The Groundbreaking, Globally Recognised, Certified Training Program for the modern day Executive Assistant
The Advanced Certificate for the Executive Assistant: ACEA® is a world-leading intensive and interactive 5-day executive level training programme, that equips current and aspiring Executive Assistants with the skills and knowledge they need to become true “Business Partners”.
The role of the Executive Assistant is on a journey and the responsibilities of this highly demanding and visible role continue to grow exponentially. To succeed in their role in modern times it is now imperative that Executive Assistants have a deep understating of ‘the business’ and their Executives’ role & responsibilities. Organisations are looking for Assistants that possess ‘Executive Level’ business acumen and skills now more than ever.
Uniquely delivered from an Executive led perspective the ACEA® programme focuses on delivering a fundamental conceptual understanding of business and organisations as well as practical skills, including:
- Strategic Thinking
- Corporate Visions & Missions
- Understanding the linkages between Strategy, Projects & Operations
- Governing & Managing Projects,
- Communication Skills
- Emotional Intelligence
- Leadership skills including Influencing, Negotiation and Conflict Management
- Change Management and Problem Solving,
- Risk Management and Corporate Governance
- Ethics & Corporate Social Responsibility
- Understanding the role of Financial and Management Accounting,
- Developing Productivity and Time Management techniques,
- … and much more:
Over 1,000 Executive Assistants have now participated in this globally recognised and ground-breaking ACEA® programme which is delivered in both Public and In-House/On-Site formats as requested.
The 2019 ACEA® programme is available internationally. Courses will be running in the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Canada, United States of America, Dubai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Denmark, Ghana, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand
Course Contents
Introductions
Fundamentals of Modern Corporate Behaviour
Strategy
Balanced Scorecards
Business Ethics
Time Management
Financial Awareness
People Management & Leadership
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Motivation
Fundamentals of Project Management
Effective Communication & Conflict Management
Other Essential Management Skills
Problem Solving & Multitasking
Presentation Skills
Emotional Intelligence (EI)
ACEA® Examination * * Only those who successfully complete the examination and participate effectively in the course case studies will receive the Advanced Certificate for the Executive Assistan: ACEA® |
Benefits of Attending
- Gain an accredited Certificate approved by Qualifi, a recognised UK Awarding Body
- Get 3 Months FREE membership of the Institute of Administrative Management www.instam.org
- Be awarded 30 CPD Credits from the CPD Standards Office www.cpdstandards.com
- Existing members will be awarded 30 CPD Credits from the Institute of Administrative Management www.instam.org
- Gain a broader understanding of business, increase your business acumen & bring new ideas / skills to your organisation
- Give your Executive greater confidence to delegate more important and critical tasks to you.
- Be able to manage projects more efficiently and assist your Executive in their role as Project Sponsor
- Develop skills to increase your productivity through enhanced Time Management and Delegation Skills
- Gain respect from senior Executives and the Board
- Join & share experiences with EAs from other sectors and nationalities
- Stand out with a globally recognised accredited certification
- Enhance the recognition of the role & its responsibilities
- Show what you are capable of
- Rejuvenate your passion for your career, take the next step up & progress career
- Learn from world renowned trainers & accomplished business leaders
- Use ACEA® on your business card and on your resume
Who Should Attend?
- Executive Assistants
- Management Assistants
- Chiefs of Staff
- Office Managers
- Senior Assistants
- Executive Personal Assistants
- Executive Secretaries
- Personal Assistants
- Personal Secretaries
- Administration Managers
- Management Secretaries
- Executive Personal Secretaries
PLUS anyone else responsible for the support of the senior management and executives
Trainers
MEET YOUR TRAINING COURSE DIRECTOR:
Richard Arnott BA FInstAM FITOL
Richard is the Director of BMTG (UK) Ltd and is the author and lead presenter of the ACEA® programme
which is delivered globally and receives critical acclaim from all delegates.
In his career Richard was an accomplished Programme Director and Big 4 Management Consultant with over 25 years global experience specialising in project/programme management, strategic business transformation and change management within the Financial Services, Utilities, Logistics and Infrastructure sectors.
Richard sits on the Editorial Board of Executive Secretary Magazine, is a Fellow of the Institute of Administrative Management (IAM) and a Fellow of the Institute of Training and Occupational Learning (ITOL)
MEET YOUR TRAINING COURSE DIRECTOR:
Ian Shipley FITOL
Ian is a highly accomplished, passionate, visionary, and results driven Executive who has spent more than 20 years
at a senior level within the service sectors in UK FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies.
Ian has been responsible for delivering major turn-around and business transformation through creating a culture where people feel comfortable to make decisions, take ownership and make it happen.
The common factor throughout Ian’s career has been a passion around service excellence and delivering results through highly motivated teams.
Ian is a fellow of the Institute of Training and Occupational Learning (ITOL)
MEET YOUR TRAINING COURSE DIRECTOR:
Jeff Lockhart MBA, DMS, FRSA, FCICM, FCMI, FITOL
Jeff Lockhart is an international training consultant, specialising in Finance, Business Administration and Management Development.
Jeff is a highly experienced Financial Manager and Management Consultant, with extensive knowledge of finance and business management within a multi-disciplined and multi-cultural environment. He has held several senior level positions for industry-leading international businesses and, since 2001, has operated as a consultant to businesses in the UK, Azerbaijan, Russia, Bulgaria, Kuwait, Oman, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, China, USA, and New Zealand.
Jeff studied at Sheffield Business School in the United Kingdom obtaining a Post Graduate Certificate in Management (PgC) in 1992, a Diploma in Management Studies (DMS) in 1995 and a Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA) in 1996.
Jeff is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA), the Chartered Institute of Credit Management (FCICM), the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI), and the Institute of Training and Occupational Learning (FITOL). Mr Lockhart is also a PRINCE2 certified Project Manager.
MEET YOUR TRAINING COURSE DIRECTOR:
John Bullock
John is a driven, enthusiastic and dynamic individual that started his successful career within both the Leisure and Retail sectors.
After 12 years in an operational role John became an international business consultant and for the last eleven years has worked with a diverse mix of organisations ranging from large blue chip companies through to the public sector, dealing with large programmes through to 1:1 Executive Coaching.
He specialises in award winning pragmatic leadership, business improvement and change programmes. This draws upon his senior operational / commercial expertise within industry.
John works at a senior level across all sectors and has a proven record in enabling organisations to move forward in a results focused way, engaging their employees to deliver the return on investment and culture required.
Frequently Asked Questions
What differentiates ACEA® from other administrative professional courses?
ACEA® is an Executive Led Business focussed programme and is only ever delivered by Executives or ex-Executives
Why was ACEA® developed?
The Executive Support profession is on a journey. From the traditional "Secretary" the role is evolving into that of Executive Business Partner. In order to survive in the profession Executive Assistants need to learn more business focused skills.
The BMTG leadership team recognised this evolving pattern and realised that those in the profession required something that would give them the knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to undertake these new and challenging roles.
What are the entry requirements?
As ACEA® is an advanced level course we look for a combination of skills and experience. Entry to ACEA® can be granted if you fulfil one of the following criteria:
- University degree or equivalent
- 3 years’ experience in role or similar role
- Fellow or similar level of a recognised local PA/EA Association
Does ACEA® qualify for CPD credits?
Yes ACEA® is independently accredited by the CPD Standards office and offers 30 CPD Credits.
Is the ACEA® certificate valid for life?
YES.
Unlike most, if not all, other Certified/Chartered courses the ACEA® certificate and post nominal is yours for life.
Do I need to maintain "Membership" of pay Annual Fees to use ACEA®?
NO.
Again unlike most, if not all, similar Certified or Chartered courses ACEA® does not require you to maintain "membership" or pay annual fees for the privilege of using you well earned post nominal for interviews or on business cards etc.
Do I need to maintain a level of CPD credits to keep ACEA® post nominal?
NO.
Is ACEA® recognised?
ACEA® has been attended by delegates from hundreds of companies across the globe who selected ACEA® due to its uniqueness, reputation and course content. A full list can be found here
As well as being independently Certified by Qualifi, a recognised UK awarding body, ACEA® is also accredited by the CPD Standards Office and fully endorsed by Executive Secretary Magazine, the Association of Office Professionals of South Africa (OPSA) and the prestigious Institute of Administrative Managers (IAM)
Does ACEA® have any testimonials?
YES.
ACEA® uses www.findcourses.co.uk to collect testimonials and is the highest scoring course amongst all Administrative Professional Courses in terms of Volume of Courses and Delegate Score
Details can be found here
Can ACEA® be Run In-House for my Company?
YES.
Please Contact BMTG or our country partners for further details
Can I sit the BMTG examination and get the accreditation without attending an official BMTG course?
NO.
What is the format of the BMTG examination?
The "Open Book" examination consists of 50 questions which are a combination of written answers, multiple choice and true/false answers
Most delegates take up to 2 hours to complete the examination as it is a strong test of delegates' knowledge.
The pass mark with effect from 1st July 2016 is 70%.
Is additional research required to successfully complete ACEA® course or is everything I need to know contained in the course materials?
Any additional research is always useful for a delegate, however the examination is based on the course materials alone, and no additional research is required to sit the examination.
Can I do the ACEA® course and not sit the examination?
Yes of course. After participating in the course, it is your choice whether to take the examination or not, but without passing the examination, you would not be eligible to use the ACEA® designation on your business card or resume and would not be Certified.
How long after the examination will I know my results?
The examination results are generally published within one week of sitting the examination.
Certificates can take up to 30 days.
What is the percentage of delegates who fail the BMTG examination?
Generally, delegates are failed for the following reasons as:
- Failure to achieve the minimum Assessment score
- Failure to fully attend all sessions,
- persistent lateness, non attendance or non participation.
Examination failures are between 5%-10% of all delegates who attend.
If I fail the examination, what happens next?
In the event of an Assessment fail, there is an appeals process which can involve resitting the examination under classroom conditions or writing an essay on learning outcomes and application thereof.
Delegates who fail the Assessment may also re-attend the course at a discount of 50% of the price originally paid.
There is no appeal process for delegates who failed due to non attendance, persistent lateness or non-participation unless due to certified sickness or illness
What should I look for in Certification?
There are a multitude of bodies offering credentials for the Administrative profession.
Our view is that any credentials must be totally independent of the training body and/or association offering the training otherwise there is conflict of interest. Check who is actually "certifying" and are they regulated in any way.
In addition our suggestion is to:
- Look at course testimonials and only select those course with high scores
- Establish which firms/organisations have sent delegates previously
- Avoid diploma mills. Having a “qualification” from a diploma mill will damage your reputation and job prospects.
- Ensure that anything that claims to be a “Degree”, “Diploma”, or “Chartered” is offered by a bona fide Educational Institution and that the course is of sufficient length to justify the award. For example, you simply cannot gain a Degree, a Diploma or Chartered Status by doing a 5 day course. It takes years of study
- Use Google to look out for scams. Unfortunately there are many out there
- Finally, ensure that the certificate is not simply being offered by the course provider with no independent accreditation body. Again, sadly, there are many training organisations that simply self-certify. Their credentials are worthless
Our advice is "Be Careful Out There"
Is ACEA® Available On-Line?
No.
Are there any bursaries available for ACEA®?
No.