Frequently asked Questions
Q. What is LPB and The TIC Academy?
Life People Business Ltd is an AI enabled research and development organisation based in the UK, which undertakes national & global research of regulatory compliance; comprising science, technology, innovation, and stakeholder expectations of modern management, under ISO and WTO systems and established protocols in the Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Sector.
LPB is dedicated to leveraging such systems through ISO Standards to enhance the development of companies and their people, and to improve competitive advantage under increasingly complex trading conditions.
The TIC academy is a wholly owned subsidiary of LPB, and backed by LPB Research, provides specialised courses which support organisations and professionals within the TIC sector AND for those new to the sector with compliance responsibilities.
Q. What are the benefits of using The TIC Academy?
The beneficiaries of the services provided by LPB's-TIC Academy, are companies already engaged or preparing to engage in compliance and ISO Systems, and also their personnel or individuals operating within the TIC Sector at all operational and executive levels. The 'Benefits to the buyer', are that utilising TIC Academy programmes, helps an organisation prove it is applying relevant training as part of their compliance requirements. This can be leveraged further, by use of an LPB Corporate Sponsor and Training Partner Logo through LPB Patreon's - 'Corporate Sponsorship Plus' Tier.
Development courses for staff and individuals, help to support their proficiency in SHEQ etc. ISO based departmental roles and responsibilities; with the added benefit of being able to pursue TIC 'Registered Practitioner' recognition and receiving 'TIC Academy Licensed post nominals' (after pursuing relevant career pathways), that can be used by trained persons in a professional setting.
A full list of benefits across the Academy's Training, Registration and Corporate portfolio includes:
TIC Training
- Accelerate Career Growth: Gain specialised compliance knowledge and certifications tailored to advance your career.
- Global Recognition: Earn portable qualifications that are respected across industries, boosting your professional credibility.
- Stay Current: Engage with SOE-approved CPD courses, ensuring you remain up-to-date with industry standards.
- Maximise Value: Access bundled courses at a discounted rate, providing comprehensive skills and knowledge for less.
- Flexible Learning: Learn at your own pace with online courses designed to fit your busy schedule.
- Enhance Expertise: Deepen your understanding of management systems and regulatory compliance to excel in your role.
TIC Registration
- Professional Validation: Obtain licensed registration and post nominals, affirming your role and expertise in compliance and management.
- Commit to Excellence: Showcase your dedication to continuous improvement and professional growth through ongoing registration renewal.
- Elevate Your Role: Gain formal recognition for your CPD efforts, enhancing your reputation and career prospects.
- Demonstrate Competence: Apply your knowledge and experience in a way that is officially recognised within ISO-compliant workplaces.
- Be Recognised: Secure your place as a Registered Administrator, Manager, or Auditor, validating your qualifications.
- Strengthen Career Credentials: Position yourself as a committed professional with credentials that meet industry standards.
TIC Corporate
- Boost Brand Credibility: Leverage the exclusive TIC Academy corporate logo* to demonstrate your organisation’s commitment to excellence and compliance.
- Invest in People: Empower your staff with training and career development pathways that align with corporate goals and ISO standards.
- Increase Visibility: Gain exposure through TIC Academy’s social media and promotional platforms, enhancing your corporate profile.
- Support ISO and legal Compliance: Ensure your organisation meets regulatory requirements with trained, qualified, and competent staff.
- Influence Development: Participate in corporate sponsorship to shape the future of training content and industry standards.
- Training can support the sustainability reporting process.
- Maximise Benefits: Enjoy exclusive discounts* on selected courses, providing valuable training at a reduced cost for your team.
* for corporate sponsorship plus members
Q. What is research led training?
Research led training is a method by which our courses are subject to regular change and update. Unlike a traditional course of training that may be established for a set time period (i.e. typically every 5 years for ISO Standards), research led training means our courses are updated regularly based upon latest research from LPB.
LPB is a Privately owned and Independent, Research and Development Organisation, specialising in researching businesses, markets, technological and emergent trends within the TIC Sector.
LPB presents it's research outcomes into The TIC Academy Limited. In this way learning content can be attuned, so that candidates always have the most up to date courses, reflecting changes to specialist areas within the TIC Sector from emerging trends.
Q. Does Compliance Training apply to me?
Training is a great way to learn new things about you, your work, and new subjects affecting your work environment. With our subsidised, discounted and BETA courses, you have low cost entry into commencing your enlightenment journey, and all courses from our ELQN Accredited Business School, relate to any workplace or career.
Further to this,, compliance training applies to you because it is essential for all companies, making it a practical, applicable, and portable qualification that enhances your professional competence and value across various industries.
Q. What is the best device to Learn with, on the TIC Academy Platform?
According to research by Stritto and Linder of Oregon State University, the best device to learn with on Platforms like The TIC Academy is a laptop, as 99% of students own one. Additionally, over half of the students also own a tablet, making these devices highly preferred for online course access and multimedia learning.
Q. Is it just about learning ISO Standards?
No, TIC Academy courses are not just about learning ISO Standards. While ISO Standards provide the underlying context or theme, our courses aim to offer a more pragmatic understanding of the requirements. After all, anyone can pick up a standard and read it, but we focus on helping you understand what is required by a Standard, so you can apply this knowledge effectively in real-world scenarios.
Unlike certification body training, which often concentrates on breaking down an ISO standard into technical terms, TIC Academy bases its courses within the context of overall corporate compliance. This ensures that you not only understand the intent behind standards but also how they integrate into broader compliance frameworks and corporate strategies. We recognise that some subjects are technical or sector-specific by nature, and in such cases, our courses do focus on the specific subject matter at hand. This approach equips you with both practical skills and academic insights, to manage compliance holistically, enhancing your ability to contribute to your organisation's overall compliance and operational excellence.
Q. What should be my approach to studying a TIC Academy course?
Firstly if you wish to watch a video or click through content without reading it in order to receive a course certificate, then the TIC Academy is not for you. As an ELQN Accredited Business School and Globally recognised Academy, the TIC Academy expects you to 'earn' your qualification, just as you would at any other business school.
Our simple philosophy is that we research your subjects then convert research into training. You then attend our course, developing as you go with your own 'supplementary' research, on the content and topics provided, to reach your own learning potential. (This is identified as the recommended CPD for supporting research, allocated to every course, and is in addition top how long you may apply yourself to actually completing the course)!
If you don't work to achieve something that takes up your valuable time, then that 'something' is probably not worth achieving! This philosophy of research and Train on our part and research and learn, to complete a course on your part, is what gives our Certificates and Diplomas their value, and is a robust indication of quality to employing organisations and our accreditors.
Q. What are the qualification levels of a Certificate and Diploma etc.
Firstly it should be recognised that online training is not the same as primary and secondary school teaching, and that of degree awarding academic institutions.
As a privately funded and ELQN Accredited Business School, 'The TIC Academy Ltd' is responsible for designing its own awards for online training, in the field of 'specialist vocational training for Educational Support'. The Academy has its own levels of qualification that, whilst falling outside of ofqual, EQF and similar frameworks, are still maintained transparently for students and accreditors alike.
To keep it simple:
Level 1: Intro and Short Course with 2 Hrs of recommended supplementary research for CPD
Level 2: Certificate with 4 Hrs of recommended supplementary research for CPD
Level 3: Advanced Certificate accompanied by 8 Hrs of recommended supplementary research for CPD
Level 4: Diploma accompanied by 12 Hrs of recommended supplementary research for CPD
Level 5: Advanced Diploma accompanied by 16 Hrs of recommended supplementary research for CPD
All of these courses have a completion time that is dependent upon the pace of student, however typically a student can take anywhere from Half a day to complete Level 1, to 12 Months for completion of Level 5. See also our 'About' page for expectations on learning outcomes.
Our Level 6 Master Classes which may be offered from time to time, are tutored or mentored, and already have a comprehensive research base built into them, they also represent our top level of teaching.
Q. What are Career Pathways?
Whether an employer is seeking to upskill or maintain continuing professional development for its staff, or a newcomer or experienced professional is seeking to strengthen their career within the TIC Sector, The TIC Academy has designed a 'Career Pathway' to suit. For employers, this presents an opportunity to develop its own compliance expertise, through individuals from within the organisation, a feature designed to counter skill shortages within the sector.
For an individual, career pathways present a guided route through professional development leading to licensed recognition from The TIC Academy as a 'Registered Practitioner'. This is a hallmark of excellence and allows for professional recognition of Administrators, Managers, Internal Auditors and Lead Auditors, holding appropriate underpinning skills and knowledge within their respective specialist fields.
There are two key themes underpinning a career pathway, that of a 'comprehensive learning' approach (where several key courses are bundled together) leading to a fully developed career route towards 'Registered Practitioner' and also 'Direct Access', for experienced TIC Industry professionals, maintaining skills and/or seeking to transfer professional registration to The TIC Academy, this requires completion of only basic training modules. Registration under a career pathway, provides recognition and validation to industry stakeholders, that candidates of The TIC Academy have followed structured routes of learning and development within the Sector, to achieve a level of competence with respect to their professional field of expertise.
Q. What is a 'Registered Practitioner'?
A 'Registered Practitioner' is an individual that has completed a series of courses and professional examinations under a TIC Academy Career Pathway, and is then 'Licensed' by The TIC Academy to receive recognition of professional learning and competence.
Registration of the person concerned, in their specialist sector such as 'Registered Manager Quality Management Systems' is provided through LPBs 'Patreon' facility, with TIC Academy licensure including use of post nominals i.e. from the above example a Registered Quality Management Systems Manager would be entitled to use the post nominal letters of 'RMQMS' awarded exclusively by The TIC Academy Limited as an Vocational Education and Training Body.
Q. What is the Professional Exam?
The TIC Academy - Professional Examination, is a standardised assessment designed to evaluate an individual's knowledge, skills, and competencies in a specific field or professional Sector. These examinations are administered by The TIC Academy as a measure, to ensure that candidates meet predetermined standards of proficiency and competency.
Professional examinations may cover a wide range of topics, including technical knowledge, practical skills, ethical considerations, and regulatory requirements relevant to the professional sector being measured. Successful completion of a professional examination contributes to Licensure under The TIC Academy's 'Registered Practitioner' programme, which serves as formal recognition of an individual's expertise and qualification to practice in their chosen professional sector.
These examinations play a crucial role in upholding standards of excellence, ensuring public safety, and promoting professionalism within the Registered Practitioner's scope(s) of operation.
Q. What is Patreon ?
The LPB Patreon Platform, is the gateway for administration of the TIC Academy 'Registered Practitioner' Scheme.
Formal Registration as a practitioner, is only available to those completing underpinning knowledge and skills training, and 'Career Pathways' development through The TIC Academy.
Patreon can be reached by a click-through access from: www.lifepeoplebusiness.com or directly at: patreon.com/user?u=87163465
Q. What are Bundles?
Bundles are a great way to benefit from bulk savings when following The TIC Academy's Career Pathways. They offer a significant discount and there are two key features of the offers provided.
Typically employers promoting from within, and newcomers to the Industry, may start their professional journey into compliance, (i.e. Health and Safety, Quality Management, Environmental Management etc.), from attendance at perhaps just one type of internal or external training course. This may loosely cover the role they are developing into, but may not account for all of the underlying principles that are meant to be covered to perform their TIC Sector role (as Administrator, Manager, Auditor etc.) 'effectively' .
A 'Comprehensive Access' package of training is offered by the TIC Academy through its career pathway bundles, for those seeking to have all the underpinning knowledge and understanding, necessary to be proficient within their TIC Sector role. The linking of specific courses under bundles, to underpin the breadth of training required, is designed to meet this ethos.
For experienced professionals and those with a more advanced knowledge of TIC Sector roles and responsibilities, there is also a 'Direct Access' feature under Bundles. These involve less courses but include a professional examination, and still offer a significant saving on linked elements within the bundle. Whether the 'Comprehensive' or 'Direct Access' route is chosen, it contains all the necessary ingredients to prove 'underpinning knowledge and understanding' for personal competence and CPD purposes, and for registration as a TIC Sector professional under The Registered Practitioner programme.
Q. Is The TIC Academy Accredited?
Yes. Both The TIC Academy and its online Business School are Accredited Institutions by The E-Learning Quality Network (ELQN) for all of the learning content, courses and therefore practitioner registrations that it provides, based upon its accredited qualifications.
In addition, The TIC Academy Ltd's application for both a Corporate Partner and SOE Approved Training Provider for CPD was accepted in May 2024. Successful applicants to the SOE approved CPD Scheme can also use the relevant 'SOE CPD Approved' logo(s).
This solution gives TIC Academy CPD core modules for students and Registered Practitioners, the edge compared to others, as it carries the full weight of a Professional Engineering Institution, and indicates it meets the same standards that apply to continuing education for the chartered and professional membership of SOE.
External verification of CPD by an internationally recognised Professional Engineering Institute (PEI) demonstrates that TIC Academy CPD courses offer clear learning outcomes, with high standards and measurable outcomes. This is of use to organisational sponsors and students of The TIC Academy, looking to quality assess TIC Academy training schemes and career pathways.
Some shorter courses offered by The TIC Academy, although Accredited by (ELQN), are not suitable for SOE Approval under CPD, as research led training can change some course content rapidly, and fall outside normal timescales for the SOE CPD approval process.
All courses and modules of training, are still fully rated by The TIC academy for CPD, under the stewardship of the LPB Governance Panel.