About TLM
TLM (The Learning Machine) offers qualifications from Entry Level 1 to Level 4 in areas including Digital Skills and ICT, Computing, Cyber Security, Construction Health and Safety, Engineering and Manufacturing, Business and Enterprise, Personal Finance, and Work and Life Skills.
Our approach is based on practical evidence of competence. Learners are assessed against clear, published criteria throughout the course, with ongoing feedback and recognition. Where needed, a final controlled assessment is used for grading.
Centres have flexibility in delivery, as long as the evidence is valid and meets the required standard. We provide secure online systems for tracking progress, managing assessment decisions and requesting certificates, and we externally quality assure all centres to protect the value of every award.
"By adopting TLM Qualifications, not only have we reduced our admin overheads using the excellent on-line Markbook, but attainment for all learners has improved. This is made possible by the clear framework for assessment which TLM provides and support for real time tracking of progress. Pupils are motivated to succeed."
Rob Riley, Head of ICT Mill Chase Community Technology College
Who We Are
We are The Learning Machine Ltd (TLM). TLM is an awarding organisation regulated by Ofqual in England and recognised by Qualifications Wales. We design, develop and certify qualifications that help learners build real, transferable skills for education, work and life.
We offer a structured pathway from Entry Level 1 through to Level 4. Our portfolio covers areas such as digital skills and ICT, computing, construction, health and safety, personal finance, employability, engineering, and broader life/work skills. Each qualification is written against national-level descriptors, so that teachers, employers, and learners understand what achievement at each level really means in practice.
Our focus is on practical relevance and inclusion. We work with mainstream schools, specialist provision, colleges, training providers, employers, and international partners to ensure our qualifications are accessible, meaningful, and achievable.
We are a digital-first awarding organisation. Centres work with us through our online systems for learner registration, evidence capture, assessment, quality assurance and certification. These systems support live progress tracking, secure assessment and clear audit trails, while keeping administration manageable for delivery staff.
Quality and integrity are central to what we do.
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We develop qualifications with clear learning outcomes and unambiguous assessment criteria.
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We maintain secure assessment delivery and robust identity/malpractice controls.
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We moderate and externally quality assure work to make sure that every certificate issued genuinely reflects the learner’s competence.
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We support centres with onboarding, guidance, standardisation and regular review.
We aim to widen access to meaningful certification. We believe that qualifications should recognise what a learner can actually do, not just how well they sit a single exam. We invest in clear specifications, supportive guidance and fair processes so that more learners can progress with confidence, into further study, employment, or greater independence.
"Thanks again for approving our request - it’s so nice to work with an
awarding body who are so organised"
Nick Sherwood,Woodlands School
The TLM Philosophy
Our philosophy is simple: learning should build independence, confidence and real capability for every learner, at every level.
Inclusive progression for all learners
We design clear progression routes starting from Entry Level 1, supporting absolute beginners and those with additional learning needs, and continuing through to Level 4. At each step, learners are recognised for what they can do now and supported to move to what they can do next. We believe that formal recognition should not be reserved for the most confident or most academic learners.
Building independent, capable learners
We want learners to be able to operate in the real world: to use technology effectively, to solve problems, to make informed decisions, and to manage themselves. That means not just teaching answers for a test, but helping learners become more self-sufficient, able to find information, evaluate it, apply it, and adapt.
Tools, not control
We do not tell teachers and trainers how to teach. We provide flexible frameworks, guidance and digital tools that centres may use if they wish, but we do not require a single delivery model or a single platform. The people closest to the learner decide how best to motivate them. Our role is to make sure that, however it’s delivered, the outcome is clear, fair and certificated to a recognised standard.
Recognition at every stage
Achievement should be visible and valued, not “all or nothing”. We certify progression at each level so learners can see their development and build confidence: “I have proof that I can do this.” That matters for progression into work, further learning and personal independence.
Authentic assessment
Our assessment approach is based on evidence of competence in meaningful contexts. Criteria are written in plain language so that learners can understand what is expected of them, and so that self-assessment and peer assessment can contribute to reflective learning. We require independent verification by qualified assessors and external quality assurance to protect standards.
Practical, affordable, sustainable
We work hard to lower unnecessary barriers, cost, complexity, proprietary lock-in, and over-engineered admin. Our systems are designed to make delivery manageable for centres and to keep access open for learners. Where possible, we encourage the use of widely available and openly licensed resources so that learners and centres are not forced into a single commercial ecosystem just to complete a qualification.
Empowerment, not dependency
Long term, our purpose is to equip people, including those who are often excluded from opportunity, with the skills and confidence to participate fully in education, work and community life. That includes digital competence, problem-solving, employability, safety, professionalism and decision-making. We are not here to sell software or lock centres into a product; we are here to recognise and grow human capability.
Education that serves real life
We believe that good learning is both academic and vocational. A learner should understand ideas, but also be able to apply them in real situations. Our qualifications are built to support both aims: they can sit comfortably in a school timetable, in workplace training, in alternative provision, or in adult re-engagement.
