The National Geoscience Data Center (NGDC) is the designated repository for the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) grant-funded Earth science data and holds the CoreTrustSeal certification. The NGDC is hosted by the British Geological Survey (BGS), which co-funds post-graduate research students through the BGS University Funding Initiative (BUFI) program. This paper describes the research data management training (RDM) course developed and delivered by the NGDC to help instill good data management practices in our students from early on, and to strengthen the long-term quality of research data they generate and deposit with the NGDC. It also looks at how RDM training fits into the wider context of the NGDC modular digital preservation program, currently under development. This paper is aimed at data repository managers and research data managers who provide user training in data management best practice and digital preservation. It is also suitable for postgraduate students interested in digital continuity and preservation of their research data.