Business

Every type of business and organisation needs people with administration and IT skills to help it run efficiently. This ranges from small specialist firms to large national companies and government organisations like local councils or the NHS. There are also many different roles available, including administrative, secretarial and supervisory management - so if you invest in some good admin and IT skills now, you could have a great future ahead! If you’ve got aspirations for a career in administration or IT, then this course can help you achieve your goal.?

For entry to this course you’ll need:

• a real interest in working in admin or ITA minimum of 1 Higher and ideally English or Maths at SCQF Level 5/6, although we’ll consider a relevant group of NQ Units and SCQF Level 6, or Foundation Apprenticeship in Business Skills
• an interview with us, if you don’t have formal qualifications, but have previous employment, practical or life experience, then we’ll also consider you for a place, so please call us for a chat.

  Part-time study options are available and as part of this you could undertake the following qualification in PDA Office Administration.

  Course Content

  This course will give you the indepth knowledge and skills you’ll need to work confidently and efficiently in an admin or IT role, and quickly become a valuable member of the team. A central part of the course will be developing your IT skills to a high level, including extending your knowledge of common software packages.

  • You’ll look at key areas of the admin function, and systems and technologies for the smooth running of a modern office.
  • You’ll look at business communication, learning how to produce high quality business documents, and develop skills for performing effectively at meetings or presentations.
  • You’ll learn about the importance of good customer care.
  • You’ll explore social media and how it can be used as a marketing tool.
  • You’ll create your own social media marketing campaign, including designing a central webspace.
  • You’ll look at various aspects on the financial side of a business.
  • You’ll develop your bookkeeping skills, and learn to use financial accounting software to process transactions and prepare accounts.
  • You’ll also learn how to make basic payroll calculations and use commercial payroll software such as SAGE.

  You’ll have the chance to:

  • visit local businesses, such as hotels, tourist attractions or accounting firms so see how they operate.
  • meet local business employers who’ll give you their top tips for successful interviews and tell you the key skills they look for when recruiting new employees.
  • take part in enterprising activities, such as raising funds for charity and good causes.

  Careers and Further Study

  Some students may also have the opportunity to:

  • work on a real project for a local business, such as helping them set up their IT systems, which can sometimes lead to employment.
    secure part-time or summer jobs via our links with local employers.

  When you successfully complete this course, you’ll have the choice of:

  • moving onto a Level 8 course such as HND Administration
    moving onto a degree course at university, via our articulation arrangements, such as BA Human Resource Management at UWS (direct entry to year 2)
    seeking to start your career in a customer service or admin support role in any type of organisation.
    possible jobs include PA, secretary, admin assistant or admin officer.

  Skills

  The course builds on your admin, digital, IT and practical skills for real-world scenarios; from software packages to creating social media marketing campaigns, you'll gain a toolkit of skills. This course aims to help you adapt, thrive, and excel in the industry. You will also gain PDA Bookkeeping, PDA Office Administration, and PDA Information Technology in Business as part of this course.

  Employers and Industry Links

  The course builds on your admin, digital, IT and practical skills for real-world scenarios; from software packages to creating social media marketing campaigns, you'll gain a toolkit of skills. This course aims to help you adapt, thrive, and excel in the industry. You will also gain PDA Bookkeeping, PDA Office Administration, and PDA Information Technology in Business as part of this course.

  Throughout the course you will meet with guest speakers from universities, various companies and third sector organisations as well as ex-students who have studied the course and gone on to further study. There are also opportunities to access Bridge to Business/Young Enterprise Scotland. Some the employers we work with include East, North, and South Ayrshire Councils, NHS Arran and Ayrshire, Spirit, Prestwick Airport, KA Leisure, and many more.

  Articulation Route

  Successful candidates may chose to apply to a range of 2nd year entry courses such as BA (Hons) Business Management, or BSc (Hons) Information Technology Management for Business at GCU, MSc Information Technology, or BA Business at UWS, and many more.