Plugging the human rights knowledge gap

Even experienced human rights practitioners can struggle with foundational knowledge and skills. Here's how Module 1 of ETI Human Rights Essentials is filling that gap.

Ask anyone working in business and human rights how confident they feel describing human rights laws and standards, and you might be surprised by the answer. In a survey of participants enrolling in ETI's Human Rights Essentials training, many rated themselves a 2 or 3 out of 5 – even those with several years in the field.

It's not a failure of individual practitioners. Most people working in business and human rights have learned on the job, piecing together knowledge from colleagues, audit reports, and experience. But without training to underpin that knowledge, important gaps remain – particularly around legal frameworks, stakeholder engagement, and how international standards actually translate to the factory floor or field.  

Learning by doing has limits

There's no question that hands-on experience is by far the best way for most people to learn. Managing your first factory audit, negotiating with suppliers, responding to a compliance issue – these all build crucial practical skills. But experience alone doesn't always fill the foundational gaps. Understanding where human rights originated, how they evolved into business frameworks, and why specific legislation exists helps practitioners move beyond following procedures to genuinely understanding the principles behind them.

ETI Human Rights Essentials, delivered in partnership with Inherently Human, addresses this directly. Module 1 is particularly useful if you've come from a procurement or commercial function and need to get a solid handle on human rights terminology and frameworks – or if you've been learning on the job and want structured knowledge to underpin your practical experience, whether you're in your first year in the role or your fifth.

What changes in one day?

Post-course feedback from participants consistently highlights three areas where Module 1 makes a measurable difference:

Understanding who the key players are and how to work with them. Multi-stakeholder initiatives, certification bodies, trade unions, NGOs – the ecosystem is complex. Participants report that finally having a clear map of who does what improves their ability to identify the right partners for specific challenges.

Grasping the legal landscape. The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights underpin modern due diligence. The EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and Forced Labour Regulations are reshaping compliance requirements. Module 1 provides current, structured understanding of frameworks that are difficult to piece together from articles and reports alone.

Applying the ETI Base Code with confidence. Many participants have been working with the Base Code for months or even years, but haven't had time to really explore what each clause means in practice. The training creates space to dig into how it applies to real factories in real supply chains.

"I love teaching Module 1 because it's all about the foundations," says Gabriella Wass, Inherently Human’s Consultant and Module 1 trainer. "What is a human right? Where and why do they exist, and what does it mean to have them? Not only that – but you start to apply your knowledge straight away by exploring real-life case studies."

Where theory meets practice

Gabriella brings direct corporate experience from roles at Primark and Twinings, where she managed human rights compliance in challenging supply chains including herbs and cocoa and ran factory monitoring programmes. Having also worked with NGOs focused on corporate activity and human rights in East Africa and India, she understands both the ethical imperatives and commercial realities.

The training balances foundational knowledge with immediate application. Case studies span UK agriculture to the Turkish garment sector, grounded in the complex realities participants often recognise from their own work.

Feedback shows that case studies and whole-group discussions are consistently rated as the most valuable elements of the training. It's the combination that works: understanding the principles, then testing them against real-world scenarios.

"Whether you're a passionate graduate just starting out, looking to change careers, or you're in a corporate role where human rights has become part of your remit – I've been where you are," says Gabriella. "And if I haven't, someone else in your cohort has, and will be able to share their first-hand experience."

Who the course is for

This training is particularly valuable if you:

• Are in your first year or two in a business and human rights role
• Have been in role for longer but learned on the job and want structured knowledge to fill the gaps
• Need to understand how the CSDDD and UNGPs actually apply to your work, not just that they exist
• Work with the ETI Base Code but haven't had time to properly explore how to interpret it
• Want more confidence in conversations with senior leadership about the business case for human rights
• Feel like you're constantly piecing together information that others seem to have learned somewhere

What participants say

Participants consistently rate the training highly, with trainers receiving perfect or near-perfect scores across all modules. Past participants praise how Gabriella ‘brought the topic to life’ and ‘made a safe space to answer questions.’

More importantly, the vast majority identify specific, immediate applications for their learning in their actual work – from reviewing audit findings through a more contextual lens to integrating grievance mechanism checks into compliance processes.

“I come from a completely different career background and studied design and innovation, with a strong environmental and sustainability component. The career pivot meant I needed to grasp the foundations and origins of human rights quickly. The training course was a great way to fill the gap.”

Owain Proctor, Ethical & Sustainability Coordinator, Superdry

If you've been learning on the job, or you’re new to the role and want to consolidate your understanding of the frameworks, legislation, and principles that underpin your work, Module 1 provides that foundation in one focused day.

...

Module 1: The Foundations of Human Rights and Business
Date:  21 May 2026, 9:15am–3:30pm
Format: Online
Cost: £475 + VAT (ETI members) | £595 + VAT (non-members)
10% discount available for multiple bookings 

To book on to the next series of ETI Essentials, visit our Training page.

The ETI Human Rights Essentials Course comprises four modules, each delivered by expert practitioners. Module 1 provides the foundation, with subsequent modules building on this knowledge to cover supply chain transparency, risk management, and remediation. Learn more about the full course.