Specification/Exam Board: CCEA
Overview:
Professional Business Services introduces students to a wide selection of topics surrounding the industry of business service providers operating, in Northern Ireland, the UK and beyond. The course is an industry-endorsed specification, and is suitable for students wishing to enter business training programmes or apprenticeships, as well as those seeking progression to relevant higher and further education programmes.
Entry requirements for Professional Business Services:
Grade C* or above in one of the following subjects:
GCSE Business Studies
GCSE Business Communication Systems
Course contents include:
Studied in Year 13;
- AS 1 – Introduction to Professional Business Services
This unit allows students explore the environment that professional business services firms operate in. Students will investigate the consultancy process professional business services firms’ use, and the range of techniques they adopt to inform and formulate the advice they provide to their clients.
- AS2 – Human Resource Services
This unit focuses on the services provided by professional business services firms to support human resources in a client business. Students develop an understanding of the need for effective human resources management in a business and they investigate how professional business services firms can advise clients on improvements to their human resources processes in.
This unit requires students to carry out research based on a pre-release case study, and then develop a written report using a given format.
- AS 3 – Financial Decision Making
This unit focuses on the services provided by professional business services firms, to support financial decision making within a client business. Students explore the sources of finance available to a business and key areas of good financial management, including budgeting and cash flow. Students will learn to analyse and interpret final accounts using ratio analysis and investment appraisal methods.
Studied in Year 14;
- A2 1 – Technology in Business
This unit explores the technology services that professional business services firms provide to support business operations.. Students will learn about the range of technology and Information Technology (IT) systems available for communications, managing people, financial management and business operations. They will also explore the issues professional business services firms must consider when advising a client on business technology, including security, data storage, and social, moral and ethical issues.
- A2 2 – Leadership and Management
Leadership and Management allows pupils to examine the key concepts of leadership and management and a range of leadership styles and theories. They investigate how professional business services firms can advise client businesses to meet some of the challenges of management, including performance management, managing teams and managing change.
- A2 3 – Project management skills and processes
Within this unit students will explore the stages and processes involved in successful project management. This includes exploring the components of project management methodology and then by means of a piece of coursework, they apply this methodology to a specific project.
