Free CPD-accredited Diploma equips construction workers with the structural knowledge and site safety skills that save lives — at a time when the industry needs them most
Construction is simultaneously the world's most dangerous industry and one of its fastest growing. According to the International Labour Organization, at least 108,000 construction workers are killed on job sites every year — roughly 30% of all fatal occupational injuries globally, and equivalent to one person dying every five minutes due to hazardous working conditions. At the same time, unprecedented investment in infrastructure, housing, and urban development is driving demand for skilled construction workers across every continent, pulling people onto sites faster than formal training can reach them.
Alison has launched a new free, CPD-accredited Diploma — Diploma in Structural Engineering and Construction Site Safety — to address that gap directly. Developed with Tyler Honor, a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), the course combines two areas that are too rarely taught together: the structural engineering principles that govern how buildings behave under load, and the practical site safety skills that keep the people building them alive.
When Theory and Practice Stay Separate, People Get Hurt
Most construction training treats structural engineering and site safety as distinct subjects. The result is workers who can follow safety checklists but don't understand why certain conditions are dangerous — and site supervisors who can read drawings but miss the early signs of structural distress. This Diploma bridges that divide. learners gain the ability to read structural drawings, understand how loads and forces act on concrete elements, manage temporary works safely, supervise concrete placement, conduct on-site quality inspections, and recognise structural warning signs before they become emergencies.
The course is advanced level, reflecting the seriousness of the subject matter and the career stage it's aimed at: working construction professionals, site supervisors, junior engineers, and safety officers who need to operate with greater confidence and responsibility on live sites.
A Diploma That Travels
The construction boom is not evenly distributed. The most intense growth — and often the least access to formal training — is in markets across sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and Latin America, where rapid urbanisation is driving some of the most ambitious building programmes in history. A free, accessible Diploma that combines structural fundamentals with site safety is not just a career tool in these markets — it is a direct intervention in fatality rates that remain stubbornly high precisely because structured training is hard to access and expensive to deliver.
Mike Feerick, Founder and CEO of Alison, stated: "Every five minutes, somewhere in the world, a construction worker dies in an incident that better training could prevent. The knowledge that protects lives on construction sites should not be locked behind expensive courses or accessible only to those who can afford formal engineering education. This Diploma makes that knowledge free to anyone, anywhere — and that matters most in the markets where construction is growing fastest and formal training is hardest to reach."
The Diploma is available now through any desktop browser or the Alison App on Android and iOS, with a free digital Diploma on completion.
To learn more or enrol, visit: https://alison.com/course/Diploma-in-structural-engineering-and-construction-site-safety
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About Alison
Alison is a global leader in free online learning and skills development. With over 50 million registered learners across 193 countries (as of October 2025), Alison empowers individuals, communities, and organisations to upskill quickly and effectively – at zero cost.
The Alison platform provides immediate access to over 6,000 free, CPD-accredited courses, covering essential areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Cybersecurity, Digital Marketing, Project Management, Business Operations, Healthcare and Sustainability. Courses are created by a mix of independent experts and global leaders, including IBM, Stanford and Microsoft.
For organisations, Alison offers a Free Learning Management System (LMS) that enables unlimited learners to access thousands of courses with no upfront cost. A premium version with advanced analytics and customisation is also available. Alison's offering includes a full suite of assessments and psychometric tools, including a Workplace Personality Assessment, Mental Health & Wellbeing Assessment, English Language Proficiency Test, as well as Numerical, Verbal, and Abstract Reasoning tests.
To further support career development, learners also gain access to a Career Guide, a Resumé Builder, and the ability to study offline through the Alison App. The platform is also expanding its reach with multilingual versions, starting with complete Spanish, French, and Hindi offerings — reaffirming its mission to make education accessible to anyone, anywhere.
Founded in 2007, Alison pioneered the concept of free, large-scale online learning and is recognised as the world’s first MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) platform. Today, its mission continues: to break down barriers to learning, helping people gain skills, build confidence, and improve their lives — no matter where they live or what they earn.
