Level 3 Extended Diploma in Business, Management, and Study Skills

This unit will explain the different types of businesses, and their ownership, that exist in an economy. Learners will understand the role of owners and stakeholders in fulfilling the purpose of a business. The unit will help learners to understand how businesses are organised to achieve their targets. This unit will also help learners to understand the way in which the economic, political, legal and social environment can impact on.

The unit will explain how a range of resources, including human, physical, technological and financial resources, are used and managed within business. This unit will help learners to develop an understanding of how human resources are managed and of the employability and personal skills required of personnel in an organisation. Learners will gain an understanding of the purpose of managing resources effectively, in terms of human, physical and technological resources. Learners will also gain an understanding of how an organisation can gain access to sources of finance, both internally and externally, and how to interpret financial statements. There are clear links between this unit and many of the other units in the qualification; it serves as a useful introduction to areas that may be covered in depth in further units.

Marketing is a key business function covering a wide range of activities and employing many people. This unit will develop the knowledge learners need to understand key concepts of the marketing mix, marketing planning and marketing research. As an introduction to marketing, the unit will allow learners who study other, specialist marketing units to keep in mind the strategic purpose of the marketing function and how it contributes to business success. Learners will gain a basic understanding of the role of the marketing function, with particular emphasis on the role of marketing research and how it contributes to marketing planning and the development of a marketing mix for a target group of customers. Learners will have the opportunity to develop, analyse and evaluate key marketing techniques in order to obtain a better understanding of them.

The most valuable resource of any organisation is its human capital and this needs to be managed correctly. This unit provides an overview of some of the key areas that fall within the remit of the human resources function. By the end of this unit learners will gain an understanding of the factors that are taken into account by organisations when planning their human resource management. They will also learn how organisations develop employee motivation and employee commitment. Finally, learners will know about how employee performance is measured and managed as well as the benefits of doing so. This knowledge will help learners to understand the working environment and the nature of Human Resource Management when they are seeking or engaged in employment.

Effective communication is a key area in terms of its contribution to business success. When studying this unit, learners will gain a thorough understanding of the types of business information used both internally and externally by organisations and the methods used to communicate information to different audiences. In this unit, learners will have the opportunity to develop, analyse and evaluate a range of methods used to communicate different types of business information and will understand the purpose of such communication. They will also produce and evaluate different types of business communication of their own.

This unit will help to prepare learners for the world of work, where health and safety is a vital part of the modern workplace whatever sector is chosen. This unit will help to dispel `myths’ around health and safety and to promote good health and safety practice as a means to a creating a productive working environment. Learners will understand about the health and safety legislation, regulations and requirements that form the basis of all workplaces in the UK.

The aim of this unit is to introduce learners to key aspects of all businesses and how they operate within the wider business environment, as well as internally. Learners will look at how operational control and the provision of best practice and sound policy facilitate organisational excellence.

This unit introduces learners to practical accounting and financial reporting techniques used by managers in business organisations.

This unit aims to develop the language competencies required of an undergraduate level learner. The content is organised around three core skills: listening, reading and writing using authentic academic materials as well as language learning materials. Alongside these skills, learners will have opportunities to develop and expand their range and accuracy of functional, lexical and grammatical structures. The listening component aims to develop comprehension strategies required when attending lectures as well as practice in note-taking. The reading component aims to introduce learners to a variety of academic texts, reading purposes and strategies. The writing component aims to introduce learners to academic conventions as well as a variety of academic writing text types. Research classes will further expand on learners’ reading and writing skills in their specific subject area. Finally, learners are expected to work on collaborative and independent tasks throughout the course. There will be a strong emphasis on taking responsibility for autonomous learning.

The aim of this unit is to support learners to develop confidence and skills to communicate in an academic environment while gaining awareness and understanding of other cultures and addressing the issues relevant to transitioning to higher education. The communication component aims to improve speaking skills through oral summaries and presentations. Focus will also be given to the development of critical thinking skills through discussions and debates. The academic culture component is focused on content reflecting important aspects of university life for first year undergraduates (e.g. email etiquette, finding information, university systems) as well as strategies for studying effectively (e.g. time management, dealing with stress, traits of successful learners). The cultural component enables learners to have an increased understanding of other and local cultures. Focus will be given to learning about Irish culture and society as well as student life when studying abroad.

The aim of this unit is to provide learners with an introduction to leadership skills, and how they can be identified and developed. Learners will explore the importance of providing motivation for others.

To understand aspects of an organisation’s culture and their effects on its activities and its management, as well as the significance of an ethical business approach.

The aim of this unit is to develop learner understanding of how workforce welfare ensures that everybody employed within the organisation is valued and that there are benefits to be gained from being part of the organisation.

The aim of this unit is to enable learners to carry out an evaluation of themselves in an entrepreneurial context by using several techniques including SWOT. Learners will be introduced to critical thinking skills and put these into context against a business plan.