Commercial Interiors UK (CIUK) is launching its Autumn Education & Training programme, bringing together a series of practical sessions designed to support skills, confidence and professional development across the commercial interiors sector.
CIUK has previously trialled training sessions in response to member needs. This Autumn programme builds on that activity, creating a more structured series of learning opportunities for people working across the sector.
Education and professional development are an important part of CIUK’s ambition. We want to provide high-quality, practical learning that responds to the needs of our members, supports people at every stage of their careers and helps businesses develop the skills and capabilities they need for the future.
Our Autumn programme combines online and in-person learning, with sessions covering apprenticeships, LinkedIn and presentation skills.
If you wish to book onto any of these sessions please fill out the booking form here.
Apprenticeships in Furniture and Interiors: Funding, Opportunities and Support
Monday 2 November 2026 | 12.00–1.00pm | Online | Free
Apprenticeships can give businesses a practical way to bring new talent into the sector, develop existing employees and build the skills they will need for the future. This introductory webinar will help employers understand how apprenticeships work, who can become an apprentice and how they can support both new recruits and current team members.
It will also explain the funding landscape, the costs employers need to consider and the financial support that may be available. Hannah Hockley, founder of The Apprenticeship Partner, will introduce FIESTA and the practical help it can offer, from identifying suitable apprenticeships and training providers to helping businesses navigate the process.
Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the opportunities available, the support they can access and the practical next steps for exploring apprenticeships in their own business.
LinkedIn training with Debbie Ford
These practical LinkedIn sessions are ideal for interior designers, suppliers and manufacturers, including professionals working across marketing, sales, design and leadership, as well as anyone looking to strengthen their professional or company visibility.
Debbie Ford is a social media strategist, trainer and founder of The Chichester Social. Specialising in LinkedIn, she helps founders, business owners and teams use the platform with greater confidence and purpose, drawing on extensive experience in marketing, communications and change management.
LinkedIn Foundations: Profile, Confidence and Content Voice
Monday 16 November 2026 | 12.00–1.30pm | Online
CIUK members £60 | Non-members £90
LinkedIn can be a valuable tool for building professional visibility, but using it consistently can feel difficult if you are unsure where to start or feel under pressure to keep creating content. This practical session will help attendees strengthen the foundations of their LinkedIn presence by improving their profile for discoverability, understanding simple ways to build visibility through commenting and engagement, and developing a content voice that feels natural and sustainable.
The focus is on realistic, achievable activity rather than becoming a prolific content creator. Attendees will leave with a clearer, more confident approach to LinkedIn, practical improvements they can make to their profile and a range of low-risk ways to participate, build their presence and become more visible to the people and organisations they want to reach.
Making LinkedIn Work Harder: Content, Company Pages and Advocacy
Monday 30 November 2026 | 12.00–1.30pm | Online
CIUK members £60 | Non-members £90
For individuals and businesses ready to get more from LinkedIn, this session moves beyond the foundations and looks at how personal profiles, company pages and team activity can work together more strategically. Debbie will explore how to create purposeful content that supports business objectives, how to make better use of a company page and how employee advocacy can extend reach beyond a brand’s immediate network.
The session will help attendees think more clearly about what to share, where different types of content should sit and how colleagues can contribute to greater visibility without activity feeling forced or disconnected. Attendees will leave with practical ideas for strengthening both personal and company activity and a clearer understanding of how LinkedIn can support brand visibility, reach and engagement.
Presentation Skills with Claire Skaptason
This in-person training is ideal for interior designers, suppliers and manufacturers, including professionals working across sales, design, marketing and leadership, as well as anyone whose role involves presenting ideas, projects or proposals with clarity and confidence.
Claire Skaptason is an ICF-accredited professional development coach with more than 20 years’ experience delivering and facilitating training for businesses across the UK. Her work focuses on areas including presenting with confidence, leadership, communication, high-performing teams and professional development.
Present with Confidence
1st December 2026 | 10.00am–5.00pm | ABI Interiors showroom, 250-252 Goswell Rd, Clerkenwell, London
CIUK members £545 | Non-members £645
Whether you are pitching for a fit-out project, presenting a design concept, leading a tender interview or briefing a project team, presenting with clarity and confidence can have a direct impact on how your ideas are received.
This highly interactive one-day workshop will give delegates practical tools to prepare, structure and deliver presentations with greater impact, while managing nerves and engaging their audience. The day will cover voice, body language, strong openings and memorable closes, handling difficult questions, using visuals effectively and presenting online as well as face to face.
Delegates will put the techniques into practice through exercises and individual feedback, and are encouraged to bring an upcoming pitch, design presentation or tender interview to work on. They will leave with practical techniques they can apply immediately.
Building our training offer
The Autumn programme is another step in developing CIUK’s education and training activity.
Our longer-term ambition is to build a credible and growing offer that responds directly to the needs of our members and the wider sector – supporting professional development, strengthening skills and helping commercial interiors businesses and their people prepare for the future.
Alongside our own training activity, we will continue to work with educational institutions and industry partners, including FIESTA, to connect learning with practice and support lifelong development across the sector.
If you wish to book onto any of these sessions please fill out the booking form here.