Business & Accountancy

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Course area information

We offer courses from level 1 through to level 3 within Business and Administration.   Aspirations is an exciting ‘simulated office’ where our full-time students can experience what it is like to work in a real office environment, all part of the NVQ courses in Administration and Customer Service.

If you choose to come to college as a modern apprentice you will attend college on a day-release basis from your work.

"I have found all aspects of my course interesting and I think the things I have learnt will stnad me in good stead when I get a job." 

Mazvita Chivasa - BTEC Diploma in Busines Administration Level 3 

Agency gives students ‘Aspirations’

Students on Level 2 and 3 BTEC diplomas in Administration at Redcar and Cleveland College are getting the best work experience possible thanks to a special admin agency in the college.

Aspirations Administration Agency is a real working environment dealing with administration for customers and suppliers.

Part of the Simtec organisation, students work in the agency six hours a week in addition to class time and last year handled paperwork relating to £44,000 of goods and services.

Working in the agency students move round departments including customer relations, personnel, sales, accounts, stock and purchasing.

To work in the agency and be given the opportunity to learn the valuable skills employers are looking for, students must sign a contract agreeing to comply with the rules on dress, conduct and attendance.

As in any other workplace, the students have to learn to get along with each other and there is a diverse range of age, gender and ability. Level 3 students who do well have the opportunity to become supervisors in the agency.

The agency is very busy and there are many targets to achieve and deadlines that must be met.  Students gain valuable experience working in a busy and dynamic environment and learn many essential administration skills including:  answering telephone calls and dealing with customers, dealing with complaints and queries, using office equipment including the photocopier and franking machine. 

The students also write business letters and memos and are asked to complete other tasks that give them the opportunity to use most types of computer software.
The staff and students are not the only ones to recognize the value of working in Aspirations.  The agency recently received accreditation from awarding body OCR, enabling students to achieve an NVQ level 2 in Business Administration along side their BTEC Diploma in Administration. 

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