What training courses and practical support does ETI offer on human rights?

The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) offers member companies a mix of training, practical human rights due diligence (HRDD) guidance, confidential expert advice, and rapid crisis support. Its training offering includes courses such as "Human rights essentials," while its practical support is built around embedding ETI's Base Code and HRDD across global supply chains. These services are described on ETI's site as benefits of membership, so the practical starting point is to check membership before planning to use them.

Training courses

ETI lists training courses under its member benefits, with "Human rights essentials" named on its homepage. The site describes this as part of a wider package of "guidance, training and peer learning that build internal capability and confidence," allowing companies to "move at your own pace through clear pathways."

What the available information supports:

• Named course: Human rights essentials.
• Format: Training is combined with guidance and peer learning rather than delivered as a standalone course catalogue.
• Pacing: ETI describes clear pathways that members can follow at their own pace.

The site does not publish course dates, fees, or a full course list in the material available here, so those details would need to be confirmed directly with ETI.

Practical HRDD guidance for supply chains

ETI's core practical offer is help to "embed effective human rights due diligence across your supply chains." This rests on two elements named on the site:

1. The ETI Base Code – described as a globally recognised framework that members apply to embed respect for human rights across their business.
2. Practical tools and frameworks – ETI frames these as "proven frameworks, not paperwork," positioning them as a way to go beyond compliance and consultancy fees.

ETI also states that company members must publish their Tier 1 suppliers under its Corporate Transparency Framework, and that it now publishes members' performance against the full framework. In practice, this means HRDD guidance is tied to a transparency and reporting expectation, not just advisory input.

Confidential advice and peer collaboration

ETI describes itself as a tripartite alliance of global businesses, international trade unions, and specialist NGOs. That structure shapes its practical support:

• Access to expertise: members can "tap into leading expertise from businesses, NGOs and trade unions worldwide."
• Safe-space advice: ETI offers "confidential, expert advice in a trusted, supportive environment."
• Collaboration: members work with peers, NGOs, and unions on shared business and human rights challenges.
• Collective influence: ETI frames joint work as a route to shaping "effective, workable legislation."

For a company weighing whether to join, the relevant question is whether it wants confidential, tripartite advice alongside peer collaboration, rather than a purely commercial consultancy relationship.

Rapid support during supply chain crises

ETI offers "rapid expert guidance to navigate urgent supply chain crises," described as on-the-ground insight and support for disruptions "from conflict to climate disruption." It also frames responsible practice as a source of resilience, helping members "build stronger supply chains and respond confidently to crises."

This is the most time-sensitive part of ETI's offer: it is aimed at companies already facing an urgent human rights or supply chain problem, not only at those planning ahead.

Targeted supply chain programmes

Beyond general guidance, ETI invites members to "participate in targeted supply chain programmes tackling key issues." The site does not list individual programme topics in the available material, so the specific issues covered would need to be confirmed with ETI.

How to decide whether this fits

The main practical step is to confirm membership terms and current training schedules directly with ETI, since the site presents these services as benefits of joining rather than as publicly bookable products.