Course brochures

1. Skills at work Course Brochures

2. Introduction
Welcome to the Skills at Work catalogue.
Unless otherwise indicated, our courses all include our standard
Tool Box, a learning support tool that provides a virtual
experience of real-world scenarios. These tools enable learners
to build solutions in the classroom. They also provide real-time
feedback, whilst alert the facilitator to required learning
interventions.
Our courses can be customized, on request. We can apply your
corporate livery, adapt our activities and content to your
workplace reality or build new applications to simulate what
happens in the workplace e.g. We could simulate a store, a
shop front, a customer interaction, etc.

3. Finance for Non-Financial Managers Using Microsoft Excel
Every organisation needs to understand and work with finance …
It is so ingrained in our way of life, that it is a life skill.
It is critical to career progress and life achievement.
Everything reduces to numbers, finance and financial debates.
Finance for Non-Financial Managers
Introduction
Join us for an informative 2-day workshop to learn how to transform financial data into
information and use it to support business goals and participate in business decision
making, whilst contributing to business and personal success.
After attending this course you will be able to …
Describe basic financial terminology,
Compile and analyze basic financial statements,
Identify what drives the profits and financial success of business,
Maintain the balance between profitability and cash-flow,
Participate meaningfully in financial or business debates.
Who should attend?
Specialist and general professionals, managers and supervisors,
Anyone involved in decision-making, project management, negotiations, the management
of resources or any activity that requires you to influence stakeholders,
Up-and-coming staff earmarked for promotion into management,
Business owners and entrepreneurs.
What we will cover in the course
Basic concepts and principles of finance,
A step-by-step build up from basic to full financial management,
Trading for profit – the Income Statement and its functionality,
Balancing the books – the Balance Sheet and its relationship to net worth,
Cash is King – the importance of cash and cash management,
The engine room – how financial data becomes management information,
The mechanics of Profit – ways to influence, manage and optimize profits,
Analysis – basic analysis and interpretation of financial statements.
Follow up courses add relevant specialization in analysis, forecasting and budgeting,
decision making, administration, costing and pricing, entrepreneurship

4. Accounts Administration using Microsoft Excel
A course for anyone who assists in the administration of finances
Financial administration is found all over the modern firm,
It starts in the finance office – but touches the whole organisation,
Accounts Administration, using Excel
It includes sales, buying, creditors, debtors, stock-control and others.
Introduction:
Join us for an informative 2-day workshop to learn about the basic principles of
accounting, the various types of entries used in an accounting system, how the system
then turns all of that into financial information, key accounting functions and the general
role of an accounting administrator.
After attending this course you will be able to …
Describe the basic concepts and principles of financial administration,
Perform key financial administration tasks,
Execute basic functions and processes,
Trace the accounting cycle from source documents to financial outputs,
Identify the role of an accounts administrator.
Who should attend?
Anyone who is involved in the financial function of sales, buying, creditors, debtors, as
well as other departments within a firm,
Business owners who need to develop the required disciplines in their firms.
What we will cover in the course
Basic concepts and principles,
Financial statements – which is the end game of all other financial activities,
The engine room – the principles that guide all financial activity, plus the documents and
journals used in all accounting systems,
Turning data into information – the double entry model, using journals to update the
general ledger, which then feeds into financial statements,
The role of the accounts administrator – a broad overview of general controls, audit
trails and the roles of the financial administrator,
Key functions – this section will explore bank reconciliations, creditors’ and debtors’
management, fixed assets, VAT accounting and budgeting.
Follow up courses add relevant specialization in analysis, forecasting and budgeting,
decision making, costing and pricing, entrepreneurship

5. Financial Analysis using Microsoft Excel
This advanced course follows Finance for non-financial managers …
Analysis brings understanding, interprets financial data,
It turns factual data into actionable information,
It is the key to unlocking business potential.
Introduction:
Financial Analysis using Excel
Join us for an informative 1-day workshop to learn how to identify and manipulate the
drivers of profit, use financial data for costing and pricing, and analyze financial results to
ensure optimal investment performance.
After attending this course you will be able to …
Identify the basic concepts and principles of financial analysis,
Use the profit equation to identify the drivers of profit and use them in real-time business
decision making,
Analyze business profit, working capital and funding,
Use the combined information to manage performance.
Who should attend?
Specialist and general professionals, managers and supervisors,
Anyone involved in decision-making, project management, negotiations, the management
of resources or any activity that requires you to influence stakeholders,
Up-and-coming staff earmarked for promotion into management,
Business owners and entrepreneurs.
What we will cover in the course
Basic concepts and principles of financial analysis,
Qualitative analysis – using general information to understand a business,
Quantitative analysis – using financial data to understand a business,
Profit fundamentals - Marginal analysis, Costing, Pricing,
Ratio analysis – profitability, solvency, liquidity and stability,
Integrative analysis – apply all the learning to a simulated model.
Follow up courses add relevant specialization in forecasting and budgeting, decision
making, administration, costing and pricing, entrepreneurship.

6. Forecasting for Non-Financial Managers Using Microsoft Excel
Forecasting is vital to all who need to plan for the future …
Fail to plan and you may as well plan to fail,
Forecasting of projects, business activities and the impact of various forces on the future,
Forecasting for non-financial managers
can help to ensure a better future.
Introduction
Join us for an informative 1-day workshop and learn how to use historic trends and
information from various others sources, to forecast future outcomes, so that you can
effectively manage business resources and related performance.
After attending this course you will be able to …
Identify the basic principles of forecasting and financial planning,
Apply different forecasting techniques,
Use forecasts to support decision making and negotiations,
Ensure that the plan works.
Who should attend?
Specialist and general professionals, managers and supervisors,
Anyone involved in decision-making, project management, negotiations, the management
of resources or any activity that requires you to influence stakeholders,
Up-and-coming staff earmarked for promotion into management,
Business owners and entrepreneurs.
What we will cover in the course
General principles of planning and forecasting,
Incremental budgeting - projecting, based on past trends,
Zero-based forecasting - a blank-page approach to projects or investments,
Cash budgeting - modeling and optimization of cash-flows,
Manipulation - sensitivity analysis, drivers and forces to consider,
Testing - Evaluation, analysis and acid-testing,
Securing - Negotiation and Approval,
Ensuring it works - managing inter-dependencies and variances,
Next steps - continuous improvement.
Follow up courses add relevant specialization in finance for non-financial managers,
analysis, decision making, administration, costing and pricing, entrepreneurship.

7. Financial Decision Making Using Microsoft Excel
Every organisation needs to understand and work with finance …
It is so ingrained in our way of life, that it is a life skill.
It is critical to career progress and life achievement.
Financial Decision Making, using Excel
Everything reduces to numbers, finance and financial debates.
Introduction
Join us for an informative 1-day workshop to learn all about the tools we can use to
analyze financial information for key business decisions, including ways to model such
decision-making tools in the workplace.
After attending this course you will be able to …
Use financial tools for everyday business decision making,
Identify the fundamentals that ensure sound decision making,
Describe the differences between basic, time-related and sensitivity-bases analysis.
Who should attend?
Specialist and general professionals, managers and supervisors,
Anyone involved in decision-making, project management, negotiations, the management
of resources or any activity that requires you to influence stakeholders,
Up-and-coming staff earmarked for promotion into management,
Business owners and entrepreneurs.
What we will cover in the course
Basic cost/benefit analysis – including Return on Investment and Payback periods,
Break-even analysis – and how to use it to optimize a business or project,
Risk and return theory – basic principles of time, money and interest,
Time value of money – Net Present Value, Discounted Cash-flow, Internal rate of return,
Rates of return -– cost of capital plus risk adjustments,
Economic value added – moving beyond accounting profits,
The decision model – what to include and exclude, known and unknown variables,
dependent and independent variables,
Sensitivity analysis – how to test decisions under different scenarios.
Follow up courses add relevant specialization in analysis, forecasting and budgeting,
administration, costing and pricing, entrepreneurship.

8. The A to Z of business finance
Every organisation needs to understand and work with finance …
It is so ingrained in our way of life, that it is a life skill.
It is critical to career progress and life achievement.
Everything reduces to numbers, finance and financial debates.
Introduction
Join us for an informative 3-day workshop, so that you can support business goals,
A to Z of Finance, using Excel
meaningfully engage vital business processes and decision making, whilst contributing to
business and personal success.
After attending this course, you will be able to …
Describe basic financial terminology,
Compile and analyze basic financial statements,
Identify what drives the profits and financial success of business,
Influence the balance between profitability and cash-flow,
Participate meaningfully in business debates and decision making processes.
Who should attend?
Specialist and general professionals, managers and supervisors,
Anyone involved in decision-making, project management, negotiations, the management
of resources or the influence of stakeholders,
Up-and-coming staff earmarked for promotion into management,
Business owners and entrepreneurs.
What we will cover in the course
Basic concepts of finance and financial management,
A step-by-step development of concepts . Forms of enterprise
Financial Statements and their constituents –
Income Statement . Balance Sheet . Funds Statement and Cash Management
The engine room – the inner workings and guiding principles
Financial principles . Double-entry model . Translating trial balance to statements
The mechanics of profit – ways to influence profits
Marginal costing . the balance between overheads, margins and volumes
Detailed financial analysis – interpretation of financial statements,
Profitability . Liquidity . Turnover . Gearing/Funding
Decision making – regarding funding, investments and capital expenditure, Risk/reward
principles . time value of money . balance sheet optimization
Budgets and forecasting – zero base and incremental forecasting.

9. Workplace negotiations
Negotiation is an everyday part of the modern workplace …
Conflicting priorities impose a need to negotiate solutions
Limited resources force tensions that require skilled negotiations
Competing agendas require real skills to achieve balanced outcomes.
Introduction
Join us for an informative 2-day workshop to learn how to apply the common sense logic
and wisdom of negotiation principles, to win where you need to win, without alienating
Workplace Negotiations
others and thereby losing the next time around.
After attending this course, you will be able to …
Describe basic financial terminology,
Demonstrate the qualities of an effective negotiator,
Use communications skills effectively in negotiations,
Identify the key levers that can shift the balance of power,
Organise and execute the negotiation process.
Who should attend?
Specialist and general professionals, managers and supervisors,
Anyone involved in budgets, buying, selling, stakeholder management, resource
management, organizational dynamics,
Up-and-coming staff earmarked for promotion into management,
Business owners and entrepreneurs.
What we will cover in the course
The basic concepts and terminology,
The portrait of a good, effective negotiator,
Communication – the general principles,
Listening – the key to influence,
Body language – the unspoken cues and dynamics of communication,
The power of persuasion – how to enhance power and avoid failure,
The power levers – using power, perception, time and information,
The process – how to manage a formal negotiation process.
Complementary courses add relevant specialization in analysis, forecasting and
budgeting, decision making, administration, costing and pricing, entrepreneurship and
People Management.

10. For more information, or to discuss your specific
training needs, please contact Peter Missing
Cell: 083 460 2547
Email: info@skillsatwork.net
Website: www.skillsatwork.net or
www.skillsthatwork.co.za
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