Office Administration & PA Training Courses in Manchester

More about Office Administration & PA Training Courses in Manchester

The growing demand for qualified professional PAs has generated a number of career and professional development opportunities within office administration, requiring  prepared personnel for this occupation, in the city of Manchester, where a large base of office administration training providers is located.

The Nature of Office Administration

The 'Office administration' umbrella term is the blanket term for the activities relating to the everyday running of an office. These activities involve basic typing and computer management, workload coordination and dealing with office finances, timekeeping and the allocation of tasks to personnel. The exact nature of the job varies according to the needs of the organisation, and professionals called personal administrators or PAs normally fill these positions.

New Career Development Opportunities in Manchester

Manchester is a major town in the northwest of England, the sixth largest city in the UK in terms of population. Although Manchester was a major site of the Industrial Revolution, manufacturing industry has given way to a burgeoning economy based on technological and creative business, thus generating a demand for qualified and experienced PAs. Because of this, there are several training courses available to PAs. These courses include basic touch typing, bookkeeping, gaining familiarity with software application packages, receptionist training and providing excellent customer service.

Course Duration & Study Modes

The courses for beginners tend to be of short duration, for example, a one-day course in reception management. Many of these shorter courses act as a springboard for more in-depth training and are suitable for combining with other courses. For example, a candidate can combine a business document production course with a secretarial course, which can lead to a career in a business publishing office.

Career Prospects

Other courses require at least a short period of office experience, especially courses that lead to NVQ level 2, 3 and 4 certificates. In Manchester, these courses tend to last for one academic year, with sponsored delegates undertaking their studies in combination with paid work. Delegates on courses at this level gain an array of skills; basic accounting procedures, communication, and management and sales' acumen.

The Total Professional Development Training Picture

Training providers ensure that all course tutors have specialist qualifications and a dimension of office administration experience. There are other, less tangible skills involved in office administration, for example, PAs who attend to customer needs in service departments. However, these skills tend to grow with experience within a company. In the meantime, the office administration training courses available to aspiring PAs in Manchester are a valuable foothold into the occupation. Training providers based in Manchester will provide candidates with a well-rounded learning experience, throughout open training courses, public learning events and company-tailored, in-house training packages.