Henley’s new NQF Level 5 course ideal for those seeking a foundation in management practice

A whole new world of opportunity has opened up for prospective students seeking study at Henley Business School – Africa (Henley Africa) with the introduction of its NQF Level 5 Higher Certificate in Management Practice programme.

The course is ideal for team leaders or supervisors entering management for the first time, or for those with or without qualifications who have work experience but no foundational knowledge of management practice.

It offers a general overview of business management and management activities within the business environment.  Students are exposed to management theory and the skills required to manage others.

The programme is underpinned by a systems thinking framework, which gives students a birds-eye view of the business ecosystem as a series of interconnected parts that function collectively to create a profitability and sustainability.

Students will be exposed to four key focus areas: systems thinking and business; fundamental business acumen (basic financial, operations and customer service management); people management (organisational development and building/leading teams); and communication (courageous conversations and negotiation). It covers business concepts such as financial management, project management, effective decision making for junior managers, the role of change and innovation in business, ethics; and managing/working with people and teams.

Students also gain insights and knowledge about social capital, diversity, mindfulness, the value of multiple perspectives and value creation. On completion, students will have acquired a set of techniques for effective decision-making at junior management level and will have a foundation for a value-creation approach to the manager’s role.

Course assessments are project-based and relate to the student’s individual role within their own organisation.

Dr Adri Drotskie, MBA Director at Henley Business School – Africa, says the student’s work environment effectively becomes the learning laboratory, with students undertaking a business-specific action learning project that they complete in groups and present to their managers and Henley lecturers at the end of the learning programme journey.  All topics covered in the course are integrated into the project.

The course duration is 10-12 months. Students have 19 face-to-face contact days with Henley staff over five blocks. During the six to eight weeks between each workshop, students undertake individual and group workplace-based assignments and reflective practice.

To be eligible to do the Higher Certificate in Management Practice, students need to have an NQF Level 4 (Matric Certificate) qualification and one to two years work experience, preferably with some junior management or supervisory experience.

Henley Africa is the perfect educational partner for those moving up the management ladder, says Drotskie, with students adding more complexity to their management skills and knowledge as they move to the next tier of their management education.

Henley Africa offers management courses that take learners from NQF Level 5 (Higher Certificate in Management Practice) through to NFQ Level 9 (MBA – Master of Business Administration).  Once they’ve completed the Higher Certificate in Management Practice, they can enroll for Henley’s NQF Level 6 programme – the Accredited Managers’ Programme (Advanced Certificate in Management Practice) as they move into middle management.

“A solid foundation is the key to a successful career in management and studying towards a Higher Certificate in  Management Practice can be the start of an enriching educational journey with Henley Africa,” concludes Drotskie.