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Chartered Manager - Level 6 Leadership Programme

The Chartered Manager - Level 6 Leadership Programme is a combined qualification that is made up of knowledge, skills and behaviour units.

This qualification is designed for individuals wishing to develop professional management and leadership practice who will have the knowledge, skills and behaviours to drive business activities in a senior management and leadership role.  It is also suitable for those who have been promoted to a managerial role and want to gain a formal management qualification.

With a more comprehensive structure, our Level 6 Leadership Programme gives you all the key skills and competencies you'll need to become the manager you want to be.

This is a vocational qualification that has been developed with the help of employers and is based directly on the National Occupational Standards. 

  • Developing Managerial Behaviours - develop and enhance management and leadership behaviours. These include time management, stress management and their ability to prioritise workload.
  • Business Finance - financial management skills that are essential for non-financial managers. Financial acumen enhances decision-making skills and this module is designed to enhance student’s confidence and credibility in financial management.  Explore financial strategies, including budgets, financial management and accounting, in line with regulatory and organisational guidelines looking at the commercial context in an organisational setting, and how this changes over time.  Also, consider approaches to procurement and contracting, and legal requirements as well as manage budgets, control expenditure and produce financial reports.
  • BSc (Hons) REsponsible Business Management - developing the dynamic capabilities that individuals need to innovate in demanding global and technology-driven environments.
  • Leading and Managing People - become more effective at leading and managing people in organisations. Understanding why people join organisations in the first place, the values they hold and how those align with the values and purpose of the organisation.  Explain the concept of the ‘socio-technical organisation’ and the social contract that exists between leaders and followers.  Describe how the relationships between people contribute to the culture of the organisation, and how important it is to build a culture of trust within and between teams, and the role that diversity and inclusion play in both building trust and creating effective teams. Discuss how teams can be managed effectively through relationship building, negotiation and communication, how goals are set and how performance is managed, and how teams build stakeholder relationships with others.
  • Organisational Research Project - carry out the project delivery process (Do) and evaluate the delivery (Develop) elements of the project lifecycle.
  • Project Management & Decision Making - undertake the key stages of the project lifecycle. Define, Design and develop a framework to De-liver (Do) a professional project addressing a work based issue decided by the apprentice and agreed by the workplace. This model sets the foundation for the delivery (Do) and review (Devel-op) of a work-based project in the final module of the programme (Organisational Research Project).
  • Sales, Marketing & Communication - explore the role of sales and marketing in the organisation and the key concepts that underpin the responsible behaviour of the marketer in the world today. Widen and deepen your understanding about how the sales and marketing strategy in your organisation is created and the challenges and opportunities it faces. Learn that commercial marketing solutions can be creative while taking into account business responsibilities towards society and the environment. Theories, tools and techniques that explore the marketing environment, customer behaviour in the digital and the COVID-19 pandemic age, market research, segmentation and targeting relevant markets and customers (global and local) as well as analysis of opportunities, innovation design and the marketing communication. Look at the various issues and solutions concerning ethical and responsible behaviour in connection with product making, advertising, marketing and sales promotion.
  • Operational and Organisational Strategy - organisational history and culture in strategy implementation. Reviewing the macro and micro organisational factors, strategic position and resources and capabilities to achieving high performing and sustained competitive advantage. Evaluate, review and develop an organisational strategy for implementation whilst acknowledging the challenges presented within the operating environment.
  • Professional practice 1: Effectiveness and integrity
    • Demonstrating a number of management ideas and frameworks (e.g. communication and teamwork skills)
    • Recognising how to behave and engage with others and the implications of these relationships within your work context
    • Exploring how the employer engages with you and responds to internal and external stakeholders, and the organisation’s wider environment
    • Making use of management ideas to identify viable directions for improving work practice
  • Professional practice 2: Developing effective work relationships
    • Builds on the study and outcomes of the first work-based learning module.
    • Develops skills to assist in preparation for a work-based learning project, which you will undertake in the third stage of your studies.
    • Supports learning through work-based activities, some which you may do as part of your job, but in some cases, these will be new activities they undertake to enhance their work-based learning.
    • Supports the collection of evidence of learning to contribute to your module assessments and development of your portfolios.
  • Professional practice 3: Delivering results for the organisation
    • Builds on the study and outcomes of the first work-based learning module. 
    • Develops skills to assist in preparation for a work-based learning project, which you will undertake in the third stage of your studies.
    • Supports learning through work-based activities, some which you may do as part of your job, but in some cases, these will be new activities you undertake
      to enhance their work-based learning.
    • Supports the collection of evidence of learning to contribute to your module assessments and development of your portfolios.

On successful completion of the Level 6 Leadership Programme, learners may wish to further their personal and professional development by investigating the opportunity to become a Chartered Manager or enrolling on a level 7 qualification or a Masters Programme at University.

  • Enhance your professional status by upgrading your CMI membership
  • Progress to other qualifications at the next level (e.g. from Level 6 to Level 7)
  • Apply to become a Chartered Manager

Professional Registration

Gain recognition for enhancing your knowledge, understanding and practice of management by applying for membership of the CMI.  Display your post nominal as a commitment to continuous professional development and accomplishment as a manager.

For managers who want to sharpen their professional edge and enhance their effectiveness, membership offers access to qualifications, courses, mentoring and unrivalled support resources. You can also achieve the ultimate management accolade, Chartered Manager status.

Duration: 18-42 Months

Location: Various options - see below:

  • University of Exeter
    • Delivered via blended learning enabling apprentices to be full-time employees of your business and gain a University of Exeter degree over 18 months through:
      • Two to three-day Masterclasses in Exeter or London, or at the host employer’s premises, totalling 21 days over 18 months.
      • Weekly distance learning comprising of online classes and workshops, interactive exercises and recorded lectures.
      • Work-based learning, assessing projects undertaken in the workplace.
    • A minimum of 20% of the apprentice’s time will be given over to study, our model is designed to be flexible around the needs of employers and workloads. No weekly day-release is required, mitigating disruption on the apprentice’s daily role and meaning we can work with employers across the country.
    • Our dedicated partnerships team liaise closely with employers throughout the programme; we can assist you with recruiting, education support and administration. Each apprentice is allocated an Academic Mentor to ensure their successful completion of the programme.
    • Degree Apprenticeships Prospectus
    • Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship Brochure
    • Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship-Calendar
    • There are two entry points, either through Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning (APCL), for which a recent L5 Leadership and Management qualification would be required or through Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL), where an applicant has no APCL evidence and will need to complete two assignments before acceptance onto the programme to demonstrate their previous management experience.‌
  • Open University
    • Using The Open University’s tried-and-trusted educational technology, the programme is delivered, over 36-42 months, flexibly around your personal life and the demands of the University.
    • The tutor-supported online learning is both varied and interactive, with multiple rich media formats that engage and enthuse you on your journey.  Learning can be accessed 24/7 on computers, tablets and mobile devices, so you can study at home, work and on the move.  Online forums and discussion groups allow you to learn from different industries and backgrounds.
    • The Open University’s flexible learning approach makes it a lot easier to effectively manage the 20% off-the-job commitment while minimising the impact on productivity in the workplace.  Travel costs and expenses are also minimised, as you will not need to attend as many classroom workshops.
    • For each study module, there will be a number of face-to-face tutorials that you are recommended to attend.  For those who are unable to make it, there will be a flexible online alternative.
    • Practice tutors will also visit you and your workplace supervisors around four times per year.
  • South Devon College
    • Under this scheme, workers who complete the programme will achieve a BA (Hons) in Leadership and Management, and become a Chartered Manager. University-level qualifications at University Centre South Devon are rated GOLD by the Teaching Excellence Framework, a system for recognising excellent teaching and learning in higher education. In addition to this, students in the previous cohort recorded a satisfaction score of 100% for their studies on this programme.
    • You will need to demonstrate and evidence where they have taken the responsibility to deliver long-term organisational success.
    • For experienced managers, this programme offers a ‘Fast Track’ route by accrediting prior experiential learning (APEL) against level 4 and 5 modules of the BA (Hons) in Leadership and Management. This means that your studies build and develop from your existing knowledge and skills allowing you to start at level 6 and complete in 2 years of part-time study.

Course start dates: Various dates each year. depending on the chosen training provider. Up to 4 cohorts each year.

Commitment: As part of your study schedule, the government requires that at least 20% of an apprentice’s working week is dedicated to off-the-job study. 

Assessment: This programme will be assessed as follows:

  • Knowledge and skills assessment
  • Behavioural assessment
  • Module Assessments
  • Structured competency-based interview
  • Assessment of portfolio of evidence
  • Assessment of the Work-based Project followed by a presentation on Work-based Project – with Q&A session

The course is fully funded by the Apprenticeship Levy - there are no costs for the apprentice or directorate.

The University will invest £19,500 to cover the cost of the training and assessment for this programme.

Delegates on this programme will typically be Professional Services Staff with a minimum of 2 years’ service at the University of Exeter, 3-5 years’ management experience, working at grade F and above, however, managers at grade E would be considered if there is a strong case from the line manager.  They must have a contracted FTE of 0.8 FTE or above.

The Institute for Apprenticeships states that: English and Maths will be required at a minimum of Level 2 (GCSE grade 4/C or above) prior to the Assessment.

UK Government Apprenticeship Funding Rules state that:

  • The apprentice must have a contract of service with you, or an apprenticeship training agency, which is long enough for them to complete the apprenticeship successfully (including the end-point assessment). Therefore if the applicant is on a fixed-term contract, the contract end date must be after the expected apprenticeship training completion date.
  • The apprentice must have a job role (or roles) with you that provides the opportunity for them to gain the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to achieve their apprenticeship.
  • The apprentice must have appropriate support and supervision on the job, by you, to carry out their job role.

The applicant must:

  • Apply for an apprenticeship where the job role, together with the off-the-job training, provides opportunities to cover the full occupational profile and learning all of the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to achieve the apprenticeship. As apprenticeships are aligned with occupations, and not previously gained qualifications, you will need to find a suitable level for the job role you are currently doing. For example, if you have never had any formal leadership and management training then you should consider looking at the levels and comments sections to see which training would best fit your experience and your current role.
  • The chosen apprenticeship may be at the same level as, or at a lower level than, a qualification the applicant already holds. It should allow the apprentice to acquire substantive new skills and the content must be materially different from any prior qualification or a previous apprenticeship.
  • Have commitment from their line manager to ensure that appropriate support is given to enable them to carry out their job and successfully complete their apprenticeship.

It is for individuals entering the management sector in roles including, but not limited to:

  • Building Surveyor
  • Business Analyst, Business Intelligence Officer, Business Manager, Business Partner
  • Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Information Officer, Chief Operating Officer
  • Director or Assistant Director
  • Events Manager
  • Executive
  • Executive Officer
  • Experimental Officer
  • Facilities Manager
  • Finance Manager
  • Head of …, Assistant Head of …, Deputy Head of...
  • HR Officer, Senior HR Advisor, HR Business Partner
  • Management Accountant
  • Manager
  • Officer
  • Operations Manager
  • Programme Co-ordinator, Programme Manager
  • Project Coordinator, Engineer or Manager
  • Regional Manager
  • Research & Impact Manager, Research Accountant, Research Development Manager, Research Finance Manager, Research Group Manager
  • Senior Co-ordinator
  • Senior Leader, Senior Manager, Senior Officer, Senior Developer, Senior Engineer
  • Team Leader (level 5)
  1. Complete the Staff Professional Development Request (Use Google Chrome web browser for best results) and upload your CV (on the application). Your application should detail commitment and how the training will benefit your role and service.
    • CV’s to be no more than two sides of A4/1 page, in MS Word or PDF format. Ensure you tailor your CV to your Leadership and Management knowledge, skills and experience.
    • Once submitted, your Line Manager then approves/rejects, endorses and adds a statement of support to your request. Your application is sent to the People Development team for approval.
  2. Once your application is approved by your line manager and People Services, your details will be sent to the training provider.

Please note that approval of an application does not guarantee a place, the Training Provider admissions team will make contact with the candidates individually to confirm eligibility as part of their admissions process. Applicants may be required to complete online functional skills assessments for English and Maths (if they do not hold a GCSE grade C or above in those subjects) and will need to be able to provide evidence of further education as required.