academy+ launches HR academy+, a free training platform for HR and L&D leaders

HR and L&D professionals are often the people everyone else turns to when something changes – a new policy, a new law, a new compliance requirement. But when it comes to their own professional development, budget and time are usually the first things to get squeezed.

That’s why academy+ has created HR academy+, a free platform for HR and L&D leaders and managers, offering CPD-certified courses designed to support their day-to-day needs.

HR and L&D professionals can sign up for instant access to the courses already live, with new content arriving every quarter.

Built specifically for HR and L&D leaders

Staying across the latest regulations can be one of the hardest parts of HR and L&D leaders’ jobs. They are expected to know the answers to health and safety, data protection, discrimination law and more – often without dedicated time to actually learn about it. HR academy+ gives them a simple way to stay up to date.

Currently, three CPD-certified courses are available on the platform:

Preparing for the Employment Rights Act. Created specifically for HR and L&D leaders to provide a comprehensive overview of the employment law updates as they come into force throughout 2026 and 2027 – and how they could impact organisations, their business and their staff.

Sexual Harassment Prevention & Reasonable Steps. The Worker Protection Act, which came into force in October 2024, introduced a new legal duty for employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment. This course was created to help HR and L&D leaders understand the requirements and support effective prevention in the workplace.

Preventing Workplace Discrimination. Updated in 2026 to help HR and L&D leaders build fairer workplaces and reduce the risk of claims landing on their desks.
Each course is aligned with UK legislation and recognised standards, providing a genuine record of current, relevant professional development, rather than a box-ticking exercise.

As new material is added every quarter, HR academy+ is designed to be a resource professionals can return to on an ongoing basis.

Why CPD matters for HR and L&D leaders

Continuing professional development isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s often expected by professional bodies as part of maintaining membership, and it’s one of the clearest ways for HR and L&D professionals to show they’re keeping pace with a role that never stops moving.

But CPD budgets are usually the first thing to disappear when a business is watching costs, and HR and L&D professionals managing these functions alone often have no one advocating for their own development the way they advocate for everyone else’s.

HR academy+ removes that barrier. Every course is free and CPD-certified, allowing professionals to keep building their own record of development without waiting for budget approval.

Ian McClelland, CEO of academy+, says: “HR and L&D professionals spend every day supporting everyone else’s development – we wanted to build something that supports theirs too. HR academy+ gives them free, CPD-certified training they can rely on, with something new added every quarter, so staying current doesn’t have to compete with an already stretched budget.”

How to sign up for HR academy+

Signing up is free and takes less than a minute. Once registered, users have instant access to the courses on the platform and receive an email whenever a new resource is added.

Register now: https://staffskillsacademy.co.uk/hr-academy/


Notes to editors

What is HR academy+? A free platform from Staff Skills academy+, offering CPD-certified courses built specifically for HR and L&D professionals, with new resources added every quarter.

Who’s it for? HR and L&D professionals across all UK organisations, from SMEs to public sector and enterprise.

Is it free? Yes – no subscription, no obligation, no catch.

Do users get certificates? Yes, each course is CPD-certified and can be added to their professional development records.

About academy+

academy+ provides compliance training alongside development and wellbeing resources to UK SMEs, public sector and enterprise organisations through Staff Skills academy+, and to individual learners through New Skills academy+.

Further enquiries

Please contact:
Paul Joyce, Chief Commercial Officer
Academy Plus Group Limited t/a academy+
paul@academypl.us