Free training to boost your application
A short free course is the cheapest way to make an apprenticeship application stand out — it shows initiative before you've even interviewed. Every course below is genuinely free to study: we checked each one, and where there's a catch (like a paid certificate) we say so next to it. Nobody pays us to be listed.
Agriculture, environmental and animal care
- Free
- Free
Business and administration
- Effective communication in the workplace — OU OpenLearnFree~24 hours · Free OU digital badge (24 CPD points)
- HR Fundamentals — CIPD (FutureLearn)Free4–5 weeks · Paid upgrade only · Free to study for the course duration; the certificate is a paid upgrade.
- Free
- CRM & admin trails — Salesforce TrailheadFree15 min – 2 h per module · Free badges · Learning is free; official Salesforce certification exams are paid.
Care services
- Free
- Mental Capacity Act & safeguarding adults e-learning — SCIEFreeShort modules · None on free modules · These named modules are free; most of the SCIE catalogue is paid.
Catering and hospitality
- Free
- Food Hygiene Level 2 (free course) — Kitchen DocumentsFreeShort, self-paced · Free PDF certificate · Free digital PDF certificate; printed certificate is paid and sign-up joins their mailing list.
Construction and the built environment
- Free
- Official free HS&E (CSCS) sample test — CITBFreeMinutes, repeatable · None (practice) · The full HS&E test and revision materials are paid; this official sample is free.
- Free
Creative and design
- Free
- Free
Digital
- Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) learning paths — Microsoft LearnFree~10–15 hours · Free badges; exam certificate paid · All learning is free; the optional Microsoft certification exam costs around £50–75.
- Free
- Free
- Cloud Practitioner Essentials (free tier) — AWS Skill BuilderFree~7 hours · Some free badges · The 900+ digital courses are free; labs and exam prep need a paid subscription.
- Responsive Web Design / JavaScript certifications — freeCodeCampFree~300 hours per certification · Free verified certifications
- AI, cybersecurity & data courses — IBM SkillsBuildFree3–10 hours per course · Free IBM digital credentials
Education and early years
- Free
- Free
Engineering and manufacturing
- Free
- Free
Hair and beauty
- Hairdressing & beauty courses (5,000+) — L'Oréal AccessFreeBite-size to full learning plans · Certifying paths available · Platform courses are free; some live events are paid.
- Introduction to Beauty Therapy — AlisonFreeA few hours · Paid · Free to study (ad-supported); the certificate itself is paid.
Health and science
- Free
- Public health approaches to infectious disease — OU OpenLearnFree~3 hours · Free Statement of Participation
Legal, finance and accounting
- Free
- Introduction to Bookkeeping / Financial Accounting — ACCA (edX)Free~6 weeks, 2–4 h/week · Paid verified certificate · Free to study (audit); the verified certificate is paid.
- Free
Protective services
- Free
- Free
Sales, marketing and procurement
- Free
- Free
- Free
Transport and logistics
- Free
- Free
Verified free as of July 2026. Providers change their pricing — if you hit a paywall we don't mention, tell usand we'll fix the listing.