Public Health training

Public Health skills and training

For those looking to begin a career in Public Health, there are many ways to gain skills and undergo professional training. Alongside Southwark’s Public Health Foundation Programme, a wide range of training opportunities are available, from 3-year courses to short learning modules.

• The Public Health Practitioner Integrated Degree Apprenticeship is a three-year programme combining a wide portfolio of work with a bachelor’s degree qualification (usually a BSc Public Health). It is designed for those seeking a start to a career in public health who do not have an existing related degree. The apprenticeship requires no prior experience of public health and includes 6 hours per week of protected learning time. Opportunities to undertake this role can be found on the Institute for Apprentice’s website

• The Royal Society of Public Health hosts a qualifications and training hub, where it provides a wide range of accredited qualifications in public health, with learning both in-person and online. A number of free courses are available, alongside access to speciality information and knowledge hubs

• NHS England and the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities have created a number of e-learning modules under the All Our Health framework. These modules are free and cover topics ranging from Air Pollution to Sexual Health, to Trauma-Informed Practice

• The Local Knowledge and Intelligence Service has developed the Public Health Intelligence programme to equip participants with knowledge of health data, information and intelligence in a public health context. If you are already working within an eligible organisation (such as the NHS or a care organisation), you will be able to access this free of charge. You may also be able to do so through Open Athens; you can check your eligibility on the course page

• Imperial College London has developed a number of free courses in Public Health for NHS staff, covering topics such as healthcare quality improvement, data and research, and participatory approaches in public health. If you are an NHS staff member, you can access the Coursera website

• The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control offers free online courses in public health modules as part of the ECDC Virtual Academy. Courses are offered in instructor-led and self-directed formats and are grouped into seven key themes, including Communications in Public Health and Data Collection and Analysis.

Page last updated: 01 May 2024