What is ILM?
An Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) course is a training experience for leaders and managers. It caters from entry-level or junior management, all the way up to senior managers and CEOs.
Each course is made up of multiple topics, called units, which are chosen to develop different leadership and management skills.
The course can be applied to management in any sector and transfer if you decide to change roles.
ILM supports your natural management style and enhances it with practical advice and techniques. At every level, ILM is a solid career development course and is increasingly popular with organisations, leaders and managers globally.
ILM delivers skills, knowledge, understanding and experience you need to successfully deliver in your leadership and/or management role.
How to take an ILM course
ILM is widely available across the UK, delivered by training providers, like TSW either online or in-person.
ILM courses are usually open to the public, so you can train alongside other managers at the same level as you from different industries and businesses.
For organisations with larger numbers of staff to train, they can opt for an in-house ILM programme, delivered on-site or at a venue of their choice.
In-house ILM training content can be tailored to align with the 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.
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 Awards, Certificates and Diplomas
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, number of units/topics, and number of 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 to give you a larger base of knowledge and skills. You join more training sessions and have a greater number of assignments to complete. They 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. It's ten days of training and a number of assignments. You'll clock in 370 hours of learning - it's expert-level training.
Each level of qualification has varying requirements, you can enquire with a training provider who will be able to provide you with the exact number of days and details on assessment.
Regardless of whether you choose the award, certificate or diploma, you will still receive a qualification certificate at the level you decide to study.
So, 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, that come 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
Further information on the benefits of an ILM course can be found on our blog.
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 course that is right for you, take a look at ILM’s really useful qualification finder or get in touch.
Coaching vs leadership and management training
ILM gives you the option to either specialise in leadership and management or coaching.
The syllabus of each course is targeted to meet the demands of your job.
For example, the coaching course content focuses on developing your people and cultivating a supportive environment to help your team to meet their targets. Read more about the ILM Level 3 Award in Coaching
Whereas a leadership and management ILM is a practical management approach to help you drive positive change.
ILM Leadership and Management qualifications we offer
- ILM Level 2 in Leadership and Team Skills
- ILM Level 3 in Leadership and Management
- ILM Level 5 in Leadership and Management
ILM Recognition: Our endorsed and developed courses
An impactful ILM management course can come in all shapes and sizes.
We understand that organisations and their people may not want to embark on a formal management qualification, but they might still like to know that the training they invest in for their leaders and managers is recognisable and quality assured.
ILM review and endorse many of TSW's management training programmes, ensuring that they meet the highest standards. This means that you can be assured that you are receiving high-quality leadership and management training.
With all of these programmes, we retain the ability to tailor their length, content and delivery, making them perfect for our public courses and for in-house delivery.
The courses below have been designed by TSW from the ground up and submitted to ILM for quality assurance.
Do you have a leadership and management training need in your organisation, which you require an ILM recognised course for? You can enquire here for more information on how we can run one of the courses above or design a new one just for you and your needs.
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 needs of the business.
“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.
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, all you need is the enrolment number that your provider will give you 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 are yet to receive an email, you can complete The Institute’s online form to register for free membership.
