Certificate II in Small Business

This qualification has been approved by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) as a VET program. It will run as an in-house VET as part of the VCAL timetabled program. As the full qualification requires 300+ nominal hours, the full course will not be delivered within the VCAL program. VCAL students will undertake 3hrs hours of classes per week, attaining a possible 6 Units of Competency (UOC) over 2 years; year 11 and 12. The UOCs will be used as part of the VCAL qualification and can also be applied to other VET qualifications. Students who graduate this course will be able to meet the current and future industry requirements to work effectively within small business contexts across a range of industry sectors with the skills, knowledge and attributes to:

• support safe and sustainable small business operations
• support the daily financial management of small business operations
• demonstrate elementary professional skills and approaches to engage in small business contexts
• apply effective communication, creative thinking and problem-solving techniques to underpin co-operative relationships between stakeholders within a small business context
• support the implementation and review of innovation and change within a small business context

Employers have indicated that knowledge of how a small business functions is much sought after in prospective employees. The knowledge, attributes and skills required to work effectively in small, or micro- businesses are particular to those environments. Within small and family businesses, there is a central emphasis on innovation and the need for flexible and responsive customer service. In addition, with the growth of e-commerce, domestic and global markets, small businesses now rely increasingly upon personnel who are capable of contributing to market research, marketing, business planning, and change as much as business operations. This course provides learners with exposure to these key skills, knowledge and attributes required in small business workplaces.

Upon completion of the course students will have basic factual, technical and procedural knowledge of a defined area of work and learning, through identifying and assessing small business examples to develop basic knowledge of operations systems; quality control; innovation and handling change; market research and marketing; approaches to professional skills; local and potential global trade/business opportunities, and safe and sustainable work practices within small business contexts.

Students will have basic cognitive, technical and communication skills to apply appropriate methods, tools, materials and readily available information to:

• Undertake defined activities that utilise a range of skills in a small business environment, including: small business operations; professional development planning; digital and real-time marketing campaigning, Occupational Health and Safety; business plan development, implementation and review; following legal, regulatory and organisational procedures
• Provide solutions to a limited range of predictable problems that arise in the operations and growth of a small business, including: product and service provision; customer service; financial and other record keeping; legal and regulatory compliance

Students at this level will apply knowledge and skills to demonstrate autonomy and limited judgement in structured and stable contexts and within narrow parameters, through: contributing to success of small business ventures under instruction/supervision as individual or as a member of a team; evaluation of own professional skills and attributes and creation of professional skills development plan; evaluation of small business examples in order to contribute to business plan development within specific small business contexts and conditions.