The IBMS Certificate of Expert Practice in Training is designed for Biomedical Scientists and laboratory professionals who support the learning and development of others.
This guide explains the purpose of the qualification in plain English. It is written for Biomedical Scientists who supervise students, support portfolios, deliver workplace training or want to develop as educators in laboratory medicine.
Who this guide is for
This article is useful if you are:
- Supporting trainee Biomedical Scientists.
- Supervising students or apprentices in the laboratory.
- Helping colleagues with IBMS portfolio development.
- Working as, or preparing to become, a training officer.
- Interested in teaching, assessment, mentoring or education.
- Planning professional development linked to training roles.
Key points
- The CEP in Training supports development as a laboratory trainer or educator.
- It can help Biomedical Scientists structure teaching, feedback and assessment.
- The qualification is relevant to workplace learning and professional supervision.
- Course structure, assessment and entry requirements may change, so always check current IBMS guidance.
- Training others should be fair, inclusive, well documented and linked to patient safety.
What the CEP in Training is
The Certificate of Expert Practice in Training is a professional development qualification linked to education and training in Biomedical Science.
It is aimed at professionals who help others learn in laboratory settings. This may include supporting students, trainees, apprentices, new staff, portfolio candidates or colleagues completing CPD.
The qualification helps trainers think more carefully about how people learn, how training should be planned and how competence can be supported in a safe and structured way.
Why training skills matter in laboratories
Good training is essential in pathology services. A trainee who is poorly supported may struggle to understand quality, safety, documentation or professional expectations.
Strong training helps laboratories:
- Support safe practice.
- Improve consistency.
- Reduce avoidable errors.
- Build staff confidence.
- Encourage reflective learning.
- Prepare trainees for professional registration and specialist development.
Training is not only about showing someone how to perform a task. It is about helping them understand why the task matters.
Who may benefit from the qualification
The CEP in Training may be useful for Biomedical Scientists who:
- Deliver induction training.
- Supervise practical competency assessments.
- Support IBMS Registration Portfolio candidates.
- Support Specialist Portfolio candidates.
- Provide feedback to learners.
- Teach small groups or CPD sessions.
- Help design training plans.
- Contribute to departmental education and quality improvement.
It may also support career development for staff moving towards senior, specialist, training, quality or leadership roles.
What topics may be covered
The exact content should always be checked against current IBMS information. However, training-focused qualifications commonly include topics such as:
- Roles and responsibilities of trainers.
- Planning learning in the workplace.
- Equality, diversity and inclusion.
- Professional and legal responsibilities.
- Communication and feedback.
- Learning methods and presentation skills.
- Assessment and evaluation.
- Reflective practice.
These topics are relevant because laboratory training must be fair, safe and evidence based.
Assessment and evidence
Assessment requirements can change, so candidates should always follow the current course handbook or official IBMS guidance.
In general, education and training qualifications may ask learners to show:
- Understanding of training principles.
- Reflection on their own practice.
- Application of learning to workplace training.
- Awareness of fairness, inclusion and professional responsibility.
- Ability to evaluate training or assessment methods.
Any written work should be based on the candidate's own learning, workplace experience and reflection. It should not be copied from examples or generated as a direct submission.
How it can support portfolio training
Many Biomedical Scientists who train others are involved in portfolio support. This may include helping trainees understand standards, plan evidence, reflect on learning and prepare for verification.
The CEP in Training can help trainers think about:
- How to explain portfolio expectations clearly.
- How to support trainees without writing evidence for them.
- How to give constructive feedback.
- How to recognise different learner needs.
- How to document training and progress.
- How to keep assessment fair and consistent.
This is important because portfolio evidence must remain the trainee's own work.
Professional responsibilities when training others
Training in a laboratory should be professional, inclusive and linked to safe practice.
Trainers should aim to:
- Follow local training policies.
- Use current standard operating procedures.
- Keep training records accurate.
- Respect confidentiality.
- Escalate concerns appropriately.
- Avoid unfair or inconsistent assessment.
- Encourage questions and reflection.
- Support learners without giving them copy-paste answers.
The trainer's role is to guide learning, not to complete the learner's evidence.
Practical preparation tips
If you are considering the CEP in Training, useful preparation includes:
- Read the current IBMS course information.
- Check eligibility, fees, dates and assessment requirements.
- Speak with your manager, training officer or education lead.
- Identify how the qualification links to your role.
- Keep examples of training activity, feedback and reflection.
- Review local training policies and competency documents.
- Think about how you currently support different learners.
This preparation can help you connect course learning with real workplace practice.
Common mistakes to avoid
Common mistakes include:
- Applying without checking the current entry requirements.
- Treating training as informal instruction only.
- Giving trainees answers instead of helping them think.
- Providing feedback that is too vague to be useful.
- Forgetting to document training and competence.
- Ignoring equality, diversity and inclusion.
- Assuming all learners need the same type of support.
Good training is planned, documented and learner-centred.
Summary
The IBMS CEP in Training can be a valuable qualification for Biomedical Scientists who support education, supervision and workplace learning.
It helps trainers develop a more structured, reflective and professional approach to teaching others in laboratory medicine. For anyone involved in portfolio support, student supervision or departmental training, it can strengthen both confidence and practice.
Always check the current IBMS guidance before applying, as course details and assessment requirements may change.
Further reading
- Institute of Biomedical Science: Certificate of Expert Practice information.
- Health and Care Professions Council: standards of conduct, performance and ethics.
- Local laboratory training policies, competency documents and standard operating procedures.