Postgraduate Course – Professional Certificate in Business Advice (PCBA)
Introduction
Initiatives in Business Development Group Ltd (ibd) together with the University of Chester are offering this unique Professional Certificate in Business Advice (PCBA) course for postgraduates combining practical client experience with expert training and mentoring.
Our January 2010 & March 2010 intakes have now been fully allocated so please await news regarding our July 2010 intake.
The Course
The course is structured around working towards the award of a Professional Certificate in Business Advice (PCBA), accredited by The University of Chester.
The PCBA is a 60 credit award consisting of the following three core components:
- The ibd Members Induction Programme (MIP). (20 Credits). This covers a full range of professional training in business advice and client management. On completion, you submit two pieces of work relating to your learning from the programme.
- The Member In-Service Training/Mentoring Programme (20 Credits). This is the core practical element of the course. It principally involves working (with your allocated mentor) with a minimum of six clients, analysing their business needs, proposing solutions to these needs and implementing solutions and advice. On completion, you submit a portfolio of learning from your experiences.
- The Client Case Study Report. (20 Credits) A 4,000 word case study report on one of your six clients, demonstrating your diagnosis of their problems, the solutions proposed, their implementation and the successful outcomes.
(N.B. All client interface work will be with your ‘mentor’, an experienced ibd professional consultant)
The course has no set time frame for completion, but has a maximum length of 12 months.
You will need to have completed the three core requirements in order to complete the course (and be awarded with the PCBA).
Income and Fees
- During the length of the course, you will be employed by ibd Services Ltd (a subsidiary of Initiatives in Business Development Group Ltd) and receive an income for the work you undertake.
- Your income is dependent on the length of contracts secured with clients. Based on you completing the minimum requirement of six clients we would anticipate it to be £8,640.
- You will be able to earn a greater level of income during the course if you work with more than six clients.
- You will be able to earn a greater level of income during the course by supplementing your earnings from the course with a part-time job.
- To cover the commitment to the initial training provided, before you begin the course, we ask for a course fee (deposit) of £1,000. This is repayable to you on successful completion i.e. the award of the PCBA.
- To help with this commitment, we have arranged with the Halifax Bank (subject to individual participant status) availability of their interest-free overdraft Student Current Accounts for all our postgraduates. For more information please visit https://www.halifax.co.uk/bankaccounts/studentcurrentaccount.asp
Career Benefits
- Unique expert training and real client experience providing you with the skills and the confidence to deliver business advice / management consultancy to companies
- A qualification which recognizes your vocation-specific abilities in giving business advice / management consultancy to companies
- A greater general understanding of businesses and the business world
- Business experiences to draw upon at interviews for future commercial positions
- An attractive business qualification to showcase to future employers, clients and other bodies
- Entitled to use the letters PCBA (The University of Chester) after your name
How to Apply
The closing date for applications has now passed until we re-advertise for our July 2010 intake. (Therefore, please ignore the usual process of applying below).
Please in the first instance send your C.V. and a brief covering letter outlining your particular interest in our course to james.heslam@ibd-uk.com
James Heslam, Postgraduate Manager, can also be contacted for an informal discussion on 0114 2096207.
(For further information regarding ibd as an organization and the services we provide, please visit our client facing website www.ibd-uk.com)