Administration & IT
In this Course, and its component Units, there will be an emphasis on skills development and the application of those skills. Assessment approaches will be proportionate and fit for purpose and will promote best practice, enabling learners to achieve the highest standards they can.
This Course provides learners with opportunities to continue to acquire and develop the attributes and capabilities of the four capacities as well as skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work.
Administrative Practices (National 4)
The purpose of this Unit is to give learners a basic introduction to administration in the workplace. Learners will begin to appreciate key legislation affecting employees, key features of good customer care and the skills, qualities and attributes required of administrators. The Unit will also enable them to apply this basic understanding in carrying out a range of straightforward administrative tasks required for organising and supporting small-scale events.
IT Solutions for Administrators (National 4)
The purpose of this Unit is to develop learners’ basic skills in IT and organising and processing simple information in familiar administration-related contexts. Learners will use the following IT applications: word processing, spreadsheets and databases, to
create and edit simple business documents. The Unit will allow emerging technologies to be incorporated so as to ensure that its content remains current and relevant.
Communication in Administration (National 4)
The purpose of this Unit is to enable learners to use IT for gathering and sharing simple information with others in familiar administration-related contexts. Learners will develop
a basic understanding of what constitutes a reliable source of information and an ability to use appropriate methods for gathering information. They will also become able to communicate simple information in ways which show a basic awareness of its context,
audience and purpose. The Unit will allow emerging technologies to be incorporated so as to ensure that its content remains current and relevant.
Added Value Unit: Administration and IT Assignment (National 4)
The purpose of this Unit is to draw on the knowledge, understanding and skills developed in the other three Units. Learners will undertake practical administration and IT-based tasks to organise and support a small-scale event or events.
Business
Course structure
The Course consists of three mandatory Units including the Added Value Unit. Within each Unit there is a degree of flexibility in how study is undertaken. The Course is practical and experiential in nature and develops a wide range of skills for learning, life and work. These include: employability skills and attributes, including
flexibility and adaptability, independence, reliability and working with others; numeracy, by being able to interpret data, tables, charts and other graphical displays to draw conclusions, and understanding money; and effective use of ICT in a business context.
Units are statements of standards for assessment and not programmes of learning and teaching. They can be delivered in a number of ways. However, there is scope in the design of the Units to allow the Course to be taught in an integrated, experiential way.
Business in Action (National 4)
In this Unit, learners will carry out activities that will give them an appreciation of how and why businesses develop and operate in today’s society. Learners will develop skills and knowledge and understanding relating to the role of business and entrepreneurship within society, and of the actions taken by business to meet
customers’ needs. Learners will discover how businesses are organised by exploring the functional activities, such as marketing, finance, operations and human resources, and applying their understanding of these areas to support business planning and
decision making.
Influences on Business (National 4)
In this Unit, learners will carry out activities that will give them an appreciation of the impact that a range of internal and external influences has on business decision making. Learners will investigate stakeholders’ influence on businesses and will acquire skills and knowledge and understanding relating to the financial, economic,
competitive and social environment in which businesses have to operate. This will provide learners with a growing understanding of how these influences can affect business survival and success.
Added Value Unit: Business Assignment (National 4)
In this Unit, learners will draw on and apply the skills, knowledge and understanding they have gained from across the other Units of the Course. This will be demonstrated by an assignment. The criteria for the assignment will be sufficiently flexible and open to allow for a degree of personalisation and choice as to the aspect of business to be investigated and how the findings may be presented.
