Occupational Certificate: Management Assistant

The purpose of this qualification is to prepare a learner to operate as a Management Assistant. This qualification provides an opportunity for the learner to coordinate organistional activities and provide professional administrative/secretarial support to managers, either as part of a team or individually. The management assistant can also function as a Senior or Executive secretary, depending on experience and is the gatekeeper who promotes the professional image of the organisation. The management assistant also needs to be able to manage special projects according to good governance procedures. The qualified learner will be actively engaged in becoming a well-rounded, and multi-skilled person. The learner will be additionally prepared for further, more specific study and several alternative career choices within the secretarial or personal assistant field.

A qualified learner will be able to:

• Plan, organise and support department meetings and workshops.
• Apply appropriate personal and interpersonal skills to a range of situations to facilitate the smooth relations between internal and external stakeholders according to organisational standards.
• Apply basic knowledge of relevant administration governance, policies, and procedures to manage resources effectively in the organisation.
• Plan, administer and provide support services to a special project within an organisation.
• Promote professional documentation by utilising effective and accurate information processing and research skills to enhance the professional image of the organisation.

Qualifying learners will have the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to function more effectively in a professional manner. Each learner will be able to add value to their job and enhance their ability to follow and implement policies and procedures. On achieving the competencies included in this qualification, the learners may advance their careers in the secretarial or personal assistant field within an organisation, across all sectors.
It is against this background that this qualification has been clustered into four Blocks. The break-down of the skills programmes is highlighted below: