Certificate of Big Data – New Course! 

Certificate of Big Data – New Course! 

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The era of big data is well and truly here! Did you surf the net today?  Check your social media accounts? Buy something online or check the weather on your smartphone? If the answer is yes, then you generated data. However, you’re only one of the billions across the world that did. We live in an age when there has never been so much data and the amount we are generating is increasing at an exponential rate.

However, data itself is not significant – it’s the measuring of data patterns, trends and associations that is valuable -and demand for these unique analytical skills continues to rise. Harnessing data can ultimately help organisations find answers, whether it’s by facilitating research in the medical field, predicting future trends in the share market, or helping a retailer better understand their customers.

So why not create change (and valuable career opportunities) using data with our new course – the Certificate of Big Data!

 

Learning Outcomes

  • Study the fundamentals of big data from a historical perspective and in the context of data operations and emerging technologies.
  • Learn about the big data stack and the open-source, Linux-based tools for working with data.
  • Understand some of the theoretical aspects of big data, including NoSQL databases, the Apache software foundation, and the functional and design principles of Hadoop.
  • Study the opportunities and challenges of big data including how it impacts business and the global community.
  • Learn how to interpret big data using business intelligence, visualisation and mining and integration tools.
  • Explore big data projects including DIY supercomputing and relational database management systems (RDBMS).
  • Discover how teams work in big data organisations, including the ‘use cases’ for big data.
  • Examine big data from a legal, corporate leadership, engineering, marketing, sales and strategic planning perspective.
  • Learn how to monitor big data operations and secure big data streams, and examine methods for application and performance testing.

 

Is This Course For You?

This course ideally suits those in the IT industry looking to up-skill and/or specialise in the area of big data and its associated operational systems. It is particularly relevant to those who are knowledgeable in computer programs including Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, SharePoint and SQL databases.

 

Why Study A Certificate of Big Data?

Big data is used to uncover hidden correlations, patterns and other insights that regular data keeps hidden. However, the technologies powering big data aren’t actually sufficient to handle the task. That’s why those who have studied a big data course can be enormously valuable to a variety of organisations!

In the E-commerce sector, it might be assisting with campaign management optimization, in finance dealing with risk and wealth management, and in healthcare working on patient care quality and outcomes analyses. Or you could be working in insurance carrying out claims fraud detection, in the retail sector managing a loyalty program or working in new product research and development in the telecommunications industry.

Then there’s the all-important issue of income … and the future is looking bright! According to a Deloitte study, those with big data skills are expected to earn almost $20K more on average by 2022 than they do today!

 

A Day In The Life Of … A Data Scientist 

 Ask someone who works in the area of data science about their typical day and be prepared for a classic eye roll. Because despite there being similarities in daily tasks, the reality is … there is no typical day! This is because although data scientists spend much of their time gathering, viewing, shaping and analyzing data, they do it in many different ways and for many different reasons.

The key feature of a data scientist’s role is that they are goal-oriented problem solvers. They seek to determine the questions that need answers and the challenges that need solutions, and they come up with varying approaches to solving complex issues.

As a data scientist, one day you could be communicating with a wide range of stakeholders in terms of answering a business need (and in simple not science-y terms). The next, you could be attending a conference, poring over industry-related white papers, or networking online in order to discuss technology advances. Basically, your job role will be as complex, exciting and varied as data itself is!

 

Fast track your IT career and leverage the power and exponential growth of big data into the 21st century with our Certificate of Big Data!

Excel 2019 For Windows – New Course!

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Microsoft is one of the most ubiquitous companies in the world – a fancy word that basically means it’s found everywhere! And the reason is simple – the company produces software, PC’s and related products that are ideally suited to a variety of private, business and academic uses.

Excel is the spreadsheet application that forms part of the Microsoft Office suite, with the Windows version of the software first released in 1987. Creating spreadsheets can be a daunting task for many of us, however, they are a valuable tool for today’s complex and time-poor home and working environments.

Microsoft Excel allows users to easily store and analyse large quantities of data using a grid of cells arranged in numbered rows and letter-named columns to organise data manipulations. And its functions range from basic mathematical equations to complex statistical analyses.

It sounds complicated, but the software is actually very user-friendly, which is why it has become the industry standard for spreadsheet generation. It is a must-have for those working in virtually any business, but also ideal for those keen to get personal data like their budget in beautifully spreadsheeted order! That’s why we are so excited to be launching our NEW course – Excel 2019 for Windows!

 

Learning Outcomes

 

  • Explore the interface and some of its features, including the zoom, ribbon, status bar and various view modes.
  • Discover how to insert and edit images, screenshots and shapes; insert hyperlinks and use the new Smart Lookup feature.
  • Analyse and present your data in a visually appealing manner, including inserting and customising charts and using trendlines.
  • Learn how to create, manage and save documents, insert headers and footers, and edit document properties and print documents.
  • Discover how to work with formulas, including built-in formulas like SUM and COUNT, perform rounding and ranking and generate random numbers.
  • Learn how to create custom formats for text, numbers, dates and times, as well as how to create and use conditional formatting.
  • Study how to share your documents – via email or by uploading them to OneDrive and SharePoint.
  • Monitor feedback by staying in the loop with document comments, and the version history and track changes tools.
  • Explore the different chart types and styles for presenting and analysing your data, including in Pie, Radar, Bubble, Scatter, Map and Combo charts.
  • Understand how Excel tables can be used to manage, analyse and manipulate data.
  • Learn how to sort, filter and perform calculations in a table and change its formatting and appearance.
  • Discover how you can align data, use colours and themes, resize rows and columns, and insert tables and borders to change the presentation of your data.
  • Explore the numerous ways to insert, edit and manipulate your data, including undo and redo, Flash Fill, spell check and transposing a data range.
  • Learn about the various methods for locating, displaying and manipulating data entries.
  • Discover the Find and Replace tools and manipulate data with the Group and Outline tools.
  • Explore absolute and relative cell references, using data across multiple worksheets and formula auditing.
  • Learn how to control what is displayed in your data range and how the values are organised.
  • Study how to perform basic and more advanced sort operations, filter data, use the column header tools and manage colour-tagged and duplicate entries.
  • Understand potential formula errors, use intelligent data types, set goals to reach targets and problem solve with the Solver and Forecast tools.

 

Why Study Windows Excel?

 

  • Organising and manipulating data can be complex and time-consuming. Excel not only speeds up the process but reduces human error in terms of miscalculations. Master its advanced features and you’ll also be able to undertake complicated forms of statistical analyses.
  • Excel is a universal language that can be used across the globe in a wide range of applications. Its accessibility also enables the free movement of information between people and businesses regardless of their location.
  • Because it’s part of the Microsoft Office package, outputs from Excel can also be easily transferred to other Microsoft software including Word or Powerpoint to aid in the delivery of documents and presentations.
  • Learning the Excel 2019 for Windows keyboard shortcuts will increase your productivity, meaning you’ll be well on your way to achieving Excel excellence!
  • Completing an Excel course will enhance your employability and career prospects, particularly in the area of analytical skills.
  • Because it’s the most widely used software programs of its kind in the world, it is a valuable skill to have across a range of sectors from the medical, education and business to admin, sales and finance.

 

Fun Facts About Excel

 

  • Other names initially considered for the software were ‘Master Plan’ and ‘Mr Spreadsheet’ (which we love). ‘Excel’ was eventually given the thumbs up because the creators believed it excelled over its competitors.
  • Version 3.0 was credited for introducing the toolbar, which has became a standard feature in a wide variety of desktop applications.
  • The software’s rows and columns have increased over the years, meaning it can handle a lot more cells than it used to. Versions up to Excel 95 had a limit of 16,384 rows. By the time Excel 2007 came along, it offered 1,048,576 rows and 16,384 columns – a total of 17,179,869,184 cells. Which is a lot of data! How much can the 2019 version handle? We dare you to find out.
  • The Excel 2016 version had around 484 functions. And the 2019 version? Again, we dare you.

 

Keen to up-skill with the most widely used software program of its kind in the world? Of course, you are! Get spreadsheet savvy with our NEW Excel 2019 for Windows course!

Powerful Presentations – New Course

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Finally, a presentation course that helps you to master your public speaking engagements. If you suffer from Fear of Public Speaking (affectionately called FOPS), you’re not alone. It’s often quoted as being in the top five of our biggest fears. But being able to communicate and present your ideas effectively can help you gain confidence, form strong collaborations and even advance your career!

 

However, whether your job includes leading team training, delivery sales pitches or designing PowerPoint presentations, your public speaking ability also needs to match the quality of your content to be successful. Our new course, Powerful Presentations, will help you do just that!

Learning Outcomes

 

  • Build a presentation that’s engaging, composed, confident and memorable
  • Learn how to present your ideas in a concise, convincing manner
  • Study how to consider your presentation’s audience and overall purpose
  • Learn how to define and understand your audience’s characteristics, knowledge, needs and responses
  • Enhance your presentation using eye-catching visual aids, including PowerPoint
  • Stage a presentation and learn how to control presentation nerves
  • Discover how to use both verbal and non-verbal skills including body language
  • Fine-tune your Q&A skills to enhance your credibility
  • Learn the fundamentals of business storytelling including strengthening your company branding
  • Improve the way you communicate with key stakeholders inside and outside of your organisation

 

Four Interesting Facts About Public Speaking

 

#1 – It Will Change Your Life

 

The cold, hard fact is that public speaking for many of us can be scary. However, much of the fear is due to how we interpret the situation. For many people it’s not the actual act of speaking in public that’s worrying, it’s something much simpler and more universal. Failure.

 

But public speaking can offer a range of benefits, so seeing it as an ‘opportunity’ rather than a ‘situation’ can help. It can enhance your confidence and be incredibly influential. And unlike some fears, you can prepare for it, which can downplay the negativity of the whole situation as well.

 

#2 – There Is No Such Thing As Failure

 

Much of the fear around public speaking is down to one simple assumption. People are afraid they are going to do a ‘bad’ job and even worse, ‘everyone’ will be there to see it. However, it’s harder to fail than you think because feeling isn’t fact. Which means what you feel isn’t always the reality. And often when you think you’ve done poorly, most people won’t even notice what you believe are mistakes.

 

Reframing your ideas about success and failure and focusing on learning from the experience (with the help of our presentation course) rather than fearing the outcome, will help it be less about perfection and more about curiosity.

 

#3 – Your Audience Is Behind You

 

Because the fear of public speaking is so common, and we all feel embarrassed at times, most people will be sympathetic with your nerves. This is because seeing you struggle through a presentation can often hit close to home! Also, in most cases, people want to hear what you have to say, not judge your delivery, so they want you to do well.

 

Even in a competitive environment, a landslide victory is not what people want either – they want engagement and entertainment. So the better you perform, the more fun it is for them!

 

#4 – The fear of public speaking is referred to as glossophobia

A cool and slightly geeky term, wouldn’t you agree?

 

Famous Historical Speeches 

 

Many remarkable people throughout history have managed to influence us in more ways than one. And the efforts, ideologies and opinions reflected in their speeches have led to life-changing situations. Here are three of the best.

 

  1. Emmeline Pankhurst was a British political activist who organised the British suffragette movement and helped women win the right to vote. She delivered her Freedom or Death speech in Connecticut in November of 1913.

 

  1. Martin Luther King was an activist and American Christian minister who became the spokesperson for the Civil Rights Movement. Before he was assassinated in 1968 he gave a speech, I Have A Dream, which called for an end to racism in the United States.

 

  1. Barack Obama served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. He was the first African American to be elected to the presidency and gave a rousing US Election Victory Speech in 2008.

 

Modern Day Motivators

 

There is also a lot to be gained from a host of entrepreneurs, writers and business leaders in the modern age. Follow these legends on LinkedIn for your daily dose of inspiration!

 

Richard Branson – Founder of the Virgin Group, Branson has more than 13.4 million LinkedIn followers, and his favourite themes include cherishing family, chasing your dreams and combating climate change.

 

Deepak Chopra – America’s best-known advocate for alternative medicine, Chopra’s content covers a variety of topics that touch on mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.

 

Tony Robbins – An author and motivational speaker, Robbins shares pointers, articles and inspirational quotes on how to achieve success in everything from finances to relationships.

 

Gretchen Rubin – Rubin is a prolific writer whose achievements include four New York Times bestsellers. On LinkedIn, she offers insights about human nature, making and breaking habits and fostering happiness.

 

For even more inspiration, check out TED’s (a non-profit devoted to spreading ideas around the globe) Most Popular Talks of All Time.

 

If you have glossophobia and would like to learn not just to plan and build presentations, but deliver them confidently and successfully, check out our NEW Powerful Presentations course! 

 

Talent Management Program – New Course

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Did you know that before the development of Human Resources Management, the industry was known as Personnel Management? Roles in this area involved only basic HR functions like keeping processes compliant with legislation and handling employee files (paper ones not electronic!). These days, HR roles are multi-faceted, highly skilled and centred around the entire process of recruiting, from hiring to retaining and developing the most talented employees in a given industry.

 

HR professionals are also valuable assets to any organisation. In fact, according to LinkedIn, companies with successful talent management programs in place earn up to 30% more per employee. So if you’re keen to not only place the right people in the right jobs but ensure those same people shine their very brightest, our new Talent Management Program is for you!

 

Learning Outcomes

 

  • Explore leadership theory
  • Understand career management strategies
  • Manage, develop and mentor talent effectively
  • Create development programs for all staff
  • Maintain a qualified talent pipeline through succession planning
  • Implement transformational HR strategies
  • Educate management on the importance of strategic partnerships
  • Understand individual behaviour and personality traits in organisations
  • Learn how to improve the attitudes, perceptions and behaviours of employees
  • Discover how to plan for skills needs to maintain competitiveness
  • Study performance management and how to conduct a performance appraisal

 

Why Study Talent Management?

 

A career in talent management doesn’t just involve HR process expertise. Talent managers have also generally developed:

 

  • A willingness to stay abreast of ‘best practice’ and the latest recruitment trends and ethics.
  • The ability to multi-task – employees, job seekers and businesses are continually shifting and evolving.
  • A strong sense of ethics to deal with company policies and confidential information.
  • Strong communication skills, including effective presentation, negotiation and conflict management skills.
  • Leadership abilities, including the ability to motivate others and foster employees’ belief in an organisation.

 

After completing our talent management course, you could score a job as an HR Manager or Recruitment Consultant, or specialise further for a role as an Occupational Health and Safety Manager, Training and Development Manager or Workplace Relations Manager.

 

The sector in Australia is expected to employ over 102,400 people by 2022, and salaries range from around $76K for an entry-level professional to over $112K for experienced Talent Managers!

 

The Future Of Talent Management 

 

The world of recruitment is continuously evolving along with the advances of new digital technologies. Companies who want to make effective HR decisions are increasingly turning to ‘people’ analytics. This includes using data science, machine learning techniques and software like Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS). Many of these programs assist with managing the entire recruitment process, from posting job ads and sorting applications to managing candidates and reporting.

 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is also beginning to play an important role in the form of natural language processing (NLP) and chatbots. NLP can analyse resumes to help remove human bias, which can increase candidate diversity. And chatbots can be used for more proactive tasks, including providing immediate, real-time feedback to potential candidates.

 

A Day in The Life Of… 

 

If you are after a job with heaps of day-to-day variety, then a Talent Manager role is for you! Tasks will vary depending on your role; however, most entry-level recruitment professionals will oversee the entire lifecycle of an employee, including:

 

  • Developing job descriptions
  • Writing and placing job postings
  • Conducting application and credential reviews
  • Undertaking screening interviews and background checks
  • Managing job offers and the hiring process
  • Ensuring a smooth onboarding process
  • Identifying and managing any employee skills gaps
  • Setting up additional on-the-job training
  • Sourcing and cultivating mentorships
  • Assisting with career planning, coaching and relationship building
  • Managing feedback, performance management and appraisal processes
  • Dealing with promotions, transfers and employee terminations

 

Are you a people person? Are you keen to help organisations recruit, hire, retain and develop the best talent? If it’s a double yes, then take a look at our new Talent Management Program! 

 

Boosting Productivity at Work for Success

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Boosting productivity at work doesn’t mean working harder or faster. Rather, it’s about working smarter so that at the end of a busy day you feel accomplished, not stressed!

So, what’s the secret boosting productivity at work? We spoke to the experts to discover productivity hacks that’ll have you out the office door before you hit the floor!

Sally Foley-Lewis, the author of The Productive Leader, says boosting productivity at work means first focusing on your personal productivity.

 

  1. Identify the procrastination triggers

 

Procrastination triggers are usually based on stress, explains Ms Foley-Lewis. Ask yourself, what is the stress that is triggering this procrastination?

 

“There are many types of procrastination and once identified it’s easier to minimise them. Given life is always full of ups and downs, it’s unrealistic to think you can rid procrastination forever. The trick is to identify it early and take positive and productive action.”

 

  1. Set tomorrow up for success today

 

Develop afternoon and morning rituals – they’re good productivity boosters.

Afternoon

At the end of the day

  • List tasks you know can trigger procrastination. Write them out in full, so you can’t waste time tomorrow
  • Identify one thing you’re proud of achieving throughout the day and/or thank someone for their help
  • Put on a timer for 2 to 5 minutes and tidy your work area, so it’s more inviting tomorrow.

 

Morning

At the beginning of the day

  • Prioritise a list of tasks according to the most value-laden and important first
  • Schedule those tasks into your calendar so you own your day first, and before others add appointments into your calendar
  • Schedule a block of time in your day marked private, even just 10 minutes as wiggle room.

 

“If you set up your afternoons and mornings daily, it helps to keep flexibility in your day.

If you must shift your important work for someone else, move your important appointment, don’t simply delete it.”

 

  1. Schedule you

Your health, wellbeing, self-awareness and personal development are how you fill up your tank to operate at your best, explains Ms Foley-Lewis.

“Most people want to perform well. It’s hard to give your best when you’re running on empty. Scheduling you into your daily or weekly calendar is essential.”

Beck Lomas, Marketing Director at Promotr, leads a team of busy and deadline-driven professionals in digital marketing and has the following productivity hacks.

 

  1. Take regular short breaks

    It may seem counter-intuitive, but short breaks refresh the brain between tasks and ensure team members are at maximum capacity when tackling a new task.

 

  1. Have fun

Fun is more invigorating than a food break, juice or even coffee, explains Ms Beck.

“I ensure there is a lot of ways to have fun at work during breaks, such as shooting hoops, funny quotes of the day, and sharing of funny social media content.

“A short laugh can invigorate both body and mind, boosting productivity.”

 

Boosting Productivity at Work – Happiness is Key

Eugenie Pepper, a counsellor, says science-backed research shows happy employees perform better and are more productive.

“The principles of positive psychology can be used in the workplace to improve wellbeing and productivity.

“When we are happier, our mood is up. And when we’re feeling positive, we are more motivated and efficient and therefore more successful and productive.

“Unhappy employees take more sick days – up to 15 more a year.”

Good leaders use positivity to motivate and maximise performance, and this positivity is contagious, explains Ms Pepper.

“Studies have shown that managers who provide recognition and encouragement increase productivity in their staff by 31 per cent.

“Just believing in your employees’ skills and intelligence can boost productivity. Positive belief is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

“Giving employees the feeling that they have some control is also a driver of wellbeing and performance.”

 

Boosting Email Productivity

If most of your day involves sending, replying to and sorting emails, you’re not alone. Many of us waste countless hours on email at the expense of more important tasks.

If you’d like to boost your productivity at work, consider enrolling in Boosting Email Productivity to gain control over your workday.

Mindfulness for Career Success – New Course

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Mindfulness in the workplace is a hot topic that’s becoming increasingly popular with large corporations, such as Google, Apple and Nike, to boost employee motivation, engagement and empathy. But there are many benefits to practising mindfulness in the workplace both for work-related productivity and relationships. 

 

Mindfulness in the workplace increases productivity and encourages prosocial behaviour. When applied to your career, mindfulness can enhance your focus, boost creativity, develop your emotional intelligence and improve your career prospects.

 

Our new course Mindfulness for Career Success will help you to develop self-discipline, adopt a growth mindset and increase your personal power and credibility in the workplace.

 

In this mindfulness course, you will learn how to overcome procrastination, organise your time better, make mindful decisions, recognise and respond to unconscious bias and form mutually beneficial relationships at work.

 

On completion of this course, you will be able to implement mindfulness techniques in the workplace to increase your productivity and achieve career goals.

 

What is Mindfulness?

 

According to Sane Australia, “Mindfulness is a mental and physical technique you can use to focus your awareness on the present moment. Being in the moment helps you acknowledge, accept and cope with painful or intrusive thoughts, feelings and sensations.

 

“Mindfulness practice is simple, powerful, takes just a few minutes and can be done almost anywhere, so it can be a great addition to your everyday mental health self-care.”

 

Learning Outcomes

 

Mindfulness for Career Success will equip you with the skills and knowledge to:

 

· Organise to overcome procrastination 

· Develop a growth mindset 

· Listen well in the face of challenges 

· Overcome your unconscious bias

· Explain unconscious bias to others 

· Develop personal power and credibility 

· Gain techniques to overcome procrastination 

· Stay focused 

 

 

Is This Course for You? 

 

Mindfulness is for everyone, but it’s especially crucial for those in high-pressure roles. If you feel your job is negatively impacting your mental or physical wellbeing, mindfulness training will help you to implement techniques to regain control. 

 

Benefits of Mindfulness at Work

 

The popularity of mindfulness continues to increase with a growing body of research, demonstrating that it reduces stress and anxiety, improves focus and memory and promotes self-regulation and empathy.

 

A study by neuroscientist Sara Lazar, an assistant researcher in psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, was the first to provide evidence that mindfulness meditation can change the brain’s grey matter and brain regions linked with memory, emotional regulation and sense of self. 

 

Mindfulness training can help you at work in many ways, such as:

 

· Increased motivation, engagement and empathy 

· Increased productivity 

· Encourages prosocial behaviour 

· Enhances your focus 

· Boosts creativity 

· Develops your emotional intelligence 

· Improves your career prospects 

 

 

If you incorporate mindfulness into your workday, you’ll feel more accomplished, which will mean you can spend more time in the moment with the people who matter most to you.

 

Enrol in Mindfulness for Career Success today and enjoy the benefits of being more present at home and at work to enhance your wellbeing.

Certificate of Six Sigma – Yellow, Green and Black – New Course! 

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Six Sigma is a set of tools and techniques for process improvement used by many businesses around the world. Essentially it works by minimising process variability in terms of identifying and removing the causes of defects. Its use also creates a unique infrastructure of people within organisations who are experts at conducting projects and implementing improvements.

Those with Six Sigma certifications are in high demand in different roles across a range of industries. If your role involves being responsible for improving quality and processes at the departmental or organisational level, then our NEW Certificate of Six Sigma – Yellow, Green and Black course will add another (enviable) skillset to your CV!

If you are new to the world of Six Sigma certification, you begin by achieving a Yellow Belt certification, then a Green Belt and finally a Six Sigma Black Belt. If you already have Six Sigma qualifications, it’s simply a matter of choosing your next challenging level!

 

Learning Outcomes

Certificate of Six Sigma – Yellow Belt

If you are keen to undertake the Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification, you will be already familiar with engaging with an organisation’s problem-solving teams to effect change. Learning outcomes for this certification include:

 

  • Exploring the evolution of Six Sigma
  • Understanding Six Sigma foundations, principles and core concepts
  • Learning how Six Sigma can benefit your organisation
  • Discovering Poka-yoke and Kanban-pull methodologies
  • Learning about team basics, roles and responsibilities
  • Using quality tools, creating charts and interpreting histograms
  • Measuring process performance metrics including calculating yield, DPU and DPMO
  • Implementing the Voice Of The Customer (VOC) strategies
  • Discovering Six Sigma project management basics, including using diagrams and matrix and Gantt charts
  • Learning about basic Six Sigma statistics, classifying and collecting data and undertaking a system analysis

 

Certificate of Six Sigma – Green Belt

At the Six Sigma – Green Belt level of your career, you will already be assisting with data collection and analysis for Black Belt projects. Learning outcomes for this certification include:

 

  • Exploring Six Sigma methodologies
  • Identifying Six Sigma projects and their Lean Principles
  • Using DFSS tools for a project
  • Uncovering the similarities between DFSS and Six Sigma
  • Exploring the IDOV and DMADV methodology stages
  • Understanding the Six Sigma Voice of the Customer
  • Learning about the FMEA types, characteristics and process steps
  • Undertaking RPN calculations
  • Understanding DFMEA and PFMEA worksheets and differences
  • Gaining insights into Six Sigma project management essentials
  • Understanding Six Sigma process and performance capability measurements
  • Using Six Sigma control charts, cycle-time reduction and Kaizen Blitz
  • Exploring Six Sigma data classification, sampling and collection
  • Undertaking Six Sigma hypothesis testing and performance metrics
  • Using Six Sigma measurement systems analysis and waste elimination
  • Exploring Six Sigma process documentation and analysis

 

Certificate of Six Sigma – Black Belt

At the Six Sigma – Black Belt level of your career, you will be leading problem-solving projects and possibly training and coaching teams. Learning outcomes for this certification include:

 

  • Exploring the fundamentals of Lean and Six Sigma and their applications
  • Learning about Six Sigma project selection, roles and responsibilities
  • Undertaking Six Sigma strategic planning and deployment
  • Discovering the impact on stakeholders and benchmarking
  • Using business and financial measures in Six Sigma
  • Learning about Six Sigma team dynamics, roles and success factors
  • Exploring Six Sigma team facilitation and leadership
  • Studying Six Sigma team dynamics and training
  • Determining requirements by listening to the Voice Of The Customer
  • Undertaking a Six Sigma business case
  • Learning about process flow metrics and analysis tools
  • Exploring data types, sampling, collection and measurement
  • Using basic statistics and graphical methods
  • Undertaking probability and probability distributions
  • Determining process performance and capability
  • Measuring and modelling relationships between variables
  • Learning about the basics of hypothesis testing and tests for means
  • Undertaking tests for variances and proportions, ANOVA and goodness-of-fit
  • Exploring FMEA and other non-statistical analysis methods
  • Understanding DOE and planning experiments
  • Designing, conducting and analysing experiments
  • Learning about Lean Improvement methods and implementation planning
  • Undertaking statistical process control (SPC) and control charts
  • Using Lean control tools and maintaining controls
  • Sustaining Six Sigma improvements
  • Exploring common DFSS methodologies, robust designs and design for X (DFX)

 

Who This Course Suits 

People seeking Six Sigma certification come from a range of industries and perform at a variety of levels. Typically, job titles include engineers, process owners, quality professionals, production managers, frontline managers and anyone charged with the responsibility of improving quality and processes at the departmental or organisational level.

 

Six Sigma History

Formulated by American Motorola engineer Bill Smith in 1980, Six Sigma methodologies were also introduced to General Electric’s business strategy by CEO Jack Welch in 1995.

The term ‘Six Sigma’ originated from terminology associated with the statistical modelling of manufacturing processes. The maturity of these can be described by a ‘sigma’ rating, which indicates its yield or the percentage of defect-free products that are created.

Each Six Sigma project carried out within an organisation follows a defined sequence of steps with specific value targets. These can include reducing pollution, cycle time and costs, and increasing profits and customer satisfaction.

 

Six Sigma Colour Gradings

Six Sigma professionals exist at every project level, and each has a different role to play. While roles may vary, here is a basic guide to who does what (in order of expertise).

Master Black Belt: Often functions at the Six Sigma program level by developing key metrics and strategic direction. They can also act as an organisation’s Six Sigma technologist or internal consultant and may train and coach Black Belts and Green Belts.

Black Belt: Leads problem-solving projects and often trains and coaches project teams.

Brown Belt: Not traditionally used in Six Sigma projects, some organisations may classify a Brown Belt as someone who has their Green Belt and has passed the Black Belt certification exam, but hasn’t yet completed a second Six Sigma project.

Green Belt: Assists with data collection and analysis for Black Belt projects, and may lead Green Belt projects or teams.

Yellow Belt: Participates as a project team member, and often reviews process improvements that support the project.

White Belt: May work on problem-solving teams supporting projects but not necessarily as part of a Six Sigma project team.

 

Six Sigma Real-World Use

The following companies claim to have successfully implemented Six Sigma methodologies into their organisations in one form or other:

  • American Express
  • BHP Billiton
  • Caterpillar
  • Centrelink
  • Citibank
  • Commonwealth Bank
  • Dupont
  • Ernst & Young
  • Flight Centre Travel Group
  • Ford Australia
  • GE
  • Holden Ltd
  • Honeywell
  • IBM Australia
  • Kodak Australasia
  • Kraft Foods
  • Motorola
  • Nestle Australia
  • Pacific Dunlop
  • PricewaterhouseCoopers
  • Qantas
  • Rio Tinto
  • Suncorp
  • Sunrice
  • Sheraton Hotel
  • Siemens
  • Telstra

 

Fun Fact! 

Six Sigma processes are ones in which 99.99966% of all opportunities to produce some feature of a part are statistically expected to be free of defects!

 

If you’re after a Certification program to kick-start your career, and provide invaluable, in-demand process improvement skills for future job opportunities, then our Certificate of Six Sigma – Yellow, Green and Black is for you! 

 

Stress Management Program – New Course!

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Did you know that one in five Australians has taken time off work in the past 12 months because they’ve felt anxious, stressed or depressed? Are you one of those 21 per cent? 

We all deserve a life outside of work to enjoy our ‘downtime’. However, being continually stressed can lead to poor work performance and have adverse long-term effects on your physical and emotional wellbeing. 

People also react to pressure differently, so it’s important to identify what makes you stressed, and leverage techniques to manage what’s causing it. As a result, you’ll feel happier, healthier and improve your focus and productivity.

And that’s where our new course comes in! The way you complete our stress management course is also stress-free. Using our interactive, self-paced guide, you can take as much or as little time as you need – you’ll be reaping the benefits before you know it! 

 

Course Outcomes 

  • Explore the key concepts relating to stress
  • Understand how stress affects you emotionally and physically
  • Recognise the signs of burnout and the toll stress can take on your health
  • Discover the symptoms of stress and workplace pressure triggers
  • Learn how to change your perceptions and manage personal stress and pressure
  • Find out how to take action in high-pressure situations
  • Learn how to deal with over-analysis and over-confidence
  • Uncover how different work style types deal with pressure
  • Learn how to deal with stressed colleagues
  • Learn how to adopt relaxation and mindfulness techniques
  • Discover how to control stress with the ABC model 
  • Learn how to achieve a healthy work/life balance
  • Understand how your behavioural style affects your life balance
  • Explore the benefits of simplifying your life
  • Explore passive, aggressive and assertive behaviours
  • Learn how to set your limits and reframe situations
  • Understand the barriers that make change difficult

 

Common Causes Of Work Stress

A variety of things can cause stress, which can include the below. How does your workplace stack up? 

  • A toxic culture or lack of culture 
  • Trauma and/or loss of control, people or resources
  • Low or no-change management practices
  • Bad management practices
  • Client and colleague demands
  • Your working environment, including poor ergonomics
  • Employee relationships including role conflict
  • Mismatched team or individual skillsets

 

How To Tell If You’re Stressed

Life can be so busy that we sometimes lose sight of the fact that we are feeling pressured. Not sure if you’re exhibiting signs of stress at work? Then ask yourself:

 

  1. Do you always miss lunch to get work done? It does show dedication. However, it is unhealthy, won’t help your energy levels, and it’s also a sign that you’ve got too much work on your plate (excuse the pun!) 
  2. Do you often work at home after hours? Home should be your relaxation space, and working at night or on weekends can force you to avoid nurturing relationships and hobbies that are important to your wellbeing.
  3.  Is your work often rushed? Stressed employees who feel overwhelmed often rush through projects, which can result in outputs that are incomplete, incorrect or just sub-standard. 
  4.  Are you overly emotional, irritable or edgy? Stressed people often behave in uncharacteristic ways, like losing their temper over minor events, or crying over things that would not usually be an issue. 
  5.  Do your attention levels fade during meetings or do you randomly jump from one project to another? Having too much happening at once may cause you to lose focus and be unproductive. 

 

If you answered any of the above with a ‘yes’, our Stress Management Program will equip you with valuable tools that can help you negotiate the pressures of the modern working world. Super-charge your performance and your career!  

 

Note: If you are feeling overly stressed, depressed or anxious at work, several community services can offer assistance. These include Lifeline, Beyond Blue, the Black Dog Institute and Sane.

 

Prince2® Certification Program – New Course! 

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Project management is vital to business, as it ensures controls and governance are in place so that goals are achieved, and benefits maximised.

Prince2, which is an acronym for Projects IN Controlled Environments, is a structured project management program and process-based methodology for enabling ‘best practice’ in project management.

It is a complex system made up of six Aspects, seven Principles, seven Themes and seven Processes, and its ‘management products’ are divided into three main types – records, reports and baselines.

Prince2 was initially developed as a UK government standard for information systems projects and is now adopted by countries across the world, including in Australia.

So, we are so excited to be launching the Prince2 Certification Program as one of our new courses!

 

Learning Outcomes

  • Uncover the history of Prince2 project management.
  • Explore the benefits of project management using the Prince2 methodology.
  • Learn how to tailor Prince2 for your unique project environment and requirements.
  • Understand the Prince2 concepts, principles, themes, processes and stages.
  • Assemble a PID (Project Initiation Document).
  • Initiate a Prince2 project, direct it and control it.
  • Manage your Prince2 project, including its stages, team roles and delivery.
  • Explore Prince2 quality, change, progress and risk themes.
  • Work towards undertaking the Prince2 Foundation exam.

 

Is This Course for You? 

The Prince2 Certification Program suits a variety of project management professionals, including those who are Program Managers, Team Managers and Project Consultants. It is also a valuable skill-enhancer for employees who have a defined role within a project team currently operating in a Prince2 environment.

 

Why Study Prince2 Project Management?

Project management is a critical part of an organisation’s infrastructure and architecture. A survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that “higher-performing projects are significantly more likely to be staffed with certified project managers”.

Prince2 is an asset to your resume as it’s recognised as a world-class international product. In fact, many organisations with complex project management needs are demanding employees are Prince2 certified.

Studies by the Australian Institute of Project Management show that there are more jobs than candidates in some project management sectors. Project management is also one of the most sought-after professions, particularly in our digital climate with technology-driven changes such as big data, automation, and AI pushing organisations to new limits.

According to PayScale, Project Managers with Prince2 certifications can earn up to $111K, those in the IT sector up to $113K, and Senior Project Managers in the IT sector up to $139K.

 

A Day in The Life Of … 

Those with Prince2 certifications will most often be employed in high-level project management positions dealing with major projects and key stakeholders. However, life as a Project Manager usually means that no two days are the same!

Your role could involve working with Account Managers to ensure a smooth handover of projects for initiation, or in the IT world, collaborating with hosting teams on customer solutions. It could also involve working with Delivery Consultants, Solution Architects and Customer Stakeholders to ensure dependencies and prerequisites are met.

Or you could be working on a combination of jobs throughout the day and tasks could involve making project calls, documenting action, planning and scheduling upcoming projects, and creating Statement of Works for forthcoming projects. Other tasks may include arranging pre-sales resources for an Account Management team, working with clients and consultants to resolve project issues, and providing status reports of project progression to a Senior Management team.

 

Love the stimulating, fast-paced world of Project Management? Then take your career up a notch with our Prince2 Certification Program and graduate with the world’s most sought after PM qualifications! 

 

Strategic Thinking For Success – New Course! 

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Strategic Thinking for Success will equip you with the skills and knowledge to confidently deal with risks. This professional development course will also make you a valuable asset to organisations across a range of sectors. 

Risk is inevitable in any organisation, and it has the potential to inflict serious damage, which can have negative financial and efficiency impacts. Our strategic thinking course will help you to identify, assess and manage risk, and develop strategic plans to mitigate potential risks.  These are all in-demand skills critical to business success. 

 

Learning Outcomes

  • Discover how to identify risk using root cause identification and forecasting tools like the Delphi technique.
  • Learn how to differentiate between internal and external risks.
  • Plan, conduct and manage brainstorming sessions. 
  • Learn key risk assessment concepts, including opportunity and threat assessment using Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA).
  • Discover how to create an effective strategy for responding to risk, such as risk exposure adjustment and contingency planning.
  • Learn how to think strategically, develop your capacity for creative thinking, and how to deal with complexity.
  • Use strategic thinking to consider the bigger picture, including understanding paradoxes and causality, and how to assess value and supply chains.

 

Is This Course For You? 

This strategic thinking course is ideal for public and private sector executive staff, including functional managers, departmental leaders and those who have managerial or executive responsibilities. It will enable professionals to move beyond purely operational service delivery to implementing ‘bigger picture’ strategies.

 

Traits of Analytic Thinkers 

According to psychologists, we all have a natural tendency to go with intuitive answers to problems and choose solutions that ‘feel right’. However, analytical thinkers take their search for a solution even further to find answers that can be proven to be correct. Some of the characteristics analytical thinkers display (and we bet you nod your way through the list!) are: 

  1. Your lifestyle can sometimes appear chaotic to other people because you like to concentrate on important, ‘thinking’ tasks rather than on domestic ones. 
  2. You can give sound reasons and explanations for all your decisions, including your favourite foods and your choice of hobbies! 
  3. You often need time alone, and you like to use it to absorb new information and working out complicated solutions.
  4. People turn to you when they have a question because they know you’ll either have the correct answer or make it your business to find out what it is! 
  5. You enjoy the company of like-minded friends who can match your quick thinking ability and inspire your intellect.

 

Why Study Strategic Thinking For Success?

According to an article in Forbes business magazine, multiple studies have shown that “strategic thinking is the leadership quality that correlated best with perceptions of ‘success’ and ‘effectiveness’ in the workplace.” Further, “employees respect and value leaders who are mindful of the future and always seem prepared for it”. 

As technology in today’s business landscape (including the rise of AI and automation), drives a higher rate of change, more and more organisations are seeking leaders with strong strategic thinking capabilities. The greatest protection an individual or a company can have is the ability to adapt quickly. Strategic thinking training provides a clear approach for leaders seeking to improve the way they plan for change. This valuable soft skill will give you a competitive edge and continued business and personal growth in an ever-changing world.

 

Key Skills Of Analytical Thinkers 

Analytical thinkers are valuable to organisations because of their ability to:

  1. Visualise how different parts of a process fit together and predict how small changes can influence the whole organisation.
  2. Strongly support procedures and policies.
  3. Exceptional knowledgeable about their area of work expertise.
  4. Be in the right place, at the right time, with the right information.
  5. Make decisions that are highly valid and can be supported by solid facts and figures.

 

Keen to leverage your analytical skills in your career? Our Strategic Thinking for Success course will fine-tune your talents to affect change and ensure your organisation remains competitive in today’s globally competitive markets. 

Adobe InDesign Program – New Course! 

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The world’s leading desktop publishing and typesetting software, Adobe InDesign has come a long way since its launch in 1999 (by the way, Happy 20th Birthday InDesign!) It was hot on the heels of the desktop publishing revolution. For the first time, individuals and organisations could directly and effortlessly design and publish almost any type of content. 

InDesign has traditionally been the software of choice for illustrators and graphic and web designers, who work in different capacities and a variety of industries. It essentially allows users to design visual communications and publication materials for print, digital and electronic media.

According to the government’s Job Outlook site, there are likely to be around 27,000 new job openings over the next five years for illustrators and graphic and web designers. As such, we are so excited to be launching the Adobe InDesign Program as one of our new courses! 

 

Learning Outcomes

  • Learn how to create documents, navigate your workspace and use guides, rulers and grids.
  • Discover essential editing functions like selection tools, smart guides, and how to split layout views.
  • Explore editing tools such as the scissor, transform, gradient swatch and gradient feather tools.
  • Learn how to use toolbars and panels, the object, pen and pencil tools and panels and palettes.
  • Discover how to create text frames and scale, skew, kern and track text.
  • Study how to group, align, distribute, arrange and transform objects.
  • Learn how to manipulate pages, and create tables, templates and books.
  • Discover how to work with stock and creative cloud (CC) libraries.
  • Learn how to apply stroke and fill, place, position and resize images.
  • Gain the skills that will allow you to publish completed designs in a variety of formats. 

 

Is This Course For You? 

Traditionally, Adobe InDesign was the software of choice for those needing graphic design skills, and who were keen to work as illustrators or graphic and web designers. Typically this work would be in the publishing, advertising and information media or telecommunications sectors.

However these days, it’s a valuable CV enhancer for almost anyone working in any sector, including Digital Marketing Managers, Social and Digital Communications Officers, Marketing Managers, Social Media Executives, and E-commerce Content Coordinators.

 

Why Study the Adobe InDesign Program?

The skills you learn in this graphic design course can assist you with producing all types of wonderfully creative designs for everything from flyers, posters and brochures, to branding elements like logos, stationery and marketing collateral. InDesign even allows you to publish content (like magazines and books) for tablet devices in conjunction with the Adobe Digital Publishing Suite. 

Because graphic designers are critical to marketing, designers have the potential to earn excellent salaries. Many graphic designers also have the opportunity to run freelancing businesses or work on a contract basis for advertising agencies or an organisation’s in-house marketing team. 

According to PayScale, the average salary for a graphic designer in Australia is around $54,000. Virtually every business needs marketing collateral, so jobs are available in almost every industry you can think of, which is probably why demand is increasing! 

According to the government’s Job Outlook site, the number of people working in graphic design roles in Australia grew strongly over the past five years and is expected to continue to grow over the next ten years from 59,500 employees in 2018 to 67,000 by 2023.

 

A Day In The Life Of … 

Most graphic designers work in an office environment in front of a computer, and many specialise in one or two areas, such as in print, web design or corporate branding. 

Core responsibilities include collaborating with clients and account managers to understand the objectives of a project, and brainstorming and developing design briefs for client presentation.

They may also work with a team of copywriters, illustrators, photographers, web developers, marketing specialists and project managers. 

 

Fun Fact! 

Graphic designers have produced many of the most important visual media landmarks over the last century. Two notable examples are Storm Thorgerson, who built his reputation creating artwork for rock bands like Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd, and Sir Jonathan Ive, who became world-famous for designing a myriad of products over his ten years at Apple.

Keen to gain creative design skills to enhance your C.V? Study our Adobe InDesign Program and take your career to the next inspirational level. 

Certificate of Agile Project Management – New Course!

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The economy, technology and the political landscape are changing rapidly, and adopting Agile project management practices ensures organisations can adeptly complete in continually competitive marketplaces. In our new Certificate of Agile Project Management course, you will learn about the most common agile methodologies and frameworks and be ready to embrace a mindset, culture and leadership style that will propel your organisation into a transformative future.

 

Learning Outcomes

  • Explore the fundamental Agile concepts and learn why it’s crucial to cultivate a culture of agility.
  • Uncover the eight Agile values, the twelve Agile principles and the five phases of the Agile project management model.
  • Discover the characteristics that distinguish an agile mindset from a fixed mindset.
  • Learn about the most common Agile methodologies and frameworks.
  • Study the Agile enterprise and its benefits, key creation steps and factors for successful implementation.
  • Explore Agile planning activities, including creating personas and wireframing.
  • Learn about the most common Agile estimation techniques including story points, wideband Delphi and affinity estimation.
  • Explore key risk management and product quality, testing and integration strategies.
  • Uncover the benefits of using facilitation techniques like Agile games to foster cooperation and collaboration.
  • Discover how innovating with Lean techniques can help you build the right product and encourage strategic innovation.
  • Learn to maximise value and leverage best practices with A/B Testing.

 

Is This Course for You? 

This course is ideal for Project Managers, Project Officers, Change Managers, Business Analysts, Team Managers and Senior Managers who are seeking an Agile approach to product delivery. It’s also a valuable up-skilling qualification for those who are looking to enhance their resume qualifications with Agile project management skills.

 

Why Study Agile Project Management?

Project management is an exciting and dynamic business discipline that is on the rise in Australia, with over 121,000 professionals predicted to be employed by 2022. Employees with Agile project management skills are in high demand across both contract and permanent roles. Demand is mainly due to organisations increasingly requiring processes that are in sync with the fast and ever-changing pace of business and technology. 

 

Agile project managers can work in a variety of contexts in a vast range of different sectors from construction, manufacturing and engineering to finance, professional services, healthcare administration and information services and technology. 

 

And when it comes to wages? According to Payscale, the average national salary for an Agile project manager in Australia is around $118K.

 

A Day In The Life Of … 

One thing Agile project managers are guaranteed of is job variety! You could enjoy a variety of workplace roles, including at an enterprise level, where you may be leading and managing large, complex projects with multiple Agile teams that require integration. 

 

You may also be playing a team level role where you put the appropriate process, tools and people in place for project efficiency and effectiveness. This role could be at a consultant level and also involve coaching team members to optimise efficiency. 

 

Or you could be in a hybrid Agile role where you use your skills to develop an approach that achieves project goals with designated project constraints. Regardless, your focus will most likely be on managing timelines, deliverables, teams and external stakeholders.

 

Agile project managers are vital to business so you can look forward to a rewarding career in an ever-changing landscape. Because as Project Auditor Joy Gumz, sums up, “Operations keeps the lights on, strategy provides a light at the end of the tunnel, but project management is the train engine that moves the organisation forward.” 

 

Ready to flex your Agile project management muscle? Amp up your skills with our Certificate of Agile Project Management and prepare for a career at the forefront of business transformation.

Twitter for Professionals – New Course

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Twitter has emerged as a promising social media platform for professional development, but only if you know how to use it professionally. It’s also an integral social media platform to promote an organisation’s products and services in an increasingly digital work world. 

In our new online course, you’ll discover how to boost your career prospects and gain the knowledge and skills to promote an individual or organisation successfully. 

Twitter is a powerful and personal social media platform that can connect you with like-minded professionals, mentors and potential employers. As such, it’s the perfect social media tool to find new career opportunities and professional connections.

In Twitter for Professionals, you’ll learn how to use this valuable social media platform to stay informed on current trends in your industry, network like a pro and successfully promote an organisation. 

 

Learning Outcomes 

  • Gain the skills and knowledge required to analyse global trends and engagement.
  • Explore audience metrics.
  • Track tweet interactions and conversions.
  • Learn how to promote a business on Twitter by identifying trends, using hashtags and implementing business-specific features.
  • Discover how to generate Twitter polls.
  • Optimise hashtags.
  • Install call-to-action links.
  • Upload GIFS, videos and images.
  • Create successful advertising campaigns.

 

Is this Course for You? 

Whether you’re considering freelancing as a social media professional, want to market yourself on Twitter to advance your career or learn how to promote an organisation on Twitter professionally – this course is for you. 

 

Why Study Twitter for Professionals? 

On completion of this course, you will feel confident to promote yourself and an organisation on Twitter and to create compelling advertising campaigns.

The ability to use Twitter professionally to promote an individual or an organisation’s products or services is crucial to the role of a Social Media Professional. 

 

A Day in the Life of a … Social Media Professional 

The social media marketing space is a unique, exciting and fast-paced industry where no one day is ever the same.

Social media professionals (or social media marketers), use social media platforms and social networking websites to promote products, services or individuals to an online audience.

There are many key skills that a social media professional requires – in addition to a comprehensive understanding of the various social media platforms. 

 

Key Skills for Social Media Professionals:  

  • Copywriting – if you have a way with words, the social media marketing gig might be for you. As a social media professional, you’ll be writing tons of content for advertising, social media posts and blogs. 

 

  • Creativity – it takes a lot of creative thought to come up with fresh content and new ways to capture an online audience’s attention – with all the social media ‘noise’ out there. So, if you’ve got a unique way of looking at the world, you’ll be highly valued in this industry. 

 

  • Analytics – being able to analyse data on how well your social media posts are performing is an essential part of the job as a social media marketer, so you need above average analytical skills. 

 

  • SEO Knowledge – Search engine optimisation is crucial to rank with Google, so you’ll need a solid knowledge of how to optimise your content and social media posts. 

 

  • Organisation Skills – The many types of social media platforms and content assets available to an organisation mean that impeccable organisation skills are a must-have for all social media professionals. 

 

Careers Outcomes 

  • Social Media Manager 
  • Content Writer 
  • Social Media Coordinator 
  • Social Media Assistant 
  • Social Media Marketing Specialist 
  • Social Media Strategist 

Boosting Email Productivity – New Course

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Do you feel like you’re swimming in a sea of emails? Considering 28 per cent of our workweek is spent reading and answering emails, you’d be forgiven if you feel like you’re drowning most days.

Luckily, with strong email productivity skills, you’ll be able to minimise the time you spend reading, writing and replying to work and personal emails and increase the time you have for ‘real’ work.

Boosting Email Productivity is a new professional development course that will provide you with practical skills and knowledge to manage your emails to increase your productivity.

 

Learning Outcomes

  • Gain the skills and knowledge required to manage and write emails effectively.
  • Learn about email etiquette
  • How to use folders and filters to organise emails for increased efficiency
  • Discover guidelines for writing emails quickly and concisely
  • Organise email folders
  • Flag emails appropriately
  • Address and distribute emails and instant messages to multiple recipients
  • How to recover crucial information should you lose an email.

 

Topics Covered:

  • Managing email communication
  • Addressing and distributing emails
  • Email and instant messaging basics

 

Is This Course for You?

If you’re spending too much time writing, responding to and reading emails, this course will help you to organise your emails for increased efficiency. As a result, you’ll be more productive at work, spending time on getting the ‘real’ work done.

 

Why Study Boosting Email Productivity?

On completion of this course, you will have gained the skills and knowledge required to use correct email practices and etiquette to increase your productivity at work.

So, if you’d like to reclaim your time by managing emails better, enrol in Boosting Email Productivity today.

5 Reasons Why Personal Development Courses Matter

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Personal development courses are an investment in you. They’re an education in how to be the best you can be – in your career and your personal life.

After all, one influences the other. If you’re struggling in your career, it’s bound to carry over to your personal life and vice versa.

And if you’re doing well in your career – your personal life will reap the benefits.  As long as you’re not a workaholic, of course!

But there are differences between professional development and personal development courses (or self-development courses).

 

Professional Development V’s Personal Development

While professional development improves your skills and knowledge in your career, personal development courses aim to develop you as a whole person.

Clayton Jan, a business communication consultant, says it’s not easy to define personal versus professional development.

“You could say they’re not categories but a continuum, from personal development through to professional development.

“Some activities are evidently one or the other and some are a mix of both. What could be professional development for one will be personal development for the other.

“The question is, what is the benefit? Is it for you personally, or for economic reasons? I learned about time management and organisation, for example, as part of preparing for an office reorganisation, rather than for personal development,” says Jan.

 

Professional Development 

Professional development courses build your knowledge and skills in your job. These skills generally don’t carry over to your personal life.

They do enable you to move forward in your career with confidence. A confidence that comes from knowing your skills are in demand.

An example of professional development skills include:

  • IT training  
  • Occupational health and safety knowledge 
  • Accounting
  • Legal expertise 
  • Health and medical terminology 

 

Personal (Self) Development 

Personal development courses concentrate on building skills that are useful in your career and your personal life.

Personal development is about investing in your greatest asset – you. It helps you improve your self-awareness and identify. It also develops your talents to find your true potential, which improves the quality of your relationships and helps you achieve your life goals. 

An example of personal development courses include:

  • Assertive communication
  • Conflict management
  • Building emotional intelligence
  • Developing a growth mindset
  • goal setting
  • Organisation and prioritising 
  • Anger, time and stress management

 

5 Reasons to Invest in Personal Development 

There are five main reasons to study personal development, according to Mr Jan. 

 

  1. Confidence with others. If you find yourself uncertain of something or missing a skill, you can learn about it and be confident in it, whether that’s for purely personal, social, or work-related reasons.
  2. Comfortable within yourself. Learning about yourself, what makes you ‘tick’, what your weaknesses are and why, and how to address it or work around it, makes a huge difference in making life comfortable.
  3. It makes life easier. It gives you tools to cope—you never know when something is going to happen that forces you to deal with a situation you never thought of before. If you’re used to always trying to improve yourself, you are more likely to face those times with a positive mindset.
  4. It’s fun. I learned Adobe InDesign for work. I learn about astronomy for fun (an appreciation for our environment puts problems into perspective).
  5. Personal development is a lifetime activity. I knew someone who, in her eighties, decided she wanted to go to Rome and so learned Italian. When I studied French, it was for purely personal enjoyment (and I wanted to do something I couldn’t ‘theorise’ y way through, as a way to learn how to be comfortable being uncomfortable).

 

“For someone starting out, foundational understanding is useful, for example, time management, work-life balance, organisational skills, communication, and goal-setting.

“I have been doing personal development for so long, I can see that I don’t have a typical list. For example, things like time management, work-life balance, or developing goals are no longer challenges, just things to manage. I am now focussing on leadership and mentoring.”

 

Professional and Personal Development Are Complementary 

Personal development courses and professional development go hand-in-hand, says Mr Jan.

“While professional development focuses on knowledge, skills and techniques, personal development focuses on how you can bring that professional development to bear.” 

Professional development can benefit you personally. But personal development has a greater potential to overflow into your personal life, explains Mr Jan, and both should be lifetime activities.

“I was given the opportunity to undertake a 360-degree team assessment. The results were surprising. I was one of the most invested in the enterprise and yet was seen by others as the least invested. 

“In response, I undertook a range of development activities in my weak areas, from learning workplace training facilitation to engaging an executive coach.”

The results were impressive, says Mr Jan, including improved relationships, the ability to influence others, network and negotiate.  It also set the foundations for future personal and professional growth. 

“It also gave me insight into what I can and cannot do. There are some things I am not good at, and I know why. I know myself well enough to make those calls based on information rather than fear.”

 

Personal Development is Ongoing 

 Personal development shouldn’t be considered a distinct or occasional activity, but ongoing and part of life, says Mr Jan. 

“Seeing a limitation in your capabilities and taking action to either improve it or work around it becomes a normal part of life, and that’s what makes things better over time.”

In a way, it’s Socrates’ dictum, “The unexamined life is not worth living”: we examine ourselves, and improve our quality of life, through undertaking what would be personal development for us.

 

The Ultimate Self-Development Program 

If you’ve been considering personal development courses, take a look at The Ultimate Self-Development Program. 

In this comprehensive personal development course, you will enhance your communication, negotiation and organisation skills.

You will also gain the skills and knowledge to manage time, stress, anger and gain critical insight into conflict resolution to manage your relationships – both at work and in your personal life. 

You will also learn about a growth mindset and be able to identify a culture that has a growth mindset, and how to develop it in yourself and others for greater personal and professional success. 

Discover many professional and personal development courses online and enrolling now – be the best you can be. After all, there’s no time like the present. 

New Course – The Ultimate Self-Development Program

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The journey of self-development is lifelong – a constant learning curve. But if you don’t get started, you’ll stay exactly where you are.

That’s why we’re excited to bring you a new personal development course that will help you to change your life and enhance your relationships. 

The Ultimate Self-Development Program will help you build skills and gain knowledge to enhance your personal and professional life. 

 

Learning Outcomes 

  • Build your confidence and resilience to achieve career and life goals
  • Learn how to communicate with confidence
  • Build rapport with difficult people
  • Increase your emotional intelligence (EQ)
  • Use various conflict management and resolution techniques in the workplace
  • Discover the science behind emotion
  • Learn self-management techniques
  • Discover how to recognise and develop a growth mindset
  • Build your personal power and credibility
  • Increase your effectiveness and productivity at work
  • Learn time-management, memory, goal setting and organisation techniques.

 

Is This Course for You? 

Personal development is for everyone. It’s about investing in your greatest asset – you. It helps you improve your self-awareness and identity to develop your talents and discover your true potential. 

When you invest in your personal development, you also improve the quality of your relationships and have greater success in achieving your dreams and aspirations.

We all have areas of weakness, but we don’t always know they’re there. In this self-development program, you’ll learn to identify where you fall short and improve. You’ll also discover strengths you didn’t know you had and learn to capitalise on them to help you grow in work and life.

 

Why Study Self-Development?

Personal development improves the quality of your life in the same way professional development helps you get ahead in your career. 

So, if you want to remain relevant as a professional and maintain wellbeing in your personal life, it’s crucial to invest in both personal and professional development.

After all, investing in your personal and professional development helps you to understand yourself and others. It also gives you the courage and the foundations to break out of your comfort zone and reach your full potential.

On completion of this course, you will feel empowered to manage yourself effectively no matter what life brings your way. As a result, you will proactively pursue your goals towards a richer, more fulfilling personal and professional life. 

So, what are you waiting for? Enrol in The Ultimate Self-Development Program today and find out what you’re capable of. You’re sure to find your new direction – towards a more rewarding future. 

 

Certificate of Blockchain Technologies – New Course!

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Blockchain is a transformational technology with a promising future, and the cryptocurrency infrastructure has been developing dramatically over the last several years. Because some major Australian companies have also started to enter the cryptocurrency market officially, the demand for skilled professionals is also increasing. Our new course, the Certificate of Blockchain Technologies, will assist you with forging a rewarding career in this ground-breaking industry.

 

Learning Outcomes

  • Learn more about cryptocurrency and the underlying technology behind cryptography
  • Explore Bitcoin development, including its history and application
  • Study Bitcoin design including security and regulatory considerations
  • Uncover Bitcoin’s underlying blockchain technology
  • Attain the technological fundamentals of blockchain addresses, networks and mining
  • Explore the fundamentals of blockchain frameworks, including the installation and configuration of fabrics
  • Learn about the implementation of various concepts such as hashing, mining and smart contracts in the context of the Ethereum blockchain network
  • Understand the implementation of security in the blockchain architecture
  • Discover how blockchain technology will transform both businesses and the Internet of Things (IoT)

 

Is This Course for You? 

This course ideally suits IT professionals who are looking to work as a blockchain consultant. It’s also helpful if you’re currently working in an industry that leverages blockchain technology to up-skill. 

If you have an in-depth knowledge of coding and an understanding of programming languages, this course will further enhance your skill set to enable you to work as a blockchain professional.

 

Why Study Blockchain Technologies?

The international job market for blockchain professionals is expanding, particularly with Fortune 500 companies who are continuing to incorporate blockchain technologies into their existing infrastructure. However, demand for blockchain skills has increased dramatically over the last two years throughout Australia as well. In fact, the LinkedIn 2018 Emerging Jobs Report lists’ blockchain developer’ as the number one emerging job of 2018. 

Although technical and engineering roles are in highest demand, LinkedIn employment data also reveals a dramatic increase in other positions that require blockchain skills. As the industry matures, non-technical roles (like product managers, risk analysts and marketing managers) are also experiencing more growth. 

These roles also won’t just be surfacing in the banking and finance sector. Companies in every industry, including in consulting firms and technology companies, are now beginning to understand the value of applying blockchain-based solutions to solve business problems. 

And it’s not just the employment prospects that are looking amazing. Blockchain jobs posted on popular employment platforms like Seek and Indeed are offering salaries over $150,000 annually, with some positions offering over $300,000!

 

A Day in The Life Of … 

With fast-paced innovation, the role of a blockchain professional is ever-evolving. However, generally, there are four types of career roles you may find yourself in. 

The first is research-oriented and involves working with critical infrastructure and other chain-specific challenges. Employees under the Ethereum or Bitcoin communities would fall under this category.

The second type of role would be as a developer who helps build applications on the blockchain. Your main tasks would be creating on-chain solutions for businesses, and continually optimising performance using specific mechanisms.

The third type of role would be as a developer who performs external audits of blockchain implementations and specialises in blockchain security. 

And finally, you could be working as a developer whose job involves one of the above three categories, but with a focus on improving the UX (User Experience) in terms of interacting with the blockchain.

 

So, what are you waiting for? Enrol in the Certificate of Blockchain Technologies and be one of a growing number of IT experts who are fast-tracking their careers in the cutting-edge world of 21st-century cryptocurrency!

 

 

13 Things You Never Knew About Microsoft Word

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At over 35 years of age, Microsoft Word could be considered ‘ancient’ in terms of software.

 

To put it into a world perspective (and if you weren’t born, please forgive our nostalgia), the year it was released Australia won the America’s Cup, Margaret Thatcher was re-elected as Prime Minister, and Michael Jackson was televised doing the Moonwalk for the first time! 

 

And although a lot has changed since then, in terms of both technological developments, it is still used by millions of students and professionals alike. So, let’s take a closer look at the most-used software in the world. 

 

A History of Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word wasn’t completely Microsoft’s idea – in 1981, the company hired Charles Simoni, who had previously developed a word processing tool called Bravo. After joining Microsoft, he worked on Multi-Tool Word with two programmers named Charles Simonyi and Richard Brodie. The program eventually became Microsoft Word, and it was launched in 1983.

 

Word was initially developed to run on personal computers only (PC’s), and it was in direct competition with WordPerfect and WordStar, which were introduced in 1982.

 

Upon its release, it was the first word-processing program to embrace a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) interface, where what appeared on the screen looked the same as in print. Previous word processors relied on the user adding ‘mark-up tags’ to indicate different typefaces.

 

It was also the first program to make extensive use of the mouse to display styles (like bold, italic and underlined text) on screen and to feature style sheets.

 

Version 2.0, released in 1985 included spell check and word count options, and in 1989, Microsoft released the first version of Word for the Windows Operating System, two years ahead of WordPerfect for Windows.

 

Founded by then-students Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Microsoft is now the world’s largest software maker by revenue and the fourth most valuable company on earth!  

 

To effectively complete with WordPerfect however, Word needed a standard interface across multiple platforms.

 

In the late ’80s, employees began to develop original code for the Word for Macintosh software. They succeeded, and by 1994 Word had racked up a 90 per cent share of the market (so it was a definitive adios to typewriters!)

 

In 2003, both the Windows and Mac versions were renamed Microsoft Office Word to align with the Microsoft Office suite, which included Microsoft Excel (a spreadsheet program) and Microsoft PowerPoint (a visual presentation program).

 

Microsoft Office is now considered the world’s leading word processing program for both Windows and Mac users.

 

13 Fun Facts About Word

 

  1. Back in 1975, Gates and Allen named their company ‘Micro-soft’, before removing the hyphen in 1981.

 

  1. Microsoft doesn’t sell software – it licenses its software, retaining full ownership rights. Buyers of the software must pay Microsoft for the right to use it, a system that was developed by Bill Gates in 1976.

 

  1. Free demos of the software’s first version were given away with the November 1983 issue of PC World magazine.

 

  1. Microsoft Office was launched for Macintosh in 1989 before it was released for Windows.

 

  1. WinVer 1.4, the first Windows virus, hit machines in 1992.

 

  1. Before the launch of AutoCorrect with Word 6.0 in 1993, users had to correct their spelling, typing and grammar mistakes. How did we cope?

 

  1. Microsoft Word 95 for Windows 95 introduced a red squiggly line underneath misspelt words.

 

  1. In Microsoft Word 97, Microsoft included a game called Easter Egg – which was all about pinball. Who said Microsoft Word was all about work?

 

  1. The Microsoft Word 1997 version introduced users to an office assistant, also known as Clippy (he looked like a paperclip). Unfortunately, far more people hated Clippy than loved him … “It looks like you’re writing a letter. Would you like help?” Thanks, mate, but no!

 

  1. When the Millennium Bug threatened to cripple computers at midnight on 31 December 31, 1999, Microsoft offered a free download of Microsoft Word 5.5 as a fail-safe alternative. 

 

  1. In 2007, the program saw the first real overhaul of the user interface. The introduction of the ‘ribbon tabbed’ interface rather than the traditional menu system, initially turned off some users. 

 

  1. Ribbon Hero and Ribbon Hero 2 were games that help users learn the features of Microsoft Word 2007 and Microsoft Word 2010. Players downloaded and installed the game, and then played it directly from Word by pressing the tab added to the Word Ribbon. 

 

  1. The launch of Office 2013 for Windows saw the first touch-friendly version of Microsoft Word. Users could now type and edit entire documents using a touchscreen.

 

2019 tip – not only does Microsoft Word include the shortcut Control-U to create underlined text, but Control-Shift-D will allow you to double underline words for extra emphasis. Have fun using it on your next assignment!

 

New Course – Certificate of Operations Management

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Operations management skills are invaluable as market trends change constantly. It is through operational excellence that organisations can improve their internal processes and gain a competitive advantage, which can lead to customer retention and increased profits.

 

There are over two million companies in Australia, and more than 400,000 of them are small and medium-sized businesses that have supply chain and logistics functions. Operations managers are an essential part of almost every industry, including in manufacturing and service organisations in both the private and public sectors.

 

Learning Outcomes

 

The Certificate of Operations Management is an online professional development course that will help you organise workplaces, meet strategic objectives, and improve the quality and efficiency of internal processes and operations.

 

In this operations management course, you will explore popular inventory management tools, and learn about the transformation model, the product and service life cycle, the components of a supply chain and the key objectives involved in supply chain management. You will also learn about demand forecasting, capacity management and value stream mapping via ‘Lean’ techniques, and explore the revolutionary Kanban system.

 

On completion of this course, you will be equipped with the transformative strategies that will help you enhance an organisation’s ‘best practice’ operations to be sustainable over the long term. 

 

Is This Course for You?

 

The Certificate of Operations Management suits those who are seeking operations management skills and roles in sectors ranging from finance, retail, education and insurance to healthcare, government institutions and manufacturing companies.

 

Why Become an Operations Manager?

 

  • While your future role may vary according to the organisation and industry you work in, you will be typically tasked with financial and resource management, as well as communications, risk management and quality control.

 

  • Operations management skills you’ll attain include overseeing processes, minimising operational costs, strategy development and product design, including designing systems that cater to market trends and customer needs.

 

  • From a personal development perspective, you’ll also fine-tune your leadership, communication, analytical and interpersonal skills.

 

  • The demand for operation management positions will continue to grow in 2019. Seek is currently advertising over 2000 Operations Manager jobs in the supply chain industry across Australia in the categories of sales, manufacturing, admin, IT, healthcare, construction, retail, accounting/finance and logistics/warehouse. Seek is also currently advertising over 8000 Operations Manager jobs in the logistics industry across Australia. 

 

  • An entry-level Operations Manager with less than one year’s experience can expect to earn an average salary of around $66,700, someone with one to four years’ experience, an average salary of about $79,000, and people with five to nine years’ experience could earn over $90,000 per year.

 

  • Your new job title could be Business Operations Manager, Purchasing Manager, Traffic Manager, Warehouse Manager, Logistics Manager or even Operations Research Analyst!

 

A Day in the Life Of … 

 

Operations Managers should be able to meet client demands and needs by staying up-to-date with industry trends, while also considering cost-effectiveness and the optimal utilisation of resources.

 

Depending on the industry, a typical day could involve working closely with colleagues (i.e. supervising employees, supporting sales staff or working with senior management on strategic plans), and making strategic decisions (about management methodologies, production processes, financial data, technology or goods and services distribution). 

Managing Diversity in the Workplace (What’s Your Unconscious Bias?)

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Managing diversity in the workplace is crucial to increasing inclusivity, which leads to greater success in today’s complex, global business environment.

In fact, the business case for diversity is convincing with far-reaching benefits for the culture of an organisation as well as a stronger competitive advantage.

Unfortunately, many businesses find it difficult to overcome one of the most significant barriers to a more diverse and inclusive workplace – unconscious bias.  

So, let’s take a look at diversity, inclusivity, unconscious bias – and what this all means for the future of business.

 

What is Diversity?

 A diverse workplace is one that employs a wide range of people with a variety of differences in gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, race, ethnicity, cultural background, education, and ability. 

 While not an extensive list, as many differences make us unique (from the way we think to our values), these incorporate the most apparent differences and the ones that can lead to unconscious bias. 

 Managing diversity in the workplace well leads to inclusivity. An inclusive workplace, where everyone feels acknowledged and valued, represents another essential cultural and organisational advantage. 

 

What is Inclusion?

The Diversity Council of Australia (DCA) states that inclusion occurs in the workplace when a diverse range of people feel valued and respected, have access to opportunities and resources, and can contribute their perspectives and talents to improve their organisation.

Fiona Krautil, Founder & Principal Consultant, Diversity Know-How, says research continues to demonstrate that managing diversity in the workplace leads to:

 

  • Employee engagement 
  • Job satisfaction 
  • Staff retention
  • Employee wellbeing
  • Effectiveness 
  • Innovation 
  • Service delivery 
  • Organisation performance and ROI
  • Reduction in risk, unlawful behaviour, harassment and discrimination.

 

Tips for Managing Diversity in the Workplace 

Businesses can incorporate diversity and inclusivity in the workplace by educating, empowering and encouraging leaders and employees, explains Ms Krautil.

“Encourage the senior leadership team to identify and collectively share their diversity and inclusivity case change. 

“So, why does diversity and inclusivity matter to the organisation’s performance? Then develop a change-maker plan, and collectively lead the diversity and inclusivity agenda.” 

It’s also essential to educate and empower people to co-create a more inclusive culture by asking them to:

 

  • Educate others – ask for reasons behind people’s opinions when you suspect more assumption than fact
  • Change it – critically review processes and systems for bias which may be causing exclusion, disadvantage or limiting the talent pool
  • Call out bias – call out bias behaviours or stereotyping and expose the blind spot to educate and inform
  • Identify hot spots of innovative diversity and inclusivity practice in the organisation – that can then be scaled
  • Pilot more inclusive ways of working that can be scaled. 

 

It’s also critical to set diversity and inclusivity cultural expectations and consequences, explains Ms Krautil, to hold leaders and teams accountable through KPIs. So, set measurable milestones and track progress.

“Remember, the research evidence shows if we don’t consciously include, we will unconsciously exclude as our human brain is hardwired to see a difference as a danger,” says Ms Krautil.

 

Strong Business Case for Diversity 

Employers have a responsibility to ensure they’re not discriminatory, but managing diversity in the workplace also makes good business sense. 

The DCA, states that managing diversity in the workplace leads to improvements in organisational performance, effectiveness, profitability and revenue generation:

  • A workplace that values diversity and is free of discrimination and is more productive
  • Greater employee satisfaction leads to improved productivity and profitability
  • Reduced employee turnover cuts the cost of having to replace skilled and experienced people
  • Harnessing employee skills and perspectives increases creativity and innovation.

 

Barriers to Managing Diversity in the Workplace

So, how do you ensure you’re managing diversity in the workplace well? The first step to diversifying your workplace and encouraging inclusivity is to confront and change your unconscious bias.

It is only when we identify the unconscious bias that we can begin to see meaningful change within an organisation’s culture that leads to inclusivity. 

It is crucial to identify any unconscious bias before recruitment, so leaders are deliberately creating a diverse workforce. 

 

If workplace diversity and inclusivity is important to your organisation or your role within a company, consider how you’re managing diversity in the workplace. 

Engaging in diversity training to overcome unconscious bias is the first step that individuals and organisations can take to ensure diversification and inclusivity is on the agenda. 

 

Find your new direction today!

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