The Skills Network Avis 

Do not support you when you are struggling.

And then charge you £100 for not completing the course. Despite your desire to continue with support.

I have just completed the Level 2 Principles of Business Administration course and although the customer service and staff were faultless, the administration (ironically) of the course could definitely be improved. Some of the videos are in the wrong place, the questions sometimes ask for information not given in the slides, and the deadlines set for each unit are unrealistic and really quite stressful! So if you're considering this course, be aware that you may need to make your own set of deadlines to suit your needs.

This is a brief account of how long each unit took me, bearing in mind I'm quite slow at reading and processing information:

Unit 1 - 20 hours
Unit 2 - 17 hours
Unit 3 - 13 hours
Unit 4 - 6 hours
Unit 5 - 8 hours
Unit 6 - 6 hours
Unit 7 - 25 hours

It's not a bad course once you get into the rhythm of it, and once completed, the certificate came really quickly, but it's definitely more time consuming than I expected, and the deadlines really need sorting out (please!).

Amazing Experience
The skills network were amazing , gave good time frames, course was intresting and informative . My tutor marked my work quickly and gave amazing feedback . Would definately do another course ,recieved my certificate very quickly . TQUK level 2 in special educational needs and disability's .

The Skills Network is amazing. I have just completed my TQUK level 2 in caring for children and young people. I cannot recommend the skills network more. They allow you to complete the course in your own time and the Tutor's are friendly and always on hand to help when needed.

Ridiculous expectations for a L2 qualification,

I have just completed my 3rd assessment for the Mental Health First Aid in the Workplace qualification.

Having completed many Level 3's, 5's and diplomas as well as now studying a L7, I thought this would be a good short course to give myself some additional knowledge around mental health in the workplace.

The feedback on the assessments is ridiculous and is mainly focused on grammar, how long the assessor would like my paragraphs to be, not using stand-alone sentences, making sure I'm using the command verb at the start of my paragraphs and using the PEEL method for paragraph structure, as well as sending me additional guidance on paragraph structure.

Just in case I didn't understand that my assessor is slightly fixated on paragraphs, they then tell me each one should be between 3-5 sentences but when I send through my last assessment, I get the same feedback on four questions (all ironically, with a grammatical error), stating do not use stand alone sentences and "please answer in paragraphs".

As if that wasn't bad enough, all of my answers are in paragraphs between the previous desired length of 3 to 5 sentences. Except for this assignment the paragraph standards have obviously changed.

I wanted to do some additional learning but honestly people do a Level 3, 5 or even 7, on something that will actually make a difference to your life. You will get clear guidance and objectives, less referrals and you come out with worthwhile qualifications.

Maybe I got unlucky with my assessor but honestly, I give up. I didn't sign up for a course on structuing paragraphs and I have got by perfectly well in any other qualification I've undertaken at a higher level, so I think I'll just leave it there.

In all honesty what you learn on the course is basic and it's actually been detrimental to my own mental health trying to live up to my assessor's paragraph fixation.

Absolute horror show!
Do not waste your time with these people!
They are rude, obnoxious and have no idea what it means to actually learn something.
The format is terrible, the delivery of repeated information and patronising tone is abhorrent.
NONE of the staff have any idea of learning difficulties or autism or anything.
I suspect it's just a scam by some wrinkly vogons in meat suits to squeeze free money from the government.
You don't learn from these people you just repeat. useless repeaters and waffle irons.
Typical mainstream "education" just online.
It's certainly not Equal as the name suggests!

DON’T SIGN UP! SCAM FOR MONEY!

I signed up for a ‘FREE’ online course which I planned to do alongside my full time employment. I began to receive numerous calls and emails to say i had missed my first assignment, which I didn’t even know had started or that I had time frames to complete them in. I went back to them to ask for an extension to explain that I am full time employed and spend a lot of time in other countries so just need some extra time. This is where they responded and asked me if I needed ‘advice on time management’ and if I don’t complete the assignments I would be withdrawn with a £100 fine. There was absolutely no understanding of my situation or any support to help me moving forward, instead they wanted me to complete the assignment now or give them £100.
After the unsupportive and lack of empathy email I began the course, let’s just say there’s endless amount of uninteractive slides to click through, and the software they use makes the whole web page refresh when clicking through which makes it take even longer to try to go back and forth on the slides.

I’ve completely underestimated a FREE online course and now being withdrawn with a £100 fine due to not being on time with the assignments.

I wouldn’t waste your time with this company, they don’t care about anything other than making sure they receive the £100.

Informative, interesting and helpful. Good,timely feedback from the Tutor.
Straightforward and easy to follow e learning instruction. Well done!

Updated: I have now received my certificate (mid October). Better late than never!
I completed a level 2 counselling course back in May 2024. The course went fine and overall I had a good experience. However it's October and still no certificate to evidence the work I'd put in despite chasing and asking the education provider to do the same ( who has also chased with no answer).

I have just completed the TQUK Level 2 in the principles of working with and supporting individuals with learning disabilities.
Some of the course I found easy, and some were a challenge for me. But with the support of my assessor, Lee, who helped me many times when I was getting a little confused with the more in-depth sections, I managed to get my certificate! I gained so much knowledge that I would never have known.
Thanks, Lee, for all your support, also a big thank you to the ladies that called me checking how I was getting on!

They signed me up for a course without checking with me first. Then, 10 months after finishing the course I still have not gotten my certificate. I wrote to the Skills Network and the provider but no luck.

Withdrawn with one unit to go! After asking for an extension due to one of the children being ill, I was promptly withdrawn the following day. An email saying "we have not received enough evidence of learning from yourself to continue funding for your current qualification. As a result, your enrollment has been withdrawn." This is completely untrue. I received glowing feedback from my tutor throughout, with thorough answers and further research.

Upon calling TSN, they said because my course went from August into September, the withdrawal was automatic because it crossed an academic year.

Really unsympathetic to those with work and childcare commitments.

I enjoyed the Introduction to Caring for Children and Young People Course. It was clear how many hours I should spend on it, the learning materials were varied and interesting. I did get units sent back to me to expand on sometimes but this was valid as obviously you need to demonstrate your learning, I was given good feedback to help me do this. I was just a bit out of practice! I found the support and deadlines just right for me. I was ill and missed a deadline in error but was given an extension and was happy with the process.
The reason I have marked this review so low is that I was looking for a level 2 course to allow me to get jobs in childcare after changing career. This is not that. It seems all level 2 courses are not equal. This is not made clear, especially for someone new to it and on applying for my first job I was embarrassed and upset to find it wasn't 'full and relevant' so I couldn't apply for level 2 positions. The website claims it will help you get a job but in reality I have found it doesn't stand for much, the childcare sector are looking for experience or a full and relevant level 2 qualification, I'm not even going to put it on my CV now as it just causes confusion.
I am so disappointed as I really enjoyed the course and enjoyed the sense of achievement and the feeling of progress in my life. I'm afraid I'm now feeling very low about everything and really stupid for not having found this out before signing up, I would have been in a better position if I hadn't done it as at least I would still feel positive and enthusiastic. I just hope this helps someone else. Apparently there is a list of qualifications that actually count on Gov.uk

I'm in the middle of a Digital Marketing level 2 course. I find the materials interesting and stimulating as I knew nothing of the topic. The tutors are very good and the learner support centre too. Both answer emails quickly, within 2 hours. I'm already thinking about taking another course!

So I signed up for the Software Development Course sometime around April & finished halfway in July.
Going into this, I had no experience in coding or Computer Science & was expecting to have at least some understanding of learning to code & not only did I not learn how to code but my time (14 weeks to be exact) was spent 90% of my time in this course learning more theory around Computer & Data Science & learning Python, which was a waste of my time considering for any beginner learning software development most roadmaps point you into learning HTML, CSS & Javascript first, as those are usually easier to learn first & not getting you confident enough to apply to these Software Developer roles.

Another thing, when I signed on to the course they didn't explain to me that to get ahold of my certificate at the end of the course I'd essentially have to gain an interview (without their assistance might I add). Keep in mind, I just spent 14 weeks (roughly 3 months) following the course instructions, doing the assignments, and attending those pointless meetings with the Skills Bootcamp Tutor who was meant to provide support to me (as I have a learning disability), which then I only find out later on that she had no technical background in Software Development, only to then find out I'm essentially not getting my certificate unless I do the Career Advisor's job for them ...

Additionally, I did not like how the Training Provider (& more specifically, the Programme Lead for Software Development) conducted themselves when criticism was presented to them in one of our live sessions when other Students expressed concerns & issues with the course, which they then try to pin the blame on the Tutor, saying that he was teaching the wrong material ... When they were the ones who were writing the material he was teaching & was told what to teach.

Overall: Avoid at all costs. Complete waste of time & you're probably better off getting your certification from Udemy to be honest.

***DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY*** Please read other reviews below which mirror my issues.

Signed up and had a course approved and funding in place. Completed first unit and awaited marking. I didn't hear anything for a month at which point I received an email informing me funding had been withdrawn because I had not submitted work! On questioning this I was informed there had been no funding available in the first place, which beggers belief when I was accepted by a learning body, given login details and was able to access and complete part of the course. Nothing but a waste of my valuable time. On raising my problem I was told to make a complaint via their complaints procedure. No thank you, given I have already wasted numerous hours completing a unit of work that means absolutely nothing.

Would not recommend. I communicated with them to say I was out of country for 4 weeks continously got messages and calls from them. When work was submitted you get email back to make changes . Make the changes and still the same. When I had inquired about a course I was told that I would not have yo spend much time as I had explained I work full time and also do overtime. I have now come of the course and paid the pentaly fee of 100 pound.

Excruicating. Having almost got through it I will say never again! The amount of questions asked in each unit and the detail required for each question is ridiculous. Many questions are also repetitive. At first I submitted short, to the point answers as I thought that would be okay but these were sent back to me so I then had to compile lengthy answers to each question which was so laborious. All I feel I've done is parroted back information given in the course rather than learning something new, enjoying the learning, and being able to apply the learning in a creative and thoughtful way. No questions were based on what you think, what would you do, what about this dilemma, etc. It was all related to policy/practice/procedures which were so repetitive and which could be asked through a combination of multiple choice and short answers. I could have just googled the information in this course and avoided spending hours and hours on writing words. Just wondering what the purpose is of it all, it's a very old-fashioned way of learning - give people information and get them to write it back to you. The overdue deadline reminders were quite harrassing - phone calls, whatsapp messages and emails. I think if it's clear someone is working on the course then it's best to give them space to let them continue, unless they have stopped interacting with the website in which case reminders, withdrawal, fines, etc is expected and fine. Please at the least give people realistic expectations about how long each unit is regarding number of questions, approx study time and expectations over detail expected in each answer. And please make it possible to send deadline reminders and replies as messages on the website for people who are interacting with the site - that would make it a lot easier to reply and less intrusive.
The one good thing was that the marking and feedback given for each module was really fast and positive/constructive. The markers are the one thing that were good about this course.

The course was boring and felt it was not meeting my expectations. Did not enjoy the way of the whole thing was created for learning. I have emailed them asking to withdraw me from it. I have just received £100 fee to pay. I’ve got the feeling this is created to make money from the people that don’t complete the training. A bit of a scam.

If I could give this company a -1 I would!

Started my course, had a confirmation email to say the funding was available but in my area. The course was going well and I was enjoying it, I was halfway through, passed my first two assignments and after spending a month studying I got a email saying WITHDRAWAL and to pay £100 because the funding was stopped!
I have been emailing now for the past week to get this changed and so I don’t loose all my work I have studied so hard for and to be told to pay for the course! I have proof of these emails and shocking responses from skills network.
Please avoid!