5-Day Instructor-Led Programme
The XHRM Certification Programme is the practitioner standard for people managers, HR professionals, and L&D leads who design workforce strategies, manage employee relations, develop organisational capability, and govern people practices in compliance with UK employment law and organisational values. Assessed on Day 5 through a supervised people management scenario and HR programme design exercise — no written assignments, no 12-month programme, one assessment.
Duration
5 Days
Price
$4,495
The CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma is the UK standard for HR and people management professionals. It is a 12–18 month programme of assignments, examinations, and reflective practice. For professionals who already have substantial HR or management experience, the CIPD pathway is often slow, expensive, and heavily weighted toward academic writing rather than applied capability. The assignments test whether you can articulate HR theory — not whether you can design a performance management framework, handle a complex employee relations case, or build a workforce planning model. XHRM is built for people management professionals who want to demonstrate applied capability.
Across five instructor-led days, XHRM covers the complete people management and HR practitioners competency range: talent acquisition and selection, learning and development programme design, performance management, reward and recognition, employee relations and employment law, workforce planning and analytics, equality diversity and inclusion, wellbeing at work, and HR data governance. Every session uses real HR scenarios from UK employment contexts — tribunal cases, TUPE transfers, neurodiversity in the workplace, menopause and wellbeing policies, and AI in recruitment.
On Day 5, participants manage a complex people management scenario and design an HR programme for a simulated organisation. A senior HR practitioner with CIPD-qualified experience assesses the quality of analysis, employment law application, and programme design. XHRM certificate and Practitioner Assessment Report issued. Aligned with CIPD Professional Map, UK Employment Rights Act 1996 (as amended), Equality Act 2010, ACAS Codes of Practice, UK GDPR for HR data, and UKHO workforce planning methodology.
Hands-on HR scenario role plays, performance management framework design, workforce planning model construction, equality monitoring analysis, and an integrated people management programme design on Day 5.
Mentor-led sessions examining real UK employment tribunal cases, ACAS Code of Practice application, neurodiversity and wellbeing policy design, and how leading UK organisations approach workforce planning and L&D programme design.
Design and govern people management and HR programmes aligned to UK employment law, CIPD Professional Map competencies, and organisational values — evidenced by a practitioner-assessed HR programme design.
Design talent acquisition and selection processes that are legally compliant with the Equality Act 2010, ethically sound, and effective in identifying competency-based candidate quality
Develop L&D programmes using instructional design methodology including training needs analysis, programme design, delivery governance, and Kirkpatrick evaluation
Manage performance, underperformance, and disciplinary processes in compliance with ACAS Codes of Practice and Employment Rights Act 1996
Apply UK employment law across employee relations scenarios including unfair dismissal, TUPE, redundancy, flexible working, and grievance management
Design Equality, Diversity and Inclusion programmes including reasonable adjustments, menopause policy, and EDI action plans aligned to Equality Act 2010
Govern HR data under UK GDPR including lawful basis for employee data processing, monitoring policies, and subject access request management
Minimum 2 years in a people management, HR, or L&D role with direct management or HR advisory experience
Basic familiarity with UK employment concepts — an awareness-level understanding of UK employment law (not a legal qualification) is helpful
Experience in a supervisory, management, or HR support role
Organized by professional domains with comprehensive coverage
Master these in-demand skills through hands-on practice
A clear view of the roles this programme supports, what typically comes next, and where learners progress over time
Choose the learning format that works best for you and your team
Instructor-Led Training
Join live instructor-led sessions from anywhere. Interactive, engaging, and flexible.
Price per person
Group enrolments and early planning options available.
All prices are exclusive of VAT where applicable. Group enrolments and custom packages available on request.
Not everyone learns best in a group. If you want focused guidance, faster clarity, and confidence you can use on the job, our 1-to-1 Fast-Track Training gives you private, mentor-led support tailored to your experience and goals.
"Many learners choose 1-to-1 when they want understanding, not memorisation."
Credential
On successful completion of XHRM — Xcademia People & Workforce Management Practitioner, learners receive an Xcademia Certificate of Completion. This standalone certificate is issued directly by Xcademia and recognised by employers across the UK defence and security sector.
Everything you need to know about the certification exams
You will receive an Xcademia certificate of completion based on participation and successful completion of labs and scenario simulations.
Everything you need to know about this course
CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma takes 12–18 months, involves multiple written assignments, and costs £3,000–£5,000. XHRM is 5 instructor-led days assessed on Day 5 through a supervised people management and HR programme design scenario. For HR professionals with existing experience who want to validate and document their capability quickly, XHRM is significantly more efficient. CIPD Level 5 remains the route for those who require CIPD membership and Chartered status — XHRM is for practitioners who need documented competency evidence without the 18-month commitment.
Take the next step in your professional development