Role Profile
Did you know that there are over 3.25 million people in the UK currently working in Business & Administration roles? Millions more are working in positions that require administration skills in some respect. These roles are the oil that keeps your business working.
Many sectors are now entering a critical period: the aging “baby boomers” are approaching retirement and beginning to reduce their hours or leave altogether. The prosperity of individuals, businesses and the nation depends, in part, on the acquisition of professional administration skills.
For some organisations this means a large amount of capability and experience will leave their roles over a relatively short period of time, with current administration replacement demand running at 600,000 people over the next five years.
Skills & Competencies for Business & Administration
Three suites Business & Administration NOS (National Occupational Standards) are available. These suites are listed below.
Business & Administration
This latest version of the NOS for Business & Administration focuses strongly on the aspects of the role that have seen increased importance in recent years. This includes skills such as communication and negotiation, working with others, dealing with change, solving business problems, supporting sustainability, and managing risk.
Business & Administration NOS
Business & Administration NOS (2013)
Business & Administration Occupational Map
Business Continuity Management NOS
Business & Administration: Specialist
We have developed specialist Business & Administration NOS for administrators that work in the following sectors.
These standards cover specialist administration functions which are not included in the main Business & Administration NOS suite.
Agricultural Administration NOS
Legal Administration NOS
Parking Administration NOS
Business & Administration: Self-Administration
Recent business trends have tended towards horizontal management structures with fewer hierarchical levels. This has meant that less administrative support is now available within teams, and subsequently, there’s an expectation that employees will be able to carry out their own administration.
The Self-Administration NOS enables this. These NOS are applicable to people who are not employed as administrators, do not have access to administrative support, or who are expected to carry out their own administration as part of their jobs.
Business & Administration Qualifications
A range of both vocational and academic Business & Administration qualifications are available for the UK and internationally. We have developed a number of specific Business & Administration vocational qualifications including NVQs/SVQs at levels 1, 2, 3, and 4.
View the latest assessment strategy and guidance for Business & Administration NVQs/SVQs below.
Assessment Strategy
Assessment Guidance
Business & Administration QCF Units
QCF units have been developed to cover the knowledge and skills needed by those in Business & Administration roles.
Parking (PDF)
Document Production (PDF)
Education Level 3 (PDF)
Events & Meetings (PDF)
Health & Safety Level 1 (PDF)
Human Resources (PDF)
Innovation & Change (PDF)
Legal (PDF)
Manage Information & Data (PDF)
Organisational Strategy (PDF)
Customer Service (PDF)
Business Resources (PDF)
Business Support Services (PDF)
Communications (PDF)
Core Business & Administration (PDF)
Corporate Decision Making (PDF)
Define the skills your industry needs.
For work-based learning to truly match the range of challenges that you face it’s essential that apprenticeships and training are continuously developed. This is where we come in.
We work with employers, employer groups, and training providers to maintain and update a range of apprenticeship frameworks and standards. Through staged consultations, we ensure that qualifications work for learners, employers, and skills bodies alike.
To have your say on the future of skills in your sector, register for consultation updates today.
Developing People, Transforming Lives
As the UK’s largest apprenticeship certification authority, we’ve played an integral role in apprenticeships since our formation in 1996. Whether you know us for certification or skills consultations, our work helps you to manage your apprenticeships and vocational training.
Yet this isn’t all that we do.
We are proud to be part of the Instructus Group, a family of organisations that exist to help people progress in education, in work, and in life. Through a range of funded and part-funded support programmes we help people to fulfill their potential.