About Level 3 Foundation qualifications

 Level 3 Foundation qualifications are perfect if you want to acquire a wide range of relevant practical skills in HR and development. Our Level 3 Foundation certificates and diplomas also give you a professionally recognised qualification and the knowledge towards Associate professional membership. You can choose to follow a HR or L&D pathway and you also have the opportunity to study individual foundation level awards to either start or top up your HR and L&D knowledge.

Level 3 Foundation qualifications replace and are equivalent to the previous Certificate in Personnel Practice (CPP) and Certificate in Training Practice (CPP).

Who are Level 3 Foundation qualifications for?

  • Those who are aspiring to, or embarking on, a career in HR or Learning and Development (L&D) 
  • Who are working in the field of HR/L&D in a support role and wish to develop their knowledge and skills
  • Who have the responsibility for HR/L&D activities and decisions within an organisation without a specialist function.

Where to study CIPD Level 3 Foundation qualifications

We have a network of approved centres across the UK and Ireland and internationally that offer our foundation level qualifications. 


Which Level 3 Foundation qualification?


Our Level 3 Foundation qualifications are nationally recognised and have been designed to support the development of a career in HR. They provide a foundation for you to build on and introduce you to the knowledge and skills needed by today’s professionals.

We offer the following Level 3 Foundation award, certificate and diploma qualifications:

- Awards in HR and Learning and Development Essentials
- Certificate in Human Resource Practice
- Certificate in Learning and Development Practice 
- Diploma in Human Resource Practice
- Diploma in Learning and Development Practice

More information

*CIPD Level 3 Foundation qualifications are comparable to the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) level 3 which is comparable to the European Qualifications Framework level 4 and level 6 and 5 for Scotland and Ireland respectively.