.gif)
Business Admin
Organisations of all shapes and sizes need people to make them function. They may be in senior management positions - designing policies and making decisions - or in clerical roles. They may be in front-line jobs, where they deal directly with members of the public, or in behind-the-scenes roles, perhaps supervising a team of staff, answering telephones or carrying out secretarial duties.
Much of the work in this sector is office-based, but not necessarily desk-bound. Offices can be found in a range of different buildings and environments, from spacious suites in high-rise city blocks to the rural setting of a farm office. Many jobs involve travel to other premises and some, such as those in the Diplomatic Service, provide the opportunity to work overseas. Office hours tend to be based on working about 37 hours a week, Monday to Friday, although some positions offer or require more flexible working hours, eg people who are self-employed.
This is a growing sector, especially for those with strong IT skills, as computers are a feature of modern office life. Traditional typist/secretarial roles may be in decline, but a new generation of computer-literate staff is increasingly in demand.
Nationally, people work in retail, in recruitment, for banks, law firms and insurance companies, in manufacturing industries and areas such as tourism and hospitality. One of the major employers in this sector is the government. Over two million people work in local government in England and Wales; a further 300,000 people in Scotland. They work in council office departments such as transport, planning, environmental health and education, or in community centres, hospitals and schools, where they play their part in delivering essential services to the local community.
The Civil Service employs over half a million people across all regions of the UK, 85,000 of these in London. Working in a wide range of departments ranging from tax to transport, civil servants are dedicated to running an effective and efficient multi-million pound organisation. The Civil Service also employs people who act as inspectors or advisors, eg ensuring that taxes are paid and regulations in areas such as health and safety are followed.
The range of qualifications required for this type of work is extremely varied: a reasonable level of numeracy and literacy is sufficient for some jobs, whilst others require degrees.
Business, management and administration can be studied at a number of levels, from Apprenticeships leading to NVQs to postgraduate study. Most jobs require people with good organisational skills, who can communicate, deal swiftly and efficiently with different types of paperwork and work well within a team. IT literacy is important, from typing skills to specialist knowledge of computer programmes.
Newbury College offer apprenticeships and full time courses:
To apply for any of these courses call 01635 845000 and we will arrange an interview.
Our Learner Services and Information team can also offer careers advice and guidance if you are not sure which course to choose.
Newbury College
Monks Lane
Newbury
RG14 7TD
Telephone: 01635 845000
Fax: 01635 845312
Email: info@newbury-college.ac.uk