What do secretaries and receptionists do?

Along with greeting visitors, receptionists are tasked with office-based tasks, from ordering supplies to making travel arrangements.

Secretaries, on the other hand, involve themselves in the more administration-based tasks of a business, such as data entry and filing.

Explore our Secretarial Courses

Secretarial Courses

Administrative Assistant Diploma

Pitman specialises in offering world-class secretarial training. This administrative assistant program provides you with a high-level, well-rounded administrative skill set. Your diploma is sure to…

General Office Skills Courses

Legal Receptionist Diploma

Professionally trained legal receptionists are in high demand by employers. This diploma will help you gain the all-round skillset to enable you to confidently manage…

General Office Skills Courses

Microsoft Office Diploma

Gain a good business standard level of knowledge in key Microsoft Office programs - Word, Excel, Outlook, Access and PowerPoint.

General Office Skills Courses

Receptionist Diploma

People can underestimate the skills required to work as a receptionist. Often juggling numerous tasks at once; maintaining calm and controlled at all times is…

Secretarial Courses

Secretarial Diploma

This diploma will give you a great grounding in essential secretarial skills. The training is hands-on and practical, so you can be confident of being…

General Office Skills Courses

Minute Taking Skills Online

Minute Taking Skills has been created to bring your minute taking and note taking skills into the 21st Century, to ensure you’re up to date…

General Office Skills Courses

Professional Receptionist Essentials

The Professional Receptionist Essentials course has been designed to give people the chance of becoming the best receptionist they can be.

General Office Skills Courses

Microsoft Office Specialist – Expert Certification Award

This award offers the opportunity to study three core Microsoft Office programs - PowerPoint or Outlook, Word or Word Expert and Excel or Excel Expert.…

PA Courses

Meetings and Minutes Seminar

This one-day tutor-led seminar is one of our most popular seminars ideal for anyone involved in organising meetings and taking notes at those meetings. You'll…

Secretarial Courses

Telephone Techniques – Seminar

This one-day seminar is perfect for anyone who uses the telephone regularly as an important part of their role and needs to develop their telephone…

What qualifications does a secretary or receptionist need?

You can get started with a career in administration having no experience in reception work, although some knowledge in related areas is beneficial. A good understanding of English, numeracy skills, and IT skills are also useful. Our secretarial training courses provide students with the essential skills and knowledge needed to succeed in administrative roles.

Why choose Pitman Training for secretarial courses & receptionist courses?

  • Recruiters recognise Pitman Training as a school of excellence. When you add a Pitman qualification to your CV, you are immediately considered a cut above the rest.
  • Our range of secretarial and receptionist courses covers everything from minute-taking to telephone techniques and administrative training.
  • Our seminars and online secretarial courses are ideal for anyone who wants to brush up on their administrative skills.
  • You can combine your secretary and receptionist training with a related Pitman Training course to enhance your skills and improve your employability.
  • Our secretary and receptionist training centres can be found across the UK with secretary courses online running all year long. Our training options are flexible, and we can accommodate remote study if you would prefer to learn administration skills at home.
  • You can choose to train anytime you like. Whether it is full-time or part-time, you enjoy a flexible schedule that fits your timetable.

Careers in secretarial and receptionist work

Secretarial and receptionist courses available

We offer four basic diplomas (ReceptionistSecretaryLegal Receptionist, and Administrative Assistant), each of which can lead directly into a secretarial or receptionist career.

Our courses also provide learners with the essential administration skills needed to develop in related disciplines. Additional courses, such as minute-takingtelephone techniquestouch typing, and shorthand courses are also beneficial when applying for administrative positions.

Upcoming Professional Receptionist workshop

  • 10 May 2023
  • 16 August 2023
  • 16 November 2023

Whichever secretary course you choose, whether online or in-centre, our experienced course tutors are with you every step of the way.

Have a question? Just contact us for a free, friendly career consultation with our training experts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a tutor-led training seminar a better way for you to learn?

Absolutely, tutor-led seminars, commonly known as instructor-led training sessions, offer an engaging and interactive approach to learning. Led by seasoned professionals, these sessions ensure a deeper understanding of the subject matter, providing immediate feedback and personalized attention. Whether it’s employee training or corporate skill development, these instructor-led sessions encourage direct interaction, fostering an environment conducive to active learning. At Pitman Training, our extensive collection of tutor-led training videos combines the flexibility of online learning with the live guidance of expert instructors.

Are the courses approved?

Yes our courses are accredited by awarding bodies and accepted by all employers.

When do the courses start?

We have monthly intakes for every course, please enquire to find out more.

I work nights, can I study part-time?

Yes, we recommend all our students allocate 8 to 10 hours per week. All our courses take up to 3 months to complete and our diplomas take up to 1 year.

Who will train me?

Some of our certifications are studied online using our interactive platform and some of our diplomas are conducted via online seminars.

Do I study online or at a training centre?

We offer a blended learning approach. Our courses and diplomas can be studied remotely from the comfort of your own home. You also have the option to also study in our centers if you prefer face-to-face learning.

If I fail an exam?

One re-sit is provided for our courses. However, we have a very high pass rates in completing the assessments.

Can I pay back over a period of time?

Yes, we offer various payment plans up to 36 months to help split the cost over a manageable period of time.

What is the cost?

Our costs vary for our courses and diplomas and start from as little as £20 per month over a 36-month payment plan period. Fill in the form to find out more.

Finance Options

Wherever possible our training is tailored to your needs. The cost of our training programmes depend on the course(s) you choose and varies according to duration and breadth. Rest assured we have a number of payment options available to ensure the cost of training is affordable and can be worked alongside your other financial commitments. Common ways people fund their training include: –

Self-Funded:

  • Flexible payment plans to help you spread the cost* available at many of our centres;
  • You could opt to pay upfront.

Company Funded:

Requesting funding from your employers needn’t be a daunting task. Many employers support and encourage their employees with their professional development and consider it a worthwhile investment to fund any training required.

What we can help with:

  • Providing a comprehensive training programme outlining learning outcomes
  • Tailored personnel letters
  • Communication with finance departments to arrange payment options (upfront or payment plan*).

Funding & Grants:

There may be the opportunity to apply for funded grants that can help towards the cost of training. These include the Skills Development Scotland ITAs and the ReAct programme in Wales. All schemes will have different terms and conditions that will need to be met in order to qualify for a grant and these are managed by each individual centre.

We’d recommend you speak to a Course Advisor in your local centre to find out whether they are registered to offer any such schemes and discuss your requirements further.

* Terms and Conditions apply. Speak to a Course Advisor for full information on the options available to you.

Career Path

A great diploma that can help open the doors to a variety of careers thanks to its unique tailor-made set up. You could work towards any number of office administration type careers in roles such as Medical Secretary, Legal Secretary, PA, EA or Office Manager. Alternatively, you could utilise the skills gained to kick-start a rewarding career in an accounting role with positions such as Bookkeeper, Accounts Assistant or Finance Assistant.

Pitman Training Course Enquiry

For further information and pricing please fill in your details below and we will get back to you as soon as we can, or call the team on 0161 907 6724.

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