British Cycling offers more than 50 unique education courses covering a variety of roles, and typically engages up to 6,000 learners each year, traditionally through face-to-face delivery. The restrictions on travel and social mixing we have seen throughout the year have led to many courses being cancelled.  

However, since September 2020 over 700 learners on coaching and ride leadership courses have benefitted from a greater use of e-learning and tutor-led Zoom sessions, and the organisations is now reviewing its digital delivery more widely to incorporate the Level 3 Certificate in Coaching Cycling, the Level 2 Certificate in Delivering Cycle Training and a new, entry-level offer for MTB, gravel and off-road Leadership. Further benefits will include reduced and/or split course costs for learners.

The Level 3 Certificate in Coaching Cycling course was paused for 2020, to allow time to develop this flagship British Cycling award and a move towards further virtual learning. From January 2021, the qualification will be delivered via a blended approach, including e-learning tutorials and live virtual classrooms with expert tutors and fellow learners. 

British Cycling’s Technical Lead for Coaching, Adrian Fox, said: 

“Through these new teaching methods we have made the course more accessible while also improving the quality of the learning programme, and through our modular delivery and course timetabling learners are now able to engage with the course content in their own time.  

“We still fully appreciate the importance of face-to-face support, and the use of practical tasks and small tutorial group discussions will help learners to contextualise the content of each module and get the individual support they need.” 

From January 2021 British Cycling will also be delivering a blended (mix of digital and in-person) course for the Level 2 Certificate in Delivering Cycle Training. British Cycling is one of fourteen ‘Recognised Delivery Centres’ for the Bikeability Trust, but will be the first to offer a mix of e-learning, virtual classroom and face-to-face development and assessment sessions. 

In Spring 2021, a new training offer for the outdoor industry will be launched. The ‘FunMBL’ course will train novice leaders to deliver led off-road activity in lowland areas and will be the first British Cycling MTB Leadership training offer to use online learning to blend course delivery. 

British Cycling’s Head of Education, Simon Hibbert, said: 

“A lot of work has been taking place behind the scenes to ensure we can continue to deliver courses but also to evolve our existing offer in light of the current constraints. We’re trying to be bold and think differently about how we enable more volunteers to deliver best-in-class cycling activity, and we already have some exciting developments in the pipeline for early 2021 and beyond to take us to the next level.” 

To be the first to hear when the courses above become available for booking please complete our Expressions of Interest form.