Are you a Trainer or a Provider?

There is sometimes confusion between the terms “CPD Trainer” and “CPD Provider”. This may be because some accreditation companies offer a ‘blanket accreditation’ approach that spans across your whole organisation, accrediting trainers, activities, and providers with one single stamp of approval.

However, at The CPD Group, we don’t think this is a good enough standard of accreditation. Therefore, we do things a bit differently. We believe that each element of your business deserves accreditation in its own right, and that all parts of your organisation should be independently reviewed. This is why we offer a range of accreditation services that individually accredit your CPD Activities, Events, and, of course, Providers and Trainers.

So, what is the difference between CPD Providers and Trainers?

The important thing to remember about Provider Accreditation is that it accredits the training company as a whole, whereas Trainer accreditation accredits an individual person on their ability to deliver CPD training.

Provider accreditation is a service that verifies whether a training company has all of the processes and procedures in place to deliver high-quality CPD. Other companies charge for this accreditation service, but we provide it completely free of charge, allowing you to begin your accreditation journey with ease. Once you’ve been accredited, you’ll receive a CPD Accredited certificate, verifiable logo and accreditation number, and be listed on The CPD Register! You’ll then have the option to move forward to accredit your courses with an activity plan.

Trainer accreditation verifies that an individual is adequately qualified and experienced to deliver CPD Training in their profession. When you become a CPD Trainer, you’ll receive a Trainer Card, accredited certificate, logo, and be listed on The CPD Register. CPD Trainer Accreditation is a paid service that comes with an accreditation fee of £20, and monthly trainer card subscription fee of £4.99. Your CPD Trainer card will act as your digital business card and a verification of your CPD Trainer status. You can tap it on any NFC Compatible smartphone to display all your credentials and contact information!

Provider accreditation is where most companies begin their accreditation journey, as it lays the foundations and demonstrates that the company has all the fundamentals in place to deliver quality learning. Once Provider accreditation has been achieved, training providers may move forward to accredit their own trainers as well as any activities they provide. If you’re a freelance trainer, tutor, mentor, or coach, you may go straight to trainer accreditation.

Can I be both?

Yes, you can! 🙌

There are many instances in which individuals running their own training company also conduct the training themselves - so are therefore eligible for both Provider and Trainer accreditation. Becoming a Provider first gives your company and brand name credibility, whilst trainer accreditation instils trust in you as an individual to deliver quality learning. If you produce learning materials yourself, you may also choose to accredit these as CPD Activities!

If you’d like to have a chat with one of our friendly advisors about where to start with your accreditation, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our team using our online chat! ➡️