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What qualifications do I need to start my own training academy in the UK?

4 minutes ago
10 min read

Are you an experienced professional thinking about setting up your own training academy? Perhaps you're a hairstylist who wants to start teaching others, an aesthetics practitioner looking to develop accredited courses, or a healthcare professional hoping to share your clinical expertise.


At Emblem Training Solutions, we've seen a significant increase in enquiries from people wanting to do exactly this. Many have years of industry experience, specialist qualifications and a genuine passion for their subject, but they're unsure what they need to start teaching it to other people.


One of the most common questions we're asked is whether completing the Level 3 Award in Education and Training (AET) will allow someone to open their own academy and start delivering accredited qualifications. The answer depends on what you want to teach, who you want to teach and what you want your learners to receive at the end.


There's an important difference between being qualified in your profession, being qualified to teach and being approved to deliver regulated qualifications. Understanding that difference is a good starting point for anyone considering setting up a training business.



Can anyone start their own training academy in the UK?

You don't necessarily need a teaching qualification or approval from an awarding organisation simply to establish a private training business in the UK. However, the requirements for delivering particular courses can be very different, especially where regulated qualifications, professional registration or practical clinical skills are involved.


For example, an experienced hairstylist might want to offer private workshops teaching specialist styling techniques, while a healthcare professional might want to develop training for other practitioners. Both could establish training businesses, but the qualifications, professional responsibilities and approval arrangements involved may be quite different.


The first question to ask yourself is what you want your learners to achieve. Are you planning to deliver workshops that develop practical skills? Do you want to provide continuing professional development (CPD)? Are you hoping to offer nationally recognised qualifications through an awarding organisation?


These are different types of training provision, and understanding the distinction will help you identify what qualifications and approvals you may need.


Do I need a teaching qualification to train other people?

Not every private training course legally requires its trainer to hold a teaching qualification. However, many awarding organisations, employers and professional bodies expect trainers to demonstrate both relevant subject expertise and the ability to teach effectively.

And this is where we think an important distinction needs to be made.


Being an expert in your subject doesn't automatically mean you know how to teach it.

Someone might have spent 20 years working as a nurse, hairdresser, construction professional or aesthetics practitioner. They may be exceptionally good at what they do and have a wealth of knowledge to share. But teaching involves a different set of skills.


How do you explain a complex process to somebody who has never encountered it before? How do you plan a session that builds understanding rather than overwhelming learners with information? What happens when somebody struggles to grasp a concept, or when learners in the same group have very different levels of experience?


And perhaps most importantly, how do you know whether somebody has actually learnt what you've taught them?


These are the kinds of questions we explore through the Level 3 Award in Education and Training. The qualification introduces the principles of planning and delivering inclusive teaching sessions, understanding learner needs, using different teaching approaches and assessing whether learning has taken place.


It's not about teaching you more about your specialist subject. It's about helping you develop the skills to teach that subject effectively.


What is the Level 3 Award in Education and Training (AET)?

The Level 3 Award in Education and Training is an introductory teaching qualification designed for people who want to begin teaching or training adults. It's often a starting point for industry professionals moving into training, whether they're planning to work for an existing provider, deliver workplace training or establish their own academy.


The qualification explores the responsibilities of a trainer, how to create an inclusive learning environment, how to plan effective sessions and how to use assessment to support learning. Learners also complete a practical microteach assessment, giving them an opportunity to plan and deliver a short teaching session.


For someone who has spent their career developing practical expertise, this can be a useful introduction to the other side of training. Instead of focusing entirely on what you know, you begin considering how somebody else will learn it.


The AET is a recognised introductory qualification, but it isn't a licence to teach every subject or deliver every type of qualification. Some roles and awarding organisations require additional teaching experience, higher-level teaching qualifications or specific assessment qualifications.


The Department for Education describes AET as an introductory qualification, often taken by people delivering short courses. More extensive teaching responsibilities may require further professional development and qualifications.


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Does completing AET mean I can deliver accredited qualifications?

This is probably one of the biggest areas of confusion we encounter.


Completing AET demonstrates that you've achieved an introductory teaching qualification. It doesn't automatically give you approval to deliver regulated qualifications, award certificates on behalf of an awarding organisation or describe your own courses as Ofqual-regulated.


If you want your academy to offer regulated qualifications, you'll usually need to work with an awarding organisation and meet its approval requirements.


For example, organisations such as Highfield, City & Guilds, NCFE and other awarding organisations offer qualifications that approved training centres can deliver. The awarding organisation sets requirements for the qualification, including how it must be assessed and what standards the centre must meet.


Depending on the qualification, you may need to demonstrate that your academy has suitable resources, qualified staff, appropriate assessment arrangements, internal quality assurance processes and relevant policies and procedures.

Your own qualifications and experience will also be considered.


For instance, Gateway Qualifications publishes tutor and assessor requirements that include relevant subject knowledge and appropriate teaching or assessment qualifications. Its guidance identifies the Level 3 Award in Education and Training among the qualifications that may be suitable, depending on the role and qualification being delivered.


Similarly, NOCN's published requirements for its assessor qualifications expect tutors and assessors to demonstrate relevant subject competence, teaching and assessment capability, and ongoing professional development.

This is why AET can be an important starting point, but it's essential to check the specific requirements of the awarding organisation and qualification you want to deliver.


What's the difference between an accredited course and a regulated qualification?

If you're researching how to start your own academy, you'll probably come across a lot of references to accreditation. Unfortunately, the word is often used quite broadly, which can make it difficult to understand exactly what a training provider is offering.


A regulated qualification is awarded by an appropriately recognised awarding organisation and sits within a formal qualifications framework. In England, Ofqual regulates awarding organisations and the regulated qualifications they offer. Approved training centres deliver and assess qualifications according to the relevant awarding organisation's requirements.


CPD accreditation is different. A CPD accreditation provider may review a course against its own standards, considering elements such as learning objectives, course structure and how learning is assessed. However, CPD accreditation does not turn a course into an Ofqual-regulated qualification.


You can also deliver your own private training courses and issue certificates of attendance or completion, provided you're clear about what those certificates represent and don't suggest they carry accreditation or regulatory recognition they don't have.


None of these routes is automatically better than the others. The right approach depends on what your learners need and how they intend to use the training.


For example, someone attending a specialist hairstyling workshop may simply want to develop a new technique. Someone completing training as part of a regulated professional role may need evidence that meets particular employer, professional or regulatory requirements.


Before deciding which route to take, it's worth researching what recognition your prospective learners actually need.


Can I start an aesthetics or beauty training academy with AET?

We've received enquiries from experienced hairstylists, beauty professionals and aesthetics practitioners who want to develop their own training academies. Often, they've already spent years working in their industry and are now looking for a way to share that knowledge with others.


AET can be a useful starting point because it helps develop the teaching skills needed to plan and deliver structured training. However, the qualification doesn't replace the professional competence or specialist qualifications required to teach particular treatments or procedures.


For example, someone planning to teach advanced aesthetics procedures will need to consider the specific treatment, their own professional qualifications and experience, relevant insurance requirements and any applicable professional or regulatory standards.

They'll also need to consider the type of certification they want to offer. Delivering an independently developed CPD course is different from delivering a regulated qualification through an approved centre.


If you're hoping to offer regulated beauty or aesthetics qualifications, you'll need to check the relevant awarding organisation's centre approval, tutor, assessor and quality assurance requirements.


It's worth doing this research before investing heavily in course materials, premises or marketing, particularly if your academy's business model depends on offering a particular qualification.



Can I deliver clinical training with a Level 3 Award in Education and Training?

This is another question we're asked regularly, particularly by nurses and other experienced healthcare professionals who want to deliver training in specialist clinical skills.

For example, someone might want to teach phlebotomy, cannulation, catheter care, medication administration or other practical healthcare procedures.


The Level 3 Award in Education and Training can help you develop the skills needed to plan, deliver and assess learning. However, AET alone does not qualify somebody to teach or assess clinical procedures they aren't otherwise competent and appropriately authorised to undertake.


Clinical training requires careful consideration of the subject being taught, the intended learners, the practical activities involved and the standards those learners are expected to meet.


An experienced healthcare professional may already have substantial clinical expertise, but they'll still need to consider whether their qualifications, experience and professional registration are appropriate for the training they intend to deliver. Depending on the subject and setting, there may also be requirements relating to clinical supervision, practical assessment, professional standards, insurance and organisational governance.


It's also important to distinguish between teaching somebody about a clinical procedure and assessing whether they're competent to carry it out safely.


For example, a course might provide theoretical knowledge about a procedure, but that doesn't necessarily mean someone who completes it is competent or authorised to perform it independently. Practical competence may need to be demonstrated and assessed in an appropriate clinical environment.


If you're planning to establish a clinical training academy, our advice would be to identify the specific procedures you want to teach and the recognition your learners will require before deciding which training and accreditation route is appropriate.

AET can support your development as a trainer, but it is only one part of the wider picture.


Do I need an assessor qualification to run my own academy?

Possibly, particularly if you want to deliver regulated vocational qualifications that require formal assessment of learner competence.


Teaching and assessing are closely connected, but they aren't necessarily the same role. A trainer might explain a process, demonstrate a skill and support learners as they practise. An assessor is responsible for judging whether a learner has met specified assessment criteria and recording that decision appropriately.


Some qualifications allow suitably competent individuals to undertake both roles, while others have more specific requirements.


The Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA) is one recognised route for people who need to assess vocational knowledge and competence. However, whether you need CAVA or another assessment qualification depends on the awarding organisation, the qualification and the assessment responsibilities involved.


You may also need access to an Internal Quality Assurer (IQA), particularly when delivering regulated qualifications. Internal quality assurance helps ensure that assessment decisions are consistent, fair and meet the required standards.

This is another reason why opening an academy to deliver regulated qualifications involves more than simply completing a teaching course.


What should I do before setting up my own training academy?

If you're considering moving from working in your industry to teaching others, we'd encourage you to start with the training you actually want to offer rather than immediately investing in an accreditation package or developing a complete course library.


Think about who your learners will be, what they'll need to know or do by the end of their training and whether they require a particular qualification or certificate. Consider whether you'll be delivering your own short courses, providing professional development or working towards approval to deliver regulated qualifications.


It's also worth exploring the practical side of running a training business. You'll need to think about how learning will be delivered, what resources you'll need, how you'll assess understanding and how you'll maintain appropriate records. If you're planning to teach practical or clinical skills, there may be additional considerations around facilities, equipment, supervision and safety.


And while your industry expertise is likely to be the foundation of your academy, don't underestimate the importance of developing your teaching skills.


The ability to do something well and the ability to help somebody else learn how to do it are two very different things. A good trainer needs to understand how people learn, recognise when somebody is struggling and adapt their approach to support different needs.

That's where an introductory teaching qualification such as AET can make a real difference.


Is AET the right first step for starting my own academy?

For many experienced professionals who want to move into teaching or training, the Level 3 Award in Education and Training is a sensible starting point. It introduces the fundamental principles of effective teaching and provides an opportunity to practise delivering a session before taking on responsibility for training others.


However, it's important to be realistic about what the qualification does and doesn't provide.

AET won't automatically make you an approved training centre, qualify you to deliver every regulated qualification or replace the specialist professional competence needed to teach particular subjects. Depending on your plans, you may need additional qualifications, awarding organisation approval or professional authorisation.


What it can do is help you develop the teaching knowledge and skills to begin turning your professional expertise into a structured learning experience.


And that's something we think deserves more attention. Whether you've spent 20 years working in healthcare, developed specialist skills in the beauty industry or built a career in construction, knowing your subject is only part of becoming an effective trainer.


The next step is learning how to help somebody else understand it.


Start your teaching journey with Emblem Training Solutions

At Emblem, we deliver the Highfield Level 3 Award in Education and Training through flexible learning options, including self-paced online learning, blended online programmes and face-to-face workshops.

Our courses are designed for people moving into teaching and training, including experienced industry professionals who want to develop their own academies or begin delivering training within their organisations.

If you're unsure whether AET is the right qualification for your plans, we're happy to help you understand what it covers and where additional qualifications or approvals may be needed.


Explore our Level 3 Award in Education and Training courses or get in touch to discuss your next steps.


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