Overview
This two-day, face-to-face course equips non-financial managers with the practical financial knowledge and confidence needed to contribute more effectively to their organisation’s financial goals. Through interactive sessions and real-world examples, learners will explore key financial principles, terminology, and tools that are essential to understanding reports, managing budgets, and building credible business cases. With a strong emphasis on collaborative learning and application, the course fosters financial fluency and decision-making capability across functions.
Target Audience
Participants should bring a clear understanding of how they intend to apply financial knowledge in their role, along with relevant workplace documents (e.g., reports or budgets) for reference and discussion during the course.
Target audience
This course is designed for non-financial managers and professionals who want to:
- Communicate confidently with finance teams and senior leaders
- Manage budgets and interpret financial data
- Build stronger business cases and assess investments
- Make data-informed decisions across functions
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, learners will be able to:v
- Identify the role of finance within organisational strategy and operations
- Recognise and explain common financial terms and concepts
- Interpret key financial statements including the profit and loss account and balance sheet
- Understand how external stakeholders assess financial performance using ratios
- Distinguish between cash and profit and explain their significance
- Apply core management accounting tools such as costing, cash flow, and budgeting
- Develop structured business cases and perform basic investment appraisal
Course Outline
Day 1
Welcome and reflections
- Setting expectations and capturing personal learning goals
- Introduction to the learning environment and facilitation style
Financial principles and terminology
- The language of finance: key concepts and definitions
- Understanding the finance function and its organisational role
Financial reports and statements
- Introduction to the profit and loss account and balance sheet
- Navigating core financial documents and their interrelationships
Financial ratios
- Interpreting financial health using ratios
- Understanding profitability, liquidity, efficiency, and solvency
Cash and cash flow
- The difference between cash and profit
- Techniques for managing and forecasting cash flow
Day 2
Welcome and key learning points review
- Recap of Day 1
- Connection of learning with personal and organisational challenges
Budgets
- Building and managing effective budgets
- The budgeting process and types of budgets
Costs
- Types of costs and cost behaviour
- Techniques for cost control and analysis
Business cases and investment appraisal
- Essential components of a compelling business case
- Methods for evaluating proposed investments (NPV, payback, ROI)
- Application through learner-generated scenarios
Personal learning summary and action planning
- Reflection on key takeaways
- Development of individual action plans for applying financial skills
Exams and assessments
There are no formal exams or assessments in this course. Informal knowledge checks, real-time feedback, and collaborative exercises are embedded throughout the workshop to reinforce learning outcomes and track understanding.
Hands-on learning
This course includes:
- Group activities and real-world problem-solving scenarios
- Facilitated discussions based on learners’ organisational experiences
- Toolkit exercises to support continued learning and workplace application
- Flipchart-based documentation of key insights for learner reference
Frequently asked questions
How can I create an account on myQA.com?
There are a number of ways to create an account. If you are a self-funder, simply select the "Create account" option on the login page.
If you have been booked onto a course by your company, you will receive a confirmation email. From this email, select "Sign into myQA" and you will be taken to the "Create account" page. Complete all of the details and select "Create account".
If you have the booking number you can also go here and select the "I have a booking number" option. Enter the booking reference and your surname. If the details match, you will be taken to the "Create account" page from where you can enter your details and confirm your account.
Find more answers to frequently asked questions in our FAQs: Bookings & Cancellations page.
How do QA’s virtual classroom courses work?
Our virtual classroom courses allow you to access award-winning classroom training, without leaving your home or office. Our learning professionals are specially trained on how to interact with remote attendees and our remote labs ensure all participants can take part in hands-on exercises wherever they are.
We use the WebEx video conferencing platform by Cisco. Before you book, check that you meet the WebEx system requirements and run a test meeting to ensure the software is compatible with your firewall settings. If it doesn’t work, try adjusting your settings or contact your IT department about permitting the website.
How do QA’s online courses work?
QA online courses, also commonly known as distance learning courses or elearning courses, take the form of interactive software designed for individual learning, but you will also have access to full support from our subject-matter experts for the duration of your course. When you book a QA online learning course you will receive immediate access to it through our e-learning platform and you can start to learn straight away, from any compatible device. Access to the online learning platform is valid for one year from the booking date.
All courses are built around case studies and presented in an engaging format, which includes storytelling elements, video, audio and humour. Every case study is supported by sample documents and a collection of Knowledge Nuggets that provide more in-depth detail on the wider processes.
When will I receive my joining instructions?
Joining instructions for QA courses are sent two weeks prior to the course start date, or immediately if the booking is confirmed within this timeframe. For course bookings made via QA but delivered by a third-party supplier, joining instructions are sent to attendees prior to the training course, but timescales vary depending on each supplier’s terms. Read more FAQs.
When will I receive my certificate?
Certificates of Achievement are issued at the end the course, either as a hard copy or via email. Read more here.