What’s The Difference Between Bespoke and Accredited Courses?

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If you’re thinking of starting your own training provider, one of the first things you need to think about is what type of courses you want to deliver. There are two different types for you to consider, and they are:

  • Bespoke Courses
  • Accredited Courses

Bespoke Courses

By definition, ‘Bespoke’ is ‘something that is made for a particular customer or user’. For example, a Tailor would make and sell bespoke items of clothing that are specifically made for the customer who ordered them.

Now in terms of Bespoke courses, these are courses that are written by you and/or your company. They can be customised to your specifications and your particular requirements. Because of this, these type of courses are more commonly developed and delivered as in-house courses for companies.

What is worth noting is that Bespoke courses do not require you or your staff to be qualified or experienced in training, in order to deliver them. So, you would be able to create a course that specifically meets the needs of your staff/your target market and deliver it; all without being required to complete more training beforehand.

More often than not, the biggest benefit of a Bespoke course is its relevance. You would be able to tailor every aspect of the course, from the content through to the choice of vocabulary. Not only that, but you’ll have full ownership of your Bespoke course. This is incredibly useful for when it comes to making changes, updates and revisions. What’s more, you can also deliver your courses to any number of employees/learners without having to pay fees.

However, Bespoke courses aren’t recognised qualifications, unlike Accredited courses. So, it’s extremely unlikely that the learners who enrol onto your Bespoke course will able to use their certificate with other employers. Bespoke courses are most commonly designed by employers for their own staff. This is to get them up to the standards that you would expect from your company.

If this is the route you want to go down, our page on Starting Your Own Training Company has more information!

Accredited Courses

So, the main difference between Bespoke and Accredited courses is that Accredited courses are moderated by Awarding Bodies, such as Pearson Edexcel. The Awarding Body and the qualification needs to be registered with a regulator, such as Ofqual. Once everything has been registered with the regulator, the qualification/course can be delivered by the Training Providers (i.e your company). But, your Training Provider will need to be approved by the Awarding Body before they can offer their qualifications.

Since Accredited courses are already  ready and have been developed for the widest possible audience, your Training Provider may be able to get these courses up and running with a bare minimum of setup time. This may be ideal if you want to provide training on relatively general subjects; the courses will align with industry best practice and compliance standards. They can also be much more affordable, and they’re often favoured by smaller companies with less to spend.

However, Accredited courses aren’t tailored to fit the specific needs of your business model and workflow. So, the meaning the content may not necessarily meet your training goals as precisely as a Bespoke course. If your requirements are too specific for an Accredited course, then Bespoke may be better for your Training Provider.

If Accredited courses are the way for your Training Provider, our page on Starting Your Own Accredited Training Company will tell you everything else you need to know!