Great experience and my assessor Gemma was excellent turning my submissions around so quickly and giving really valuable feedback. Like many others the only thing preventing it from being 5*... See more
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I really enjoyed this course and found it very helpful . The lessons were clear , well - organized and easy to follow. The support from tutors was excellent - they were always ready to help and I appr... See more
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The course was packed with information. It made me reflect and think, analyse and question. The learning slides were a good mixture of reading and videos, games and tasks that kept my attention throug... See more
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The course was very informative indeed. I learned a great deal. The links to relevant charities were helpful in understanding what support is available for children experiencing mental health cond... See more
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Company details
- Distance Learning Centre
- Adult education centre
- Career and Education Provider
- Education Centre
- Educational institution
Written by the company
The Skills Network is one of the most successful providers of online learning solutions in the UK. Distance learning supports educators, employers and individuals around to develop new skills and knowledge, and we have a wide range of free, fully-funded courses, CPDs, Skills Bootcamps, Apprenticeships, professional qualifications and more.
Contact info
06-16 Benedict Drive, Abbey Court, YO8 8RY, Selby, United Kingdom
- 01757 210022
- enquiries@theskillsnetwork.com
- theskillsnetwork.com
3.8
Great
2K reviews
Replied to 91% of negative reviews
Typically replies within 2 weeks
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Horrible unhelpful emails
Course content is easy to understand and is worth doing.
However the confusion of the amount of different emails and unhelpful messages from the staff are not neurodiverse friendly and very unhelpful
Contacted a manager and get a typical copy and paste answer and not any helpful advise what so ever.
So all my hard work was lost and not continued due to staff not being trained in the neurodiverse area even tho it states they are.
5 July 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Skills Network
Thank you for your honest review and for raising such an important issue. We're really sorry to hear that your experience didn’t reflect our commitment to supporting neurodiverse learners.
We want all learners to feel fully supported and understood. We would welcome the opportunity to understand more about what happened and how we can improve. Please feel free to contact us at complaints@theskillsnetwork.com and we’ll ensure your concerns are reviewed by the appropriate team.
We’re actively working to improve communication practices, especially around accessibility and inclusion, and your feedback will help shape that.
I keep being accused of using AI for my…
I keep being accused of using AI for my answers, which I am not doing. It's incredibly frustrating; my tutor gives no constructive feedback either. I have one question left to answer which I have already attempted twice. I'm hoping for third time lucky but who knows.
It seems to be a theme though, and I really wish I'd read reviews before choosing a course through them.
5 July 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Skills Network
We’re genuinely sorry to hear about your frustration and completely understand how disheartening this must feel. We aim to maintain academic integrity, but it’s just as important that our feedback is clear, and constructive.
We’d like to investigate your case to ensure everything has been handled appropriately and to help you move forward. Please email us at complaints@theskillsnetwork.com and we’ll make sure a member of the team looks into this directly.
Thank you for sharing your experience, your feedback helps us improve the support we provide.
If I could give it 0 stars I would
Take all your personal data and then pretend they cant find finding for your course. You wont hear from them about it and they will ignore your emails. They've now blocked my e mail address. So I cant make a formal complaint
30 June 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Skills Network
We’re very sorry to hear about your experience and for any frustration caused. We take data protection and transparency extremely seriously and would never intentionally block communication or avoid supporting a learner.
We’d really like to investigate what’s happened here and ensure your concerns are properly addressed. If you're willing, please contact us directly at 01757 210022, so we can review your case in detail and resolve this for you.
Your feedback is important, and we're committed to improving the way we communicate and support potential learners.
I feel so naive for falling for this…
I feel so naive for falling for this without reading reviews beforehand.
Completed a lengthy application process, only to be told that they can’t secure funding for me. I would love to know what the real eligibility criteria is for this.
I want my personal documents/data removed from this system.
28 June 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Skills Network
Thank you for sharing your experience, and we're truly sorry to hear how frustrated and disappointed you feel.
We understand how upsetting it must be to share personal details and not have a course proceed as expected. Course availability and government funding can vary significantly by location and are sometimes subject to sudden changes, which can understandably lead to confusion or frustration.
We also want to reassure you that all personal data is handled in strict accordance with GDPR regulations, and your information is not used for any purpose outside of the course application process. Could you please email us with your details and we will remove you from our system.
We appreciate you raising this issue — feedback like yours is vital in helping us improve how we support our learners.
Real score 4.5 given to the Skills Network.
I would have given the Skills Network a 4.5 if able to. I only faced a few tech problems, which I emailed/rang about, and in all cases bar one, they were solved quickly.
The support staff were extremely helpful and the course notes easy to understand and follow. I hope to move forward to the next level soon.
26 June 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Skills Network
Thank you so much for your kind feedback! We're really pleased to hear you found our support staff helpful and the course materials easy to follow, that's exactly what we aim for.
We appreciate your honesty about the minor tech issues and are glad most were resolved quickly. Your input helps us continue improving the experience for all learners.
We’re excited to hear you're looking to move on to the next level, we’d love to support you on that journey when you're ready!
Best of luck and thanks again for taking the time to leave a review.
Wanted to do a level 2 course
Wanted to do a level 2 course
Did initial registration then they wanted me to an assessment saying it was a require of the college around funding
Bollocks quite frankly just an excuse to try and sell functional skills add ons
What’s the betting the next thing is I have to sign up to functional skills
As I have the necessary maths and English already I should be exempt from this and tick box stating I don’t need to do it.
Needless to say I’m now not doing the course
Teply just jobsworth
I’ve worked in FE so don’t give me BS.
Yes everything is about funding… well you didn’t get any from me and in future I’ll get my employer to sort out the registration dross.
15 June 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Skills Network
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're sorry to hear that your experience with our registration process was frustrating.
We’d like to clarify that the initial assessment is a standard requirement from our funding partners and the college to ensure learners are placed on the right course and have the appropriate support in place. It's not intended to sell additional courses but to meet national compliance standards.
If you would like to discuss this further, we’d be happy to speak with you directly to clear things up. The email for this would be pre-enrolmentservices@theskillsnetwork.com
Really good
I have just completed a course in Dementia Level 2 and from when I first signed up to the end was very helpful we have deadline dates to achieve and I did manage to complete these before the date needed, while working and dealing with everyday family life, it’s easy to access from your phone, laptop, tablet, so you can always come back to where you left off, I did some of mine when I had breaks at work. It’s simple to use and shows you how to get going. You get assigned a tutor after you have submitted your first assignment through email or WhatsApp which is good if you do need to speak to someone. I have now received my certificate which I have sent to my employer, and not I have moved up at step in my job, I have just signed up for the end of life course.
14 June 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Skills Network
Thank you so much for your lovely review – and congratulations on completing your Level 2 Dementia course!
We’re really pleased to hear that you found the platform easy to use and that it fit around your work and family life. It’s great to know that the flexibility helped you stay on track, and that our tutor support was there when you needed it.
Well done on using your certificate to take that next step in your career – that’s exactly what we love to see.
Wishing you continued success in your learning and your role!
Never again
I have finally completed the business administration course and quite frankly wish I never started it. To submit an assignment you can either chose to have your work checked by Turitin, which is basically AI, or you can decline this and tick a box to say it's all your own work, which I did every time. Despite this, out of the 7 assignments 4 came back and said I could have used AI and to redo the question and resubmit. This was so frustrating seeing as the final assignment was a mammoth task in itself which took me 4 days to complete and I had to redo 9 questions out of 35! Surprisingly after lodging a complaint I have finally passed it. Never again will I use this company.
14 June 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Skills Network
Thank you for sharing your experience, and well done on completing your Business Administration course – we know that takes time and effort, and we’re genuinely sorry to hear that it wasn’t a more positive journey for you.
We understand how frustrating it must have felt to be asked to resubmit work, especially after putting in so much time. The checks we use, including Turnitin, are in place to ensure the integrity of all submissions. However, we appreciate that this process can sometimes feel discouraging, especially when you've put in original effort and followed all the guidelines.
Your feedback is important and will be shared with the relevant teams to review how we communicate and handle these checks. While we're sorry to hear you wouldn’t choose to study with us again, we do appreciate you seeing the course through to the end and wish you all the best in your future career.
This course is misleading and the…
This course is misleading and the company is very strategic. I work full time and was unable to fulfil the deadlines to due not having enough time. I emailed serval times to attempt to speak to someone and the email I received back was “we can extend the first module but cannot extend them all”. It is disgraceful and they are a company that scams, doesn’t have peoples best interest at heart. Disgusting and disappointing.
31 May 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Skills Network
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, and we're sorry to hear that your experience with the course didn't meet your expectations.
We understand that balancing full-time work with study can be challenging, and we do aim to support learners as much as possible.
It’s disappointing to hear that you felt unsupported – that’s never our intention, and we take this feedback seriously. We’d be happy to look into your case further and discuss what more could have been done. Please feel free to get in touch if you'd like to have that conversation complaints@theskillsnetwork.com
We wish you all the best moving forward.
Don't waste your time
The course is just a waste of time, the course is really short so no company will look at this as see that as valuable at all and if you have no prior experience in the field either then there is no point you will not get a job or even a call back.
It is just a massive waste of time and the only chance you will get is from the guaranteed interview but don't raise your hopes for that either, they find any ole thing and it might not even be suitable.
Stay away, it is not worth your time, it will not get you anywhere at all.
10 June 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Skills Network
Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that you didn’t find the course valuable and that it didn’t meet your expectations.
Our courses are designed to provide foundational knowledge and skills that can help learners take the first step toward new opportunities, especially when combined with ongoing development or practical experience. While we understand that success in the job market depends on a variety of factors, many learners have found our programmes helpful as part of their wider career journey.
Your comments will be shared with the team as we continue working to improve the experience and outcomes for all learners.
We wish you all the best in your future career path and thank you again for sharing your perspective.
I am currently doing a course and have…
I am currently doing a course and have received feedback from my first assignment, working full-time and doing courses is hard going, so when I received the feedback that said my work was AI generated I was very disheartened. I have emailed and asked who address and how each answer is assessed, but heard nothing back!
I have a degree and completed numerous courses, this has to be the worst for customer service.
I won't quit, because I refuse to pay them for such a bad service.
I wish I'd read these reviews before starting it now.
7 June 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Skills Network
Thank you for your feedback, and we're sorry to hear that your experience so far has been disheartening.
Balancing study with full-time work is no small task. We're also sorry if our communication has fallen short — that’s something we’re actively working to improve.
We appreciate your commitment to seeing the course through and are here to support you if you'd like to discuss your concerns further.
Unable to submit assessments
Unable to submit assessments. When there are submitted they are asking for answers which aren't isn't required from question. Asked for help and got fobbed off. Now I'm gonna get billed for something out of my control.
3 June 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Skills Network
Hi Aden, we're sorry to hear you're unhappy with your experience.
If you could please email complaints@theskillsnetwork.com with your full name, email address, the course you’ve been studying, and information regarding your experience, a member of our team will review it and get back to you as soon as possible. Alternatively, please feel free to give us a call on 01757 210022.
Thank you.
No Free Courses, they just collect the Data and spam you with emails
I was told there were plenty of free courses available in my area, but my experience has been extremely frustrating. I first tried to enrol in a course, only to be told it wasn’t available in my region. I was then sent a list of alternatives, picked one, completed the enrolment and the initial test, and waited five weeks—only to receive an email saying they couldn’t secure funding and advised me to try again.
I tried enrolling in a third course, but was then told that course was no longer available either. Meanwhile, I’ve been receiving emails from Chaman Hanif claiming she helped me enrol, even though no course has actually gone ahead. She also asked me to refer her to my friends and spread the word about these courses, which now feels misleading and inappropriate given my experience.
Overall, I feel like I’ve wasted time and energy. The process has lacked transparency, consistency, and real support. I hope these issues are addressed so that future learners don’t go through the same.
21 May 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Skills Network
Thank you for your honest feedback, and we're sorry for the frustration and confusion you've experienced.
We understand how disappointing it must be to go through multiple enrolment attempts without a course going ahead. Unfortunately, course availability and funding can vary by region and change at short notice.
We also take your concerns about communication seriously and will review how and when messages are sent to ensure they reflect each learner’s actual experience.
Thank you again for raising this — your feedback helps us improve.
This has been the worst experience
This has been the worst experience. I am currently doing a level 2 (GCSE level) and the amount of work they are wanting in the answers for each question, in the timeframe given, is ridiculous for a level 2. I have done all my assignments and handed in on time which was very stressful considering the timeframe given. It then was marked and sent back to be resubmitted. I did this, but it was sent back again with more work wanted. At this point my answers were turning into mini essays which trying to do alongside a full-time career has been horrendous. I have a maters and enjoy doing small courses to keep my brain ticking and learning new things, but this one has been the worst experience. I believe they are setting people up to fail by wearing them down to the point they withdraw. I would suspect this company is a scam because the level and the amount of work they expect does not match with the expectations of a level 2 course. Please do not use this company
19 May 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Skills Network
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience.
We understand that managing coursework alongside a full-time job is challenging, and we’re sorry the workload and resubmission process felt overwhelming. We never want learners to feel worn down or unsupported, and we’re sorry that was your experience. If you're open to it, we’d be happy to speak with you directly to review your concerns in more detail.
AVOID AVOID AVOID
AVOID AVOID AVOID. I would give them zero stars if possible. You invest a lot of time (several months... each!), the course never gets marked, and you ever get the qualification. Prepare yourself to be totally ignored... for over a year!
14 May 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Skills Network
We’re very sorry to hear about your experience and sincerely apologise for any delays or lack of communication you’ve faced. This is certainly not the service we aim to provide.
Please know that we take your concerns seriously and would like to investigate your case to resolve any outstanding issues. If you’re willing, please contact us directly so we can assist you promptly. complaints@theskillsnetwork.com
Thank you for your patience, and we hope to make things right.
Lining their pockets by force withdrawals?
This course is causing me no end of anxiety. The ridiculously high expectations of me to finish this course by the end of May are laughable and in short leads me to believe that they are purposely setting people up to fail in order to collect on that nice £100 withdrawal fee.
Let me be clear, I AM NOT WITHDRAWING. Therefore should I be unable to complete the work by their deadline it will not be a withdrawal but them ejecting me from the course as I am I unable to measure up to their ridiculous standards.
I had almost completed the course. I have gotten all the way to the last unit regardless of the fact that it has taken well over a week for any of my units to come back marked, which, in itself is laughable as they strongly advise that I not move on to any other units until it has and yet as they previously pointed out to me my deadline was the end of May and that if I couldn't meet that deadline it would result in my withdrawal from the course.
Unit 7 on the Business Administration course is an exercise in futility in and of itself as it is essentially a course all on its own. I was so looking forward to completing the course as I had put the time and effort in regardless of being constantly thwarted by this company at every turn with deadlines, slow moderation and let's not mince words here but veiled threats only to find that with only 2 weeks left till my 'deadline' I would be hit with a unit that has 51 questions including sub questions, but not including any additional questions set out on the worksheets, (I counted) with each of these having there own section to read up on. The only way this will be possible to complete is if I didn't, eat, sleep or work and just did this course non stop between now and my deadline.
I wonder if it is their intention to cause undue stress and poor mental wellbeing. They say to ask for help but the only help they offer is to say the work need to be done by the deadline or they automatically withdraw you from the course. Just for context, my fiance is a mathematics teacher, I know what a level 2 course should be, this isn't it and they should be ashamed of themselves.
14 May 2025
Unprompted review
Scammers keep well away
I wish I read reviews, these people are swindlers they pressure and scam. Going through serious issues and no empathy whatsoever. You’ll never get a penny out of me and I’ll leave a review on every site due to my experience.
13 May 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Skills Network
We’re truly sorry to hear about your negative experience and the difficulties you’ve faced. It’s never our intention to pressure or cause stress, and we regret if that was how things felt.
We take all feedback seriously and would welcome the opportunity to discuss your concerns directly and see how we might assist you better.
Please feel free to reach out to us anytime.
£100 fine that was never communicated
At no point in the application process was I informed that there would be a £100 fine if I was unable to complete the course. I read all the forms really carefully, and this information was not made available to me. Maybe there was a technical error during the application form? Who knows. Unfortunately due to work stresses I needed to request a short extension of 1 month. I was told that this was impossible and that I would have to withdraw from my course and be charged £100! Again, at no point during the application process was I informed that there was a cap on the extension time requested, and that I would be charged if I requested an extension of a month. I've since received an invoice emailed from suspicious email accounts (not the skills network) with an invoice attachment that I cannot open due to security concerns. I'm going to complain and report this to the ombudsman.
1 May 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Skills Network
Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback. We're genuinely sorry to hear you're unhappy and we’d like to clarify a few key points about the funding and fees.
Our courses can be free (either fully or part-funded) depending on each learner’s eligibility, including financial circumstances and location. This is clearly explained during the enrolment process, and we ask all learners to confirm that they understand there may be a £100 withdrawal fee if the course is not completed or if eligibility criteria are not met.
We understand it’s frustrating to receive an unexpected charge, but this fee covers part of the significant costs already incurred in setting up and supporting your learning — especially where we are unable to recover government or local authority funding due to non-completion.
We’re committed to helping all learners succeed and always encourage anyone unsure about their eligibility or ability to commit to reach out before enrolling. If you’d like to discuss your individual case further, we’d be happy to help — please contact our support team directly so we can review your situation in more detail.
Kind regards,
The Skills Network Team
Avoid at all cost!!!!
Avoid at all cost!!!!
I have email confirmation that my course is fully funding few months ago. Submitted all my works and assessments on time which is so stressful for the amount times that they given!
Suddenly have email again said they found new provider funding but didn't highlight who they are and I need to accept the new term and conditions.
Because I didn't accept it on time now they sending me bill for the £100!!! Absolutely scam!!
2 May 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Skills Network
Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback. We're genuinely sorry to hear you're unhappy and we’d like to clarify a few key points about the funding and fees.
Our courses can be free (either fully or part-funded) depending on each learner’s eligibility, including financial circumstances and location. This is clearly explained during the enrolment process, and we ask all learners to confirm that they understand there may be a £100 withdrawal fee if the course is not completed or if eligibility criteria are not met.
We understand it’s frustrating to receive an unexpected charge, but this fee covers part of the significant costs already incurred in setting up and supporting your learning — especially where we are unable to recover government or local authority funding due to non-completion.
We’re committed to helping all learners succeed and always encourage anyone unsure about their eligibility or ability to commit to reach out before enrolling. If you’d like to discuss your individual case further, we’d be happy to help — please contact our support team directly so we can review your situation in more detail.
Kind regards,
The Skills Network Team
Level 2 Counselling
Fantastic course with great tutors and marking to help aid improvement, this was just what I needed to kick start my new learning experience, The course was detailed and informative.
I cannot fault The skills Network in any way! This was a definitely a 5 star experience.
21 January 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Skills Network
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're absolutely thrilled to hear that the course gave you the boost you needed to begin your learning journey and that you found it both detailed and informative. It’s great to know our tutors and feedback helped support your growth - that’s exactly what we aim for. We really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, and we’re so glad it was a 5-star one! Wishing you all the best in your next steps.
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