An Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) course is a training experience for leaders and managers. It caters for entry-level or junior management up to senior managers and CEOs.
Each course comprises multiple topics, called units, which are chosen to develop various leadership and management skills. The course can be applied to management in any sector and transferred if you change roles.
ILM Management Courses
There are a wide range of ILM management courses (available online or in-house). Each one is tailored to specific team-leading, management, and leadership roles and functions.
ILM Management Qualifications Table
| Management Course Title | Skills Developed | Level | For Who? | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ILM Level 2 in Leadership and Team Skills | Team Leadership, Team Skills | Level 2 | New or Aspiring Team Leaders | Enquire |
| ILM Level 3 in Coaching | Coaching | Level 3 | Team Leaders, Managers and New Coaches | Enquire |
| ILM Level 3 in Leadership and Management | Management, Leadership | Level 3 | New, Aspiring and Practising Line-Managers and Supervisors | Enquire |
| ILM Level 5 in Coaching and Mentoring | Coaching, Mentoring | Level 5 | Managers and Supervisors | Enquire |
| ILM Level 5 in Leadership and Management | Management, Leadership | Level 5 | Middle Managers and Aspiring Middle/Senior managers | Enquire |
Our range of ILM Management courses are designed to support your natural management style and enhance it with practical advice and techniques.
Whatever your current level or role, ILM offers is a solid career development opportunity that is increasingly popular with organisations, leaders and managers globally.
ILM delivers the skills, knowledge, understanding, and experience you need to succeed in your leadership and/or management role.
Volvo Case Study
Volvo was searching for a training provider who could deliver a Leadership and Management Programme to develop practising and aspiring Managers in line with the business’s needs.
“Arranging our ILM Level 3 Certificate through TSW Training couldn’t have been easier as they tailored the training to accommodate our chosen modules and were flexible in terms of delivery locations and dates. The biggest factor for us was that TSW provide an e-learning system which educates and tests understanding; it was helpful to receive analysis from this system (modules completed and test scores) as we could easily monitor employees’ progress and offer extra support where required. 10/10!” – Maxine (Knowles) Linehan, Human Resources Manager, Volvo.
Read more about how TSW Training helped Volvo develop the skills of its managers here.
Benefits of Taking an ILM Course
Any form of professional development can only be seen as a positive and insightful step for employees.
However, choosing to enhance your skillset with an ILM qualification can hold several short and long-term benefits for your career or business:
- Improved management skills: Did you know that 93% of business owners say their line managers performed better following an ILM qualification?
These leadership and management courses develop professionals by enhancing core skills like communication, motivational techniques, and resilience. They leverage trusted methods and real-world cases.
- Qualification delivering real-world skills: ILM qualifications develop essential soft skills. They give managers the knowledge and ability to inspire staff, manage high-pressure scenarios, and smoothly implement new systems, behaviours, or innovations. These skills are also key to personal development.
- Internationally recognised qualification: ILM qualifications are recognised by employers worldwide as the gold standard in management training.
- Sought-after accreditations: Over 70,000 people take an ILM qualification annually, making these some of Europe’s most popular diplomas in leadership and management.
- ILM membership: Besides enhancing soft skills and stimulating business performance, ILM learners also gain a free 12-month studying membership to The Institute of Leadership.
Membership also includes access to various curated online resources, including interactive tests, guides, blogs, podcasts, webinars, and more.
- Faster than other management qualifications: Forget year-long qualifications and substantial time investments. The longest ILM Leadership and Management course, with TSW Training, takes five days to complete.
- Virtual availability: In addition to those speedy completion times, managers can study for ILM qualifications completely virtually. So there’s no need to head out of the office or use up a day’s leave attending a training event. The modules can work around your schedule.
- Proven ROI for employers: According to independent research conducted by Harris Interactive, 78% of employers who chose ILM courses saw a return on investment from the training.
Types of ILM Levels and Qualifications
ILM management qualifications are designed to enhance the skills of leaders throughout your business. However, we should mention that you don’t need to work through the courses to become qualified. You can choose the one that is best suited to your position.
For example, senior managers can jump straight to a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management.
Level 2: Team Leaders and Supervisors
The ILM Level 2 in Leadership and Team Skills is equivalent to an NVQ level 2 or GCSE grades A*—C. Specifically aimed at those starting their management careers, the courses are accessible to employees at most levels.
Level 3: Junior Managers or Line Managers
Aimed at junior managers or first-line managers, level 3 ILM qualifications focus on instilling the skills to help navigate teams through periods of business change and other pressures.
This qualification is ideal for individuals already in a management position who wish to advance their career progression.
Level 4: Middle Management
It is similar in difficulty and qualification level to an NVQ Level 4 or the first year of an undergraduate degree. A Level 4 ILM course develops and embeds more skills, including elements like strategic thinking and enhanced management techniques.
Level 5: Mid/Senior Managers
Level 5 ILM certification adds another year to undergraduate study. Building on the skills and management levels covered in Level 4, this highly respected qualification is ideal for practising managers whose roles may include mentorship, coaching, or training new employees.
Level 6: Senior Managers or Directors of Smaller Businesses
Like the third year of a postgraduate degree, Level 6 courses are for senior managers who may be new to their role. This qualification also provides a platform for the more complex learnings of the final qualification level, Level 7.
Level 7: Senior Managers, CEO’s, Directors of Large Businesses
Specifically for senior leaders or strategic managers, Level 7 is equivalent to a Diploma or Master’s degree. As a higher-level qualification, this course includes complex modules and themes such as:
- Effective large business management
- Inspiring change
- Maintaining performance through periods of change
- Departmental motivational techniques
Let’s bring that whole section together to demonstrate more clearly which ILM courses correspond to each management level and the equivalent qualification in the UK education system.
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ILM Qualification Level |
Management Level |
Roughly Equates to |
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Level 2 |
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Level 3 |
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Level 4 |
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Level 5 |
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Level 6 |
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Level 7 |
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What is ILM Level 5 Equivalent To?
An ILM Level 5 qualification is equivalent to a 2-year undergraduate degree, Diploma of Higher Education or HND.
A well-respected professional qualification worldwide, this course is suited for middle managers seeking to stimulate career progression and enhance business performance.
The learnings in the course build on core leadership abilities like:
- Development of technical knowledge
- Interpretation of strategic business insights
- Motivating teams to perform in line with business goals
- Improving coaching confidence and credibility to aid knowledge sharing
What is ILM Level 3 Equivalent To?
Although lower in the spectrum than Level 5, Level 3 Leadership and Management courses are equivalent to A-Levels, BTEC Level 3 or NVQ Level 3 in applied subjects.
Ideal for individuals in a line management or supervisory position who lack formal training.
At this stage, the qualification aims to develop core skills essential for successful management and extracting high performance from a team.
Statistics show that only 48% of employees view their company’s leadership as being of “high quality”. By training your line managers to Level 3 ILM standards, you can signpost your business’s commitment to improving management standards throughout the company.
Moreover, by investing in management at all levels, business owners can maximise the potential for training ROI.
Key Topics Covered in ILM Management Courses
Although you don’t need to start from Level 2 and work your way through ILM management courses, each assessment stage adds another layer of learning.
At Levels 3 and 5, the qualifications will cover a vast spread of topics across the leadership and management spectrum, including:
- Leading with impact
- Effective communication
- Ability to inspire
- Team building and delegation
- Analytical thinking
- Advanced problem-solving
- Understanding organisational dynamics
- Driving innovation while managing change
- Project coordination
- Strategic financial oversight
- Coaching and mentoring
While these topics may seem soft-skill-focused, with our ILM Level 3 and ILM Level 5 in leadership and management, business owners can choose to tailor the training to their industry. Offering more of a blend between soft and hard skills.
ILM Management Course Assessment Process
Each ILM Management course is divided into units and learning outcomes. To progress through the qualification, learners must demonstrate their knowledge by passing ILM assessments associated with each unit.
Attached to each unit is a specific verb. These verbs are crucial to satisfying the pass criteria, as they demonstrate to markers that you have understood the learning and assignment.
For example, the ILM assessment will be an essay question that could ask you to ‘describe’ a specific management technique. In this instance, it’s not sufficient to describe the technique. You will need to provide in-depth examples of the technique and how it can be applied in the real world.
Every assessment attached to a learning outcome requires a score of above 50% to pass.
As you might imagine, the sophistication levels of each assessment improve as you move up the levels.
How to Take an ILM Course
ILM is widely available across the UK, and delivered by expert training providers like TSW Training.
Our ILM courses can be taken online or in person and are usually open to the public, allowing you to train alongside other managers at the same level from different industries and businesses.
Organisations with multiple employees to train can opt for an in-house bespoke ILM programme delivered on-site or at a venue of their choice. The ILM training content can be tailored to align with your business’s strategies, corporate values, processes and policies, creating contextualised training that increases return on investment.
ILM levels explained
There are seven levels of ILM qualification, each designed to develop leaders and managers with different levels of experience, seniority, and role:
- Level 2 – For Team Leaders and Team Supervisors
- Level 3 – For Junior Managers, First Line Managers and Supervisors
- Level 4/5 – Middle Managers
- Level 6/7 – Senior Managers and Directors of smaller organisations
- Level 7 – Senior Leaders, CEO’s and Directors of large divisions
*You don’t need to work through each level. For example, if you’re already a senior manager, you can start at level 6.
ILM Awards, Certificates and Diplomas
Now that you know which level is right for you, it is time to consider the length and scope of the course you would like to take.
ILM’s qualifications come in various shapes and sizes, denoted by the words ‘award’, ‘certificate’ and ‘ diploma’. Each type requires a different number of guided learning hours, units/topics, and assignments.
ILM Awards
Awards are the shortest ILM qualifications, requiring fewer days’ of course attendance. They focus on critical topics and demand fewer assignments. They tend to take 10 to 120 hours to complete.
ILM Certificates
Certificates are more in-depth than the ILM awards. The syllabus is thorough and built to give you a more extensive base of knowledge and skills. You will join more training sessions and have a larger number of assignments to complete.
ILM Certificates tend to account for 130 to 360 hours of learning.
ILM Diplomas
Diplomas are the most comprehensive qualification, covering the greatest number of leadership and management units.
A Diploma will typically be at least ten days of training and several assignments. You’ll clock in 370 hours of learning – it’s expert-level training.
Each level of qualification has varying requirements – enquire with us today to discuss the exact number of days and details on assessment.
Whether you choose the award, certificate or diploma, you will still receive a qualification certificate at the level you decide to study.
For example, if you take an ILM level 3 Award in Leadership and Management, you will be able to say you have a level 3 qualification in management, the same as if you take a much longer and more intensive ILM level 3 Diploma.
What are the benefits of taking an ILM course?
As an approved ILM training provider, we have witnessed the many benefits for leaders, managers and organisations from participating in ILM qualifications.
Here are just some:
- Internationally recognised qualifications travel well
- Vocational qualifications that deliver real-world skills
- ILM Qualifications are highly recommended by employers
- A quick impact on management skills and knowledge
- Viewed positively by employers and employees
- Every learner gets a membership to the Institute Of Leadership and Management
- Less time away from the workplace than traditional management development
- Develop a wide range of management and leadership skills
- ILM’s deliver a proven return on investment for employers
Which ILM Course is Right For You?
If you decide to take an award, you will cover much fewer units and content than in a certificate or diploma course. To select the right course for you, you must know how you want to develop your skills, as well as the amount of time you have for course attendance and ILM assignment completion.
If you are still unsure about the right course, take a look at ILM’s really useful qualification finder or get in touch.
Six reasons why you should choose an ILM Course:
- ILM training is focused on the place of work, using work-based assessment and contextualised learning to make sure leader and managers put their skills into action
- 90% of ILM learners say they’re able to apply the leadership and management learning to their day-to-day role*
- 94% of employers would recommend ILM to another organisation looking to improve leadership and management skills*
- 9 out of 10 learners would recommend ILM, which is a testament to their quality*
- The qualifications are flexible, offering organisations and learners various options on the level, content covered, and how many units are taken.
- All ILM providers and the courses they offer have been quality assured by ILM, so you know you are getting a high standard of learning
*Harris Interactive research for ILM, July 2018. Sample size: 740 interviews with 101 training providers, 80 employers and 559 learners.
ILM Recognised Courses
We understand that you may not want a formal management qualification, but you might still like to know that the training you invest in for your leaders and managers is recognisable and quality-assured.
ILM review and endorse many of TSW Training’s management training programmes, ensuring that they meet the highest standards. This means you can be assured that you are receiving high-quality leadership and management training.
With all of these programmes, we can tailor their length, content and delivery, making them perfect for our public courses and in-house delivery.
The courses below have been designed by TSW Training from the ground up and submitted to ILM for quality assurance.
- Core Skills for Team Leaders
- Core Skills for Management
- Core Skills for Coaching
- Core Skills for Project Management
- HR Skills for Line Managers
- Presentation and Public Speaking Skills
Do you have a leadership and management training need in your organisation that requires an ILM-recognised course? You can inquire here for more information on how we can run one of the courses above or design a new one tailored to your needs.
Studying Membership of The Institute of Leadership and Management
If you decide to take an ILM qualification, you will receive complimentary access to studying membership, a community of over 30,000 leaders and managers.
You will gain access to a wide range of expert online resources, including interactive tests, guides, journals, webinars, blogs, podcasts and free events.
How Do I Activate My ILM Membership?
To activate your membership with ILM, enter the enrolment number provided by your provider upon registration.
If your ILM provider has already provided The Institute with your email address, please check your mailbox – an automatic activation link from The Institute should have been sent to you directly.
If you have yet to receive an email, you can complete The Institute’s online form to register for free membership.
Read our latest ILM course reviews
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions about ILM management courses.
How Do ILM Management Courses Differ from Other Management Training Programs?
ILM management courses with TSW Training are perfect for those thinking about or already in management positions. With courses ranging from Level 2 up to Level 7, ILM qualifications offer a course to cater for each stage of the management journey.
ILM courses, with their wide range of units and assessments, offer the most comprehensive management training experience. They are perfect for managers and business owners seeking internationally recognised accreditations.
The courses are in-depth, but with our expert support, a choice of virtual or classroom sessions and the ability to customise the training to your industry, you stand the best chance of passing with TSW.
Can ILM Management Courses Be Customised for Corporate Training?
One of the benefits of engaging with ILM training with TSW is that you can tailor the units and learning outcomes to your industry. Our expert trainers are available to give your team the best chance of passing the courses and driving business performance.
How Long Do ILM Management Courses Typically Last?
The training duration of ILM management courses differs as you progress through the qualification levels. However, with expert support from TSW, you can complete the work for each course in 3-5 days.
That means you spend less time and money training your team and more time reaping the rewards from the business performance and productivity improvements.
Conclusion
Improving the quality of your management team is an investment that will pay dividends for your business.
Enhancing the quality and number of mentors, strategic thinkers, change managers, and financial planners in your organisation can inspire productivity and drive performance to new levels.
When you choose to complete ILM qualifications with TSW Training, your team also benefits from expert support, virtual training sessions tailored to your industry, and speedy results.
Improve your management team today by enhancing their ILM Level 3 Leadership and Management skills. Or help them take the next step on their managerial journey with an ILM Level 5 Leadership and Management course through TSW Training.