PIABC Level 5 Award in Management of Packaging, Production & Business Processes

If you don't have time to commit to the PIABC Level 5 Diploma in Packaging Technology or are unsure whether the full Diploma is for you, this course is an ideal way to start your learning and improve your knowledge and understanding of management of business processes in relation to packaging.

Completion of this course will give you a highly regarded foundation degree level qualification and a stepping stone to further learning. 

Our learners come from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines but they all share a desire to broaden and deepen their knowledge and understanding of the packaging industry.
This is a Level 5 qualification (foundation degree level) so you should expect a challenging and rigorous course that explores the packaging industry in detail.  We would normally expect those wishing to undertake the course to have a minimum of 1 GCE A-level and 5 GCSEs at grade A–C, or equivalent, including one science subject, or to have previously graduated from our PIABC Level 3 Certificate in Packaging course.   Industrial experience can be used as an alternative to formal qualifications and we expect all learners to have good communication, numeracy and IT skills.

This is an online course that you can start at any time throughout the year and work through the course material at a time and pace to suit you.  Help is on hand from our tutor should you need it and we are happy to set up virtual tutorials to go through aspects of the course that you are finding challenging.

The PIABC Level 5 Award in Management of Packaging, Production & Business Processes is broken down in to three modules:

• The packaging design and development process including understanding how the packaging development process is managed and the teams involved, the reasons for changing the design of a pack, the factors that must be considered when developing pacakging for new and existing products, and how packaging test programmes are developed, managed and evaluated.
• Packaging machinery and line operations including understanding each stage of a packing line from the delivery of components to removal of the finished product, semi- and fully-automatic operations, product metering and filling systems, on-line packaging formation, pack closing and labelling methods, collation of packs, and factors affection the efficiency of a packing line and how they are managed and improved.
• Quality and business management in packaging including how the quality of a product can be ensured, the importance and contents of packaging component specifications, factors to be taken into consideration with managing packaging-related business processes and risks, and the factors affecting the total packed cost of a product.

The recommended total learning time for this qualification, which includes working through the course materials, revising for an sitting your exams is 22 hours.  We would, therefore, expect you to complete your initial studies in about 3 months if you studied for approximately 3 hours each week.  You will sit your exam during one of the awarding body's examination series in June or November each year.  PIABC sets the dates for  these exams well in advance and you cannot sit outside of these dates.

The PIABC Level 5 Award in Management of Packaging, Production & Business Processes is assessed through one 2-hour examinations which you would normally sit in Grantham.  The paper is comprised of two twenty mark questions and six ten mark questions.  The exams are graded pass (50-59%), merit (60-69%) and distinction (70% or more) and are held twice year, in June and November on dates dictated by PIABC.  The exam for this qualification is held on the Wednesday afternoon of exam week.

The PIABC fee covers your registration with the awarding body, one sitting of the exam and certification.  If you do not pass first time, you can sit again but a resit fee will apply.

The course fee for the PIABC Level 5 Award in Management of Packaging Production & Business Processes is £895 (+VAT at 20% where applicable)

There is an additional fee of £140 (VAT free) for your registration with the awarding body PIABC.

Discounts on the course fee are available to IOM3 members (20%) and Business Partner Programme subscribers (10%).