Essential Training
How We Work at Essex is our core essential training designed to help everyone understand the fundamental basics when working at our University, so we can all play our part and work respectfully, responsibly and safely together.
There is also additional training for specific roles (see more detail below). The overall Essential Training package helps each of us to ensure we are also aware and capable of meeting our statutory obligations, professional standards, and are fully supported to deliver the University’s Strategic Plan.
We also have an Essential Training Policy (.pdf). This has been created to give you an understanding of our commitment to developing an inclusive working environment; and to enable everyone to support the University’s mission to deliver excellence in education and research.
Who it's for
All employees are required to complete Essential Training, including on-demand workers. The Essential Training requirements for different roles are summarised below, with a time estimate need to complete the training.
Courses to attend face to face and online on Moodle are differentiated by (M) and (F2F) respectively.
How We Work at Essex Essential Training package
- How We Work at Essex (M) [180 mins]. This should be completed by everyone as the first point of call to give you the fundamentals of How We Work at Essex (HWWAE) and what is expected of us.
- How We Work at Essex Booster (M) [60 mins]. This will be created every academic year to keep colleagues aware of important changes including those related to policy and law.
You will be given the full academic year to complete this to help with managing workloads and priorities. Your termly essential training reports will keep you updated on your Essential Training requirements.
Completion deadline
Essential Training takes priority over all other training and must be completed within the first three months of you starting at the University, or within an alternative timeframe agreed with the reporting manager. It will be checked as part of confirming completion of induction by the reporting manager.
Please note that the current deadlines for all other colleagues are:
- How We Work at Essex – within the Academic Year 2022-23
- How We Work at Essex Booster – within the Academic Year 2022-23
Please complete the How We Work at Essex course, before completing the Booster.
The successful completion of both the How We Work at Essex course or Booster will lead to colleagues receiving a certificate of completion and will automatically be monitored on professional development records in HR Organiser.
Role specific essential training
Across the University, there are many roles which have essential job role training which must be undertaken. You can view the different role specific training below. Your Essential Training reports will reflect you’re the requirements below if applicable. For any questions email develop@essex.ac.uk. You should complete your role specific training in the same period as all your other Essential Training.
Essential Training for managers
- Coaching Essentials for Managers [120 mins] [Online version]
- Managing Diversity Essentials (M) [120 mins]
- Managing Health and Safety Essentials (M) [120 mins]
- Recruitment and Selection Essentials (M) [75 mins]
Committee members
So that decisions made at University committees uphold our commitment to transparency, natural justice in the workplace, and the avoidance of bias, all members of Council, University Steering Group, Audit and Risk Management Committee and Safeguarding Advisory Group are required to complete:
- External members of council are required to complete “How we work at Essex” and Automatic Bias training
- Internal members of council are required to complete "How we work at Essex" and Health and Safety Leadership training (F2F, arranged on request by emailing safety@essex.ac.uk)
All members of Council, University Steering Group, Audit and Risk Management Committee and Safeguarding Advisory Group are required to complete Prevent Duty in Higher Education Training which can be accessed on Moodle or by emailing governance@essex.ac.uk
Student code of conduct Essential Training
Across the University, there are many roles which have essential job role training which must be undertaken.
Student code of conduct training should be undertaken by those who are involved in Code of Student Conduct or specialist support staff who may be required to respond to reports of sexual violence, harassment and hate crime; signposting to support available within the University and externally.
Find out more about essential and desirable training.
Workshops can be booked via HR Organiser and videos are can be viewed on Moodle.
Curriculum update
Curriculum Update is the University of Essex system and process for updating the existing curriculum (course structures, modules, and option groups). Click here for more information, FAQs and to undertake the training: Curriculum Update Process course.
Contact and support
For more information on your Essential Training and requirements, speak to your line manager or contact Organisational Development at develop@essex.ac.uk.
Take a look at our FAQs document (.pdf) for more information on Essential Training.
