPD?
The organisations have a commercial partnership under which ROSZH Foundation receives 20% from qualifying course purchases made through the ROSZH route.
ROSZH describes this relationship openly because transparency about commercial partnerships is important.
For ROSZH, the purpose of the arrangement is to generate income that can support its charitable educational activities while giving people who can afford professional training access to a separate paid learning pathway.
Is Certified CPD part of ROSZH Foundation?
No.
ROSZH Foundation and Certified CPD are separate organisations.
The organisations have entered into a partnership, but Certified CPD does not become part of ROSZH Foundation as a result.
Maintaining this distinction is important for transparency. ROSZH remains responsible for its charitable activities and decisions, while Certified CPD remains responsible for the professional learning and services it provides.
Does the partnership influence which learners receive charitable support?
Eligibility for ROSZH Foundation's funded learning should be determined by the Foundation's charitable objectives, programme criteria and the circumstances of applicants — not by whether someone has previously purchased a course.
Purchasing professional training should therefore not provide preferential access to charitable support.
The funded and paid pathways are intentionally separate.
How does the partnership help people facing disadvantage?
The partnership can support ROSZH's educational mission in several ways.
It gives the Foundation access to existing professional learning that may be suitable for eligible beneficiaries, provides an independent quality-assurance route for eligible ROSZH-developed training, and creates an additional source of income through qualifying professional course purchases.
Together, these elements can help ROSZH expand learning opportunities without requiring every programme to be developed from the ground up.
Can employers and organisations use Certified CPD?
Yes.
Certified CPD provides services for both individuals and organisations, including online training, course accreditation and learning-management capabilities.
Employers looking for professional development or workforce training can find more information at Certified CPD.
Organisations that develop their own learning can also explore CPD accreditation for courses and training providers.
Can another charity or training organisation have its courses accredited by Certified CPD?
Certified CPD's accreditation services are not limited to ROSZH Foundation.
Its published accreditation framework covers organisations including training providers, corporate learning teams, consultancies and other education providers, as well as different forms of online, face-to-face and blended learning.
Organisations interested in having their training independently reviewed can learn more about becoming accredited with Certified CPD.
Where can I learn more about Certified CPD?
For information about the organisation, professional courses and services, visit Certified CPD.
To explore available training, visit the Certified CPD online course catalogue.
Training providers and organisations can learn about Certified CPD accreditation and quality assurance.
For more information specifically about the relationship between the two organisations, read Certified CPD's announcement of its partnership with ROSZH Foundation.