The 5 Best Learning & Development Qualifications

Working in Learning and Development focuses on providing employees with the knowledge and skills they need to develop in their organisation.

If you’re a gifted communicator and interested in training individuals as a profession, then you may be looking for a way to brush up on your own skills before officially taking the plunge. Alternatively, you could be looking to advance your already established L&D career.

Whatever the case, we’ve compiled a list of the 5 best Learning and Development qualifications to help you along in your journey and get you where you need to be.

1. CPD Qualifications

The CPD Certification Service is the leading independent CPD accreditation organisation, working across all industry sectors and evaluating learning activities to the highest standards.

If you’re not already familiar, CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development, and it’s a term that’s used to describe the training and development activities that professionals take on in order to enhance their current knowledge and skill sets in the workplace.

Among other things, on the CPD website, you have access to thousands of courses, workshops, seminars, and events that are CPD accredited and will help you gain the insights and training you need to develop your organisation and excel in your role.

While CPD learning varies depending on the industry, a few of the best CPD courses that we’d recommend for those working in Learning and Development include:

• Employee Onboarding
• Training & Development (Train the Trainer), and
• Identifying Training and Developing Your Team

2. LPI Qualifications

A qualification from LPI (the Learning and Performance Institute) is great if you’re an L&D professional looking to develop your practical skills.
LPI certifications have been developed specifically for workplace learning, and they offer a variety of courses including shorter quick-start courses and two-day expert workshops - all of which can be delivered either online or face-to-face.

If you’re looking for a course that’s perfect for you or your team, it would be worth considering the following options as the working world continues to shift: 

• Certified Online Learning Facilitator (COLF): the global-leading certification in live online learning facilitation.
• Certificate in Designing Online Learning (CDOL): where you can learn the necessary design skills to support any of your organisation’s live online learning courses.
• Essential Online Delivery Skills: a course that will give you insight into design and psychology to help you deliver effective virtual classroom sessions.

We should also mention that once you’ve taken on an LPI certification or programme, upon completion you’ll be awarded any relevant post-nominal letters and digital badges so that you can proudly display your achievements! 

3. ILM Qualifications

If you’re looking to develop as a mentor and a leader in the world of work, an ILM qualification might be just the thing for you.

Not only does ILM (the Institute of Leadership and Management) offer great leadership and management qualifications, but they also offer incredible coaching and mentoring qualifications.

Depending on what your current goals are, you can choose from a range of ILM courses from Level 2 through to Level 7. Whether you’re an aspiring team leader or an established senior executive, there’s something for everyone among these qualifications that will develop your skill set so that you can effectively manage teams and support their success.

If you’re not sure where to start with ILM, we’d recommend one of the following three courses to get you going:

• ILM Level 2 Certificate in Leadership & Team Skills: ideal if you’re looking to begin your L&D management career.
• ILM Level 3 Certificate in Leadership & Management: perfect if you’re already a manager and looking to excel in your role.
• ILM Level 5 Certificate in Leadership & Management: great if you want to elevate your strategic leadership skills.

4. CMI Qualifications

Similar to ILM qualifications are CMI qualifications from the Chartered Management Institute.

As the only organisation that can award Chartered Manager status, CMI’s mission is to ‘raise the quality and standard of management in the workplace’, and they do this incredibly well through their qualifications at Levels 2 through 8.

Being that only 1 in 5 managers have a recognised management qualification, gaining a CMI qualification and adding it to your CV is bound to help you land your ideal L&D job and even give you the opportunity to increase your salary.

This is because each course aligns with real-world job roles and provides learners with the skills that employers are actually looking for, ultimately improving individual performance and helping leaders progress their teams.

While these qualifications can be studied in various ways, you can also study a CMI Level 5 or Level 7 qualification online with us if you’re looking for a method that fits your lifestyle.

5. CIPD Qualifications

If you can devote some of your valuable time to a CIPD qualification, we’ve got to say - it’s worth it if you want to make the most of your L&D career.

Not only are CIPD qualifications considered the ultimate benchmark in the people's profession, but studying one of their courses immediately upgrades your CV, increases your earning potential and enhances your professional credibility.

Each of their comprehensive qualifications provides you with the skills and knowledge you need to excel as an L&D professional, no matter what stage you’re at in your career, giving you the confidence you need to apply your training directly in the workplace. You’ll also automatically become a CIPD Member once you enrol!

To give you more insight, here are the CIPD L&D levels you can start with and advance to:

- CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate in People Practice is perfect if you have no previous experience or are looking to get your foot into entry-level roles.
- CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma in Organisational Learning & Development is ideal if you have some experience in mid-level roles and want to stand out in your organisation.
- CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma in Strategic Learning & Development is great if you’re an experienced professional (or have a related degree) and want to work on your high-level strategic skills to l in senior roles.

Now, if you’re wondering how you can fit studying CIPD into your busy lifestyle, keep in mind that we also offer flexible, online CIPD qualifications so that you can study at your own time, at your own pace - on your own terms.


Advancing as an L&D professional has never been so easy! With any of these 5 qualifications, you can get the ball rolling on your career and get to where you want to be.


Still not sure which L&D qualification is right for you? Contact our Course Advisors today and we can help place you in the course that best suits your career goals.