At ACT, we love to watch our learners grow throughout their studies and celebrating their success stories. Matthew Coombes began his journey with us in 2020, studying for the NEBOSH General Certificate. After passing his assessments with flying colours, he continued his professional development by completing the NEBOSH Fire Certificate, the NEBOSH Working with Wellbeing qualification, and the NEBOSH HSE Certificate in Managing Stress at Work. With those achievements under his belt, there was only one left to achieve – the NEBOSH Diploma. Matthew chose the classroom-based course, starting with Unit DN2, and successfully completed his final unit just over a year later. He’ll be attending the NEBOSH Graduation Ceremony in September 2025. We caught up with Matt to find out more about his experience as a NEBOSH Diploma learner with ACT.
Why did you choose the NEBOSH Diploma?
I chose to undertake the NEBOSH Diploma because it was a natural next step in my education, and a
way to develop a wide range of knowledge to apply into my work as a health and safety advisor. The
width and depth of the course has given me so much to develop in the workplace and given me
more ways improve our management of health and safety.
What is your current job role and what does it involve?
I’m a corporate health and safety advisor. This means that I’m the central resource for health and
safety for my company, and that I provide health and safety advice and guidance to all staff and roles
within my workplace of around 360 employees. One day I may be updating our corporate
occupational health and safety management system, reviewing and updating key documentation,
policies and information for staff, and the next I could be investigating a fire or an accident.
How do you plan to use your NEBOSH Diploma knowledge in your day-to-day responsibilities within
your role?
I started to use my NEBOSH diploma in structuring my day-to-day before I’d even finish the course.
There are breaks between each part of the module which is perfect for putting into place what
you’ve learned about.
What advice would you give others considering starting their Diploma?
Make notes during the course of all the things that you can put into place in your workplace. What
knowledge or information can you use immediately to make some changes for the better, and what
can you start researching.
How did you approach your assessments, and did your approach change at all as you took each assessment?
My approach to the assessments stayed consistent throughout. I would take time off work so that I
could give it my undivided focus and work through each question systematically. I extensively used
colour coding, highlighters and plenty of planning for each question.
What were some of the challenges you faced in your studies?
The main challenge that I faced was understanding industries that I’ve never worked in, the
information is crucial to learn even if I never work in construction or manufacturing because it is part
of the picture that helps you understand management systems. But that doesn’t make it any easier
to imagine how you would tackle health and safety in an environment you’ve never stepped foot in.
How did you approach the balance of your career, your studies, and your personal life?
I used some annual leave to ensure that I had full days for the exam and my work were very flexible
with when I could revise, complete exam work and attend the training. They understand the value of
the qualification and how it can help improve safety in the workplace in the long run.
Do you have any final thoughts to share on your journey?
ACT have been a fantastic learning partner throughout the journey. The resources provided, ongoing
support throughout, and clear communication have made this course much easier. It’s also fantastic
being able to call and speak to a real person in seconds instead of having to battle a chat bot to find
out any information that you need. Thank you ACT.
Start your journey towards the NEBOSH Diploma
The NEBOSH Diploma is an advanced qualification equivalent to a bachelor’s degree, and can be used as an entryway to selected Postgraduate and Master’s degrees. This makes it the ideal choice for those looking to build a long-term career as a health and safety professional. The NEBOSH Diploma is comprised of three units, that must be completed within a five year window to obtain the full diploma:
- Unit DN1: Know – workplace health and safety principles.
- Unit DN2: Do – controlling workplace health issues.
- Unit DN3: Do – controlling workplace safety issues.
At ACT, we offer classroom and blended learning options, with the freedom to study at your own pace, complete the units in any order, and with flexible payment terms available.
