Essential Courses for All Colleagues
The University has a legal requirement to provide adequate training for all colleagues to ensure Compliance and Risk, General Health and Safety procedures are understood and met. Colleagues must ensure they take reasonable care for their Compliance and Risk, Health and Safety and cooperate with the University requirements to perform their duties.
What are the Essential Courses?
Our eight Essential Courses feature a combination of new and refreshed training modules, including:
- Health & Safety (15 mins);
- Fire Awareness for All (5 mins);
- Office Safety at UoM (30 mins);
- Data Protection & Cyber Security (30 mins);
- Diversity in the Workplace (45 mins);
- Unconscious Bias (45 mins);
- Disability Equity (30 mins);
- Sexual Harassment (20 mins).
Access
You can access the Blackboard suite via the link below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does everyone need to complete the training?
Yes. All colleagues must complete each module, even if you have completed the training previously. For colleagues who joined the University after 1 August 2024, their completion records will be updated pre-launch to reflect any previously completed courses, provided there is a record of completion.
I am not desk based. Do I need to do it?
Yes. If you are a colleague at The University of Manchester you need to complete this suite. Arrangements are being made to ensure all colleagues can access computers and support. More information will be made available by local channels.
How can I access the training?
All training modules can be accessed from Essential Training Courses.
I’m a new starter - how do I access the suite?
New starters are enrolled weekly on Tuesday mornings. However, if you need to access faster then click the enrol button in the bottom left or contact essentials@manchester.ac.uk, providing your SPOT Id (staff id) and a member of the team will assist you.
Can you enrol me on to the course?
All colleagues across the University have already been enrolled onto ECAC2425 Essential Courses for All Colleagues. If you feel you have not been enrolled and you should be, please contact essentials@manchester.ac.uk, providing your SPOT Id (staff id) and a member of the team will assist you.
How long do we have to complete it?
The Blackboard suite will be available from Monday 2 December 2024 until Friday 28 February 2025, offering a three-month window for all staff to complete the required training.
A new reporting tool will provide detailed insights into the completion status of essential training courses meaning Local Safety Advisers can discuss with managers, helping to identify and encourage staff who have not yet completed their required training.
When will my Training Record be updated?
Training Records will be updated monthly. Due to the scale of this endeavour, we have to work in a slightly different way than we have done previously. If you require evidence of completion between updates, please use the Blackboard certificates as evidence.
How can you support the training?
Complete your training from December onwards and encourage your teams and colleagues to complete their training by Friday, 28 February. Let colleagues know when the training will be available from Monday, 2 December and encourage them to take the time to prioritise their learning and development.
Is the training accessible?
All training is accessible, screen reader friendly and confirms to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) requirements.
When will my Training Record be updated
Training Records will be updated monthly. Due to the scale of this endeavour, we have to work in a slightly different way than we have done previously. If you require evidence of completion between updates, please use the Blackboard certificates as evidence.
How do achievements work?
Achievements will seem faded for those you are yet to receive and in full colour when you have achieved them. You can use the links for “earned achievements” and “unearned achievements” for further clarity. This is a quirk of Blackboard and outside of our design.
Can I access the training after I’ve completed it?
You can access all content in the future for future reference. Just click the learning content and choose “new submission”. You will still be marked as complete.
Will this be an annual refresher?
We all have a responsibility for ensuring appropriate training is up to date. The training schedule is being re-evaluated as part of the institutional role based training analysis.
What happens if I don’t do it
We’re not going to talk about punitive measures at this time. We need all staff to complete training that is a legal requirement. We want all staff to complete training that’s a strategic requirement. First & foremost, we want to create a safe environment for all colleagues and we want to celebrate that. We will only talk about consequences for non-completion to the few who do not engage and represent The University of Manchester in this regard.