Personal Assistant Diploma Course

 







Personal Assistant Diploma Distance Learning Course
 The Personal Assistant Diploma consists of three different courses.


Effective Communicating

Executive Office Skills

European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL)
Pre-Requisites

Delivery:	Distance
Category:	Secretarial & PA

There are no pre-requisites for this course, just a willingness to learn.
Support
As a UK Open Learning student you will have access to your own personal tutor helping you with your course work and any other questions you may have. You will have tutor support for a full 12 months from the day you receive the course.

Timescale
To complete this course it will take in the region of 120 study hours which can be spread over a 12 month period to suit the student.
Assessment
Assessment takes the form of a series of tutor marked assignments, which you can send to your tutor by e-mail or post. However for the ECDL section of your course it consists of working through a CD ROM and testing your self until you fully understand the unit, you then go along to a local testing centre to sit the exams. You will need to buy a log book at £25.00 and then each of the 7 exams will cost around £10.00 each which you pay directly to the testing centre (prices are subject to change, each testing centre may vary).
There is no word count for these assignments; however you do have to prove to your tutor that you have fully understood the questions asked.
Qualification
On successful completion of this course you will receive 4 qualifications, which are:

• 
  OCN Level 2 in Executive Office Skills


• 
  OCN Level 2 in Effective Business Communicating


• 
  European Computer Driving Licence completion certificate


• 
  UK Open Learning Diploma

Course Structure
Effective Communicating Course
Objectives:

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• 
  Describe the essential elements of business communicating


• 
  Adopt good practices with a variety of communication methods


• 
  Choose appropriate communication methods


• 
  Identify ways of improving personal communications skills

Course Outline:

Module 1: The Essential of Communication

• 
  The importance of good communication


• 
  Modes of communication


• 
  The key elements of communication


• 
  The whole message


• 
  What does the recipients expect?

Module 2: Sending Informal Messages

• 
  Memoranda (‘memos’)


• 
  Electronic Mail (E-Mail)


• 
  Text Messages (Texts)


• 
  Facsimiles (Faxes)

Module 3: Sending Formal Messages

• 
  Letters-The first impression


• 
  Letters- Greetings and sign off


• 
  The details


• 
  Letters- Writing clearly


• 
  Letters- Writing accurately


• 
  Formal e-mails


• 
  Reports and proposals


• 
  Reviewing formal letters and reports

Module 4: Two-Way Communication

• 
  The telephone


• 
  Using the answer phone


• 
  Using the mobile phone


• 
  Face to face meetings

Module 5: Presentations

• 
  Presenting skills


• 
  First impressions


• 
  Explaining your points clearly


• 
  Humour


• 
  Inviting discussion


• 
  Ending the presentation

Module 6: Advertising

• 
  Press releases


• 
  Newspaper advertisements


• 
  Direct mail


• 
  Web sites

Executive Office Skills

Objectives

At the end of this course you will be able to:

• 
  Introduce the benefits of good customer care


• 
  Explore ways of handling complaints and difficult customers


• 
  Develop an understanding of body language


• 
  Develop listening skills


• 
  Practice good telephone


• 
  Demonstrate training methods and techniques

Module 1: Customer Services

• 
  Face to face contact


• 
  Dealing with awkward customers


• 
  Where are you


• 
  Dealing with complaints


• 
  Do’s and don’ts of complaint handling


• 
  Is the customer always right


• 
  Dangerous contact


• 
  Person to person contact

Module 2: Personnel Administration

• 
  The work cycle


• 
  Recruiting


• 
  Short listing


• 
  Checklist on interviewing


• 
  Contract of employment


• 
  Personnel files


• 
  Data protection


• 
  Job description


• 
  Health and safety


• 
  Staff security

Module 3: Project Management

• 
  Defining a project


• 
  Work structures


• 
  Choosing your item


• 
  Researching the information


• 
  Who does what?


• 
  Gantt Charts

Module 4: Communications

• 
  Body language


• 
  Appearances can be deceptive


• 
  Emphasis on words


• 
  Listening skills


• 
  Using the telephone


• 
  Getting the message

Module 5: Training Administration

• 
  The training cycle


• 
  Who benefits from training?


• 
  Planning training


• 
  Training methods


• 
  Training environment


• 
  Equipment


• 
  Visual aids


• 
  Evaluation

European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL)

Objectives:

At the end of this course you should be able to:

• 
  Understand the basics of computers


• 
  Understand the basics of windows


• 
  Understanding the basics of popular Microsoft software


• 
  Use word


• 
  Use excel


• 
  Use PowerPoint


• 
  Use access


• 
  Use outlook


• 
  Basic file management with XP


• 
  Browsing the web

Assessment:

Each module of the course is tested separately and each test generally lasts 45 minutes. The seven tests can be attempted in any order. Exam fees are no included in the course costs.
Exams are completedatan Assessment Centre. Centres are located all over the UK. Visit www.ecdl.co.uk for details of Assessment Centres near where you live.
Course Outline:

Module 1: Basic Concepts of Information Technology

• 
  Input and output devices, PC components and data storage


• 
  Computer software. Computers in daily life.


• 
  Information networks.


• 
  IT and society


• 
  Health, Safety and the environment


• 
  Security, copyright and the law

Module 2: Using the Computer and Managing Files

• 
  Introduction to Windows


• 
  Working with windows


• 
  Folder and file management


• 
  Windows control panel. Using the computers desktop.


• 
  Working with compressed files. Viruses.

Module 3: Word processing

• 
  Introduction to word. Editing documents


• 
  Formatting text and paragraphs. Bullets and numbering


• 
  Spelling and replacing


• 
  Finding and replacing


• 
  Tables and tabs


• 
  Page settings


• 
  Templates and wizards


• 
  Styles


• 
  Mail merge


• 
  Pictures, images and charts


• 
  Using help. Advanced Features

Module 4: Spreadsheets

• 
  Introduction to Excel


• 
  Selecting cells and ranges. Formatting cells and their contents


• 
  Building simple formula. The auto fill tool


• 
  Modifying a worksheet and sorting data


• 
  Charts and graphs. Importing texts and graphics


• 
  Printing and page setup. Using help in excel

Module 5: Databases

• 
  Starting Access


• 
  Manipulating tables and creating tables


• 
  Table relationship


• 
  Queries


• 
  Forms and reports


• 
  Printing and page setup

Module 6: Presentation

• 
  Introduction to PowerPoint


• 
  Working with slides. Laying out slides.


•