Online Skills Training

What the product is

Online Skills Training, which also calls itself OST, sells short online courses for people who want to improve their job prospects and for employers who need to train a team. The home page frames the idea as "Combining Technology and learning" and says "We bring technology to learners that are looking to take the next step in their career." The footer on every page sums up the offer in one line: "We provide an online solution for learners wanting to upskill or reskill using e-learning courses in a range of industries."

The catalog is built around workplace compliance and practical job skills rather than hobbies or academic subjects. It is sorted into four categories: Health & Safety, Business & Employability, Hospitality, and Health & Social Care. Each course is sold on its own, with a price shown on the course card and an "Enrol now" button, so a learner pays only for the courses they need.

The About page says the company has "been developing our successful online learning solution model for over 12 years following the latest global shifts in digitisation." Its stated mission is "To bring technology to the centre of learning within a range of key industries" and "To promote the use of technology in the up skilling of people at all levels."

The course catalog

The All Courses listing runs to 16 pages, and the category sections on the courses page show how wide the library is.

Health & Safety is the largest area. It covers fire topics (Basic Fire Safety Awareness, Fire Marshal, Fire Extinguisher, Fire Doors), manual handling, ladder safety, working at height, abrasive wheels, working in confined spaces, electrical safety, noise awareness, slips, trips and falls, asbestos awareness (including a version for architects and designers and an IATP variant), COSHH, display screen equipment, lock out tag out, banksman training and hand arm vibration syndrome. It also carries first aid courses (an emergency first aid at work annual refresher, a version for Irish audiences, pediatric first aid, mental health first aid), safeguarding adults and children, Prevent duty, lockdown procedure in school, positive handling in schools, a preparation course for the CITB health, safety and environment test, and several mental health and condition awareness courses covering epilepsy, autism, ADHD, depression and learning disability.

Business Skills & Employability covers social media for business (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), social media marketing, search engine optimization, cyber security, customer service, conflict resolution, equality and diversity, time and stress management, presentation skills, negotiation, sales skills, project management, performance management, delegation, managing meetings, teamwork, disciplinary procedures, managing sickness and absence, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, an introduction to GDPR, emotional intelligence and preparing for a job interview.

Health & Social Care is aimed at care workers: person-centered care, duty of care, dignity and privacy, end of life care, nutrition and hydration, safe handling of medicines, the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, handling information in a care setting, dementia, diabetes and stroke awareness, and fire safety courses written for care homes.

Hospitality covers food safety at Level 1 and Level 2 for catering, retail and manufacturing, a Supervising Food Safety Level 3 course, Introduction to HACCP Level 2, Achieving Food Hygiene Rating Level 5, allergen awareness, basic Legionella management, licensed premises staff training and an Alcohol Personal License Holder course.

The Health & Safety section also lists four NVQ unit courses, such as conforming to general health, safety and welfare in the workplace and erecting and dismantling working platforms. These four are sold through an "Add to cart" button rather than "Enrol now".

Every course card carries the same tag, "beginner level • online", so the catalog is pitched at people new to a topic.

Prices

Prices are per course and shown on every card. The great majority cost £24.99. A few cost less: Fire Extinguisher, Mental Health Awareness and Dementia Awareness are £22, and the three Level 1 Food Safety courses are £14.4. Longer or more specialized courses cost more. Working Safely, Introduction to Emotional Intelligence and Basic Legionella Management are £64.4, Facebook for Business and Twitter for Business are £90, each of the four NVQ unit courses is £99, Supervising Food Safety Level 3 is £122, and the search engine optimization course for business is £149.

There is no subscription on the courses page. A learner buys a course and works through it, which keeps the cost predictable for someone who needs one specific course for a job.

Ratings

Each course card shows a star rating out of 5.0 with the number of ratings beside it. Ratings on the courses page sit between 4.0 and 5.0, with between 21 and 42 ratings per course. Fire Marshal for Care Homes has the most, at 42 ratings and a 5.0 score; Licensed Premises Staff Training shows 4.7 from 34 ratings; Manual Handling shows 4.0 from 28. The Learner Hub invites past learners to leave a rating or feedback through a form, with the line "Is there somewhere we can improve? We are more than happy to hear from you."

The learner experience

Learners study through the Learner Hub, which the site says is "designed to provide all learners a simple and virtual way to learn, building a community to support learners of different levels and across a range of industries." Study is self-paced. The hub explains that learners "can progress through the modules at your own pace and in your own time, so you can fit the training in around your work and personal life."

The hub sets out the route through a course in four steps: start the course, work through the modules, use the videos to help with the course, then "Pass your course and get certified!" Courses are therefore made of modules supported by video, end with a pass, and lead to a certificate.

Support is a selling point. The home page promises "one-to-one training and 24/7 technical support for committed learners", along with "competitive tips to make sure all learners are on track", and lists "Receive one-to-one training & utilise our learner portal to stay on track" among the things a learner can do. Learners sign up through Register and Login links in the header and buy through a cart.

After a course, the hub's "What next in your career?" section points learners to employability help: work experience, interview preparation, having a good CV, and ESOL programs for people improving their English.

For employers and partners

The Become a Partner page is the training-library side of the product. It says the company is "helping businesses increase their team learning capability" and offers two things to upskill a team: "Comprehensive group training materials with support from a dedicated account manager" and "Managed delivery at a date and time to suit your team." Partners get "an online solution that covers the technical aspects of online learning, as well as the content and materials," which the page calls "ideal for businesses of all sizes and ambitions."

The About page adds a second service for organizations that run their own training: "If you have a course that is currently classroom-delivered, our solution and results-focussed approach will help you develop an online solution that aligns with your goals." Businesses enquire through a form asking for name, company, phone and email, or by email to the business support team. Group prices are not on the site; the route is an enquiry.

Who it suits and who it does not

Online Skills Training suits an individual who needs one specific compliance or workplace course, such as fire marshal, food safety or manual handling, and wants to pay a fixed price for it, study around work, and come away with a certificate. Care workers will find a sizable set of care-specific courses, and hospitality staff can cover food safety from Level 1 through to supervising at Level 3. The employability help after a course is a useful extra for job seekers.

It also suits a small or mid-sized employer that wants a team trained on safety, care or business topics with an account manager handling delivery, or a training provider that wants a classroom course moved online.

Two caveats. Every course is tagged beginner level, so learners after advanced or specialist depth should look elsewhere. And employers comparing costs will need to enquire, because the partner program has no published price.