CIPD Level 5
Summary of Level 5 Units
Level 5 CIPD units are modules that provide individuals with a basis to develop a career in people’s professions. The units have undergone various changes over the past years. The most recent qualifications were launched in 2021, comprising a wide range of changes applied to the previous CIPD level 5 diploma qualifications. According to the new qualifications launched by CIPD in 2021, the level 5 units are equivalent to an undergraduate degree level. Each unit is essential in building the professional abilities of an individual based on the different requirements of the relevant professions. Undertaking the CIPD level five units is essential because it allows individuals to enhance their careers. Although relevant work experience or CIPD foundation course qualifications are required, the units can be easily understood when a student has a relevant degree. The units enhance students’ abilities to deeply comprehend the fundamentals of management in learning and development and Human Resources within an organisation setting. Through the units’ assignments, learners can assess models and practices and think strategically to enhance the organisation’s performance capabilities.
CIPD level 5 units offer students academic and practical experience, enabling them to apply what they learn in any people management role. These units are recognised internationally, and undertaking them based on the course syllabus enables learners to attain CIPD level 5 qualifications. These qualifications are ideal for students who have experience learning and development or human resources or a university degree. They provide them with professional credibility, knowledge, and skills required to rise into higher career roles such as advisors or managers in learning and development or human resources. Level 5 CIPD units have been divided into two different groups despite constant changes in the qualifications. These are:
- Associate Diploma in Organisational Learning and Development, which was initially Intermediate Diploma in Learning and Development
- Associate Diploma in People Management which used to be Intermediate Diploma in Human Resource Management
The CIPD Level 5 units have to be taken based on the syllabus. Before the 2021 CIPD qualifications were implemented, students were allowed to choose the size of the course. Therefore, studying level 5 qualifications could be done as an award, a certificate, or a diploma. Students earned the award qualification by studying only a small portion of the course to develop a specific skill or enhance their knowledge on something. The certificate qualification involved taking six modules of level 5 to obtain the core skills required to attain a role in learning and development or Human Resource. The diploma qualification is the largest and involves taking a minimum of seven units to achieve the full spectrum of skills required to build a successful profession. Implementing the 2021 CIPD qualifications eliminated the award and certificate qualifications, forcing current students to only go with the diploma qualification. Whether the students choose the organisational learning or people management option in the diploma qualification, they will have to take seven modules; three core, three specialist, and one out of six optional.
The CIPD Associate Diploma in Organisational Learning and Development Level 5 Units
The CIPD Level 5 units in learning and development are undertaken by individuals who strive to understand how to structure and design the working environment of an organisation effectively. As a result, these units are essential when determining how the culture and performance of an organisation can be analysed. Also, these units enable students to understand the proper methods that can be used to achieve learning in an organisation, therefore, enhancing the people’s confidence while also pushing them to achieve high levels of development. These units are ideal for individuals who enjoy enhancing the abilities of employees in through learning and development. In addition, the combination of the core and specialist units increases the knowledge capacity of learners in terms of organisational learning and development. It provides them with a platform to individually enhance their self-development.
The CIPD Level 5 units provide a benchmark for the people profession across the world. In addition, it also enables professionals in the relevant professions to increase their abilities and confidence when it comes to their behaviours, actions, and decision making. Each unit within CIPD level 5 is connected to the profession map to instil core knowledge and behaviour and specialist knowledge. The map’s purpose is to ensure that the units are driven by outcomes, based on factual evidence, and led by specific principles. To be awarded a qualification in CIPD level 5, learners should have completed the following unit modules:
Three Core Units
Organisational performance and culture in practice (5CO01)
Evidence-based practice (5CO02)
Professional behaviours and valuing people (5CO03)
The three units of level 5 CIPD learning and development option are meant to instil learners with a wide range of core knowledge and behaviour. Based on the CIPD profession map, learners undertaking the three core units have a solid foundation to make effective decisions while working in any industry. The knowledge gained while studying these units is practical to individuals and organisations because they positively affect the work environment, promote value creation, and effect change when necessary. The units are also created in a way that helps to distinguish influential professionals from the rest because it enhances the skills required for one to be a people’s professional. Also, these units are designed to enhance the work environment in organisations even if situations are constantly changing or are problematic. As a result, the units allow learners to think and act consistently and universally to counter the situations. Core units are essential in developing core behaviours that are useful to professionals when organisations experience uncertainties. The core knowledge and behaviours gained in the core units have been pointed out via feedback from professionals, academic resources, and research.
Three Specialist Units
Supporting self-directed and social learning (5LD01)
Learning and development design to create value (5LD02)
Facilitate personalised and performance-focused learning (5LD03)
The specialist units provide learners with specialist knowledge. Learning and development include the development of a wide range of opportunities that people professionals can explore. As a result, the specialist units equip learners with comprehensive specialist knowledge that can be used to enhance positive learning and development in organisations. The units instil learners with specialisms that allow them to enhance their abilities in a specific area of expertise. In addition, the specialist units also provide learners with a platform to determine the career paths they would want to explore in future. The specialist knowledge these units instil in learners includes reward, resourcing, talent management, learning and development, employee experience, among many others.
One of Seven Optional Units
Specialist employment law (5OS01)
Advances in digital learning and development (5OS02)
Learning and development essentials (5OS03)
People management in an international context (5OS04)
Diversity and inclusion (5OS05)
Leadership and management development (5OS06)
The optional units are chosen based on the individual’s personal preference and specific interests. Each of the optional units is specific to different roles, and learners can choose one to enhance their knowledge in the field. As a result, the learning and development CIPD level 5 optional units are designed to suit the learner’s learning style and are specific to various industries. In addition, the units also promote specialist knowledge in a wide range of fields, providing learners with the ability to specialise in one unique field.
The CIPD Associate Diploma in People Management Level 5 Units
The CIPD Level 5 units in people management are essential in providing learners with a comprehensive and modern view of human resources and organisational people management. The units provide learners with a basis to expand their knowledge of human resources. As a result, learners understand the connection between human resources and the strategic achievement of objectives and performance improvement in organisations. The level 5 CIPD associate diploma in people management units focus specifically on human resources and have been designed to concentrate on issues related to human resources. Undertaking these units helps learners to develop diverse skills that positively impact their careers. These skills include but are not limited to employee wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, and global people management.
These units enable learners to attain a qualification that is based on CIPD professional map. The map was developed based on the insights and experiences of numerous experts working in the people profession. As a result, the units have been structured to ensure that they instil the best skills and knowledge required by learners to be influential people professionals. Studying the units offers the learners a solid foundation to develop their abilities and confidence. Also, undertaking the units ensure that learners actions, behaviours, and decisions are professionally guided to promote positive people management outcomes. Achieving a qualification in CIPD level 5 diplomas in people management is only possible if the individual has completed a total of at least seven CIPD level 5 units in people management. These include:
3 Core Units
Organisational performance and culture in practice (5CO01)
Evidence-based practice (5CO02)
Professional behaviours and valuing people (5CO03)
The core units make up one of the most critical aspects of studying level 5 CIPD in people management. These units provide learners with the basis for achieving core behaviours and knowledge required to be a people professional. The core units enable learners to have a reference point for a wide range of actions related to human resources. These include enhancing their professional abilities, influencing organisational transformation, enhancing peak performance, confidently acting, and making better decisions. Based on the professional map, these core units also ensure that professionals develop resilience to survive in environments that pose challenges and uncertainties. The core knowledge gained through studying these core units includes change, culture and behavior, people and technology, evidence-based practice, people practice, and culture and behaviour. On the other hand, the core behaviours that learners gain through undertaking these core units include situational decision making, inclusive working, ethical practice, passion for learning, value for people, commercial drive, professional courage and influence, and insights focused.
Three specialist units
Employment relationship management (5HR01)
Talent management and workforce planning (5HR02)
Reward for performance and contribution (5HR03)
The three specialist units are essential in providing clarity regarding the knowledge, skills, and expertise required to take on any role in people practice effectively. These specialist units align learners to specialist knowledge areas, enabling them to gain skills required to apply the specialisms in various fields. As a result, through assignments, these units ensure that learners are provided with the expertise required to develop their careers and to explore the courses they would want to pursue in future. Apart from that, these units also help learners develop a wide range of skills while exploiting the available options to determine the best way to manage people within an organisation setting.
Optional HR units
Specialist employment law (5OS01)
Advances in digital learning and development (5OS02)
Learning and development essentials (5OS03)
People management in an international context (5OS04)
Diversity and inclusion (5OS05)
Leadership and management development (5OS06)
The optional units are dependent on the interest and specifications of the learner. These units are made up of courses specific to different fields, including technology, diversity, leadership, and employment regulations, among many others. Through these units, learners gain the ability to specialise in a specific field in their career.
Benefits of Level 5 CIPD Units
Studying and completing the level 5 CIPD units allow learners to attain CIPD level 5 qualifications in learning and developing human resources. Qualifying allows the learners to apply their relevant skills to employers, enabling them to be distinguished easily. Also, learning these units provides learners with a platform to earn more than those who lack the qualification. For instance, a student with knowledge of CIPD level 5 units can earn more than the one who lacks the qualification or has a lower qualification, such as level 3. These units also enhance a learner’s career role to the advisor or manager, increasing their qualifications, skills, and knowledge as a people professional in people practice.
Learning CIPD level 5 units also enhances the learner’s expertise and job performance. This qualification results in the learner attaining a CIPD level 5 diploma that is recognised internationally. The units are ideal for individuals who have relevant experience or certification. Therefore, it provides the learners with the opportunity to enhance their professional levels or career. When undertaking the units, learners are given a chance to build a deeper comprehension of how to develop the people management responsibility and learning and development roles, therefore, effectively managing their responsibilities within an organisation setting. Similarly, the units provide learners with the ability to develop the skills required to effectively analyse contemporary models and practices and using them strategically to promote the performance of an organisation.
The units also enable learners to identify and understand the external environment related to an organisation and how it impacts the organisation. The CIPD Level 5 qualification attained through learning these units enables learners to connect and interact with their peers. Therefore, it provides them with a platform to develop and design suitable strategies that enhance their knowledge and skills that promote their professions while also enhancing their impacts on the organisations they work for. Similarly, these units are ideal for individuals who strive to manage and develop people effectively. Therefore, studying them enables learners to expand their knowledge on human resources or learning and development, encouraging them to pursue what they find more interesting.
Undertaking the CIPD level 5 units provide learners with a platform to excel in their careers by developing the existing knowledge. This aspect is made possible through enhancing their knowledge on how to shape organisational strategies and developing evidence-based practice based on human resources or learning and development. As a result, it enables learners to be able to handle more senior people professional responsibilities properly.
Conclusions
CIPD level 5 units have proven to be important in providing learners with a variety of skills that can be helpful in different organisation types and industries. The knowledge and skills that learners obtain from learning these units enable them to share ideas and apply them in real life. The completion of the units teaches learners a wide range of concepts related to people practice. It shows them the importance of performing well as a people professional and adding value to an organisation. Similarly, these units also teach learners about the evolving human resource and learning and development issues and responsibilities related to ethical organisations. By studying these units, learners learn about the labour market trends and how they influence different organisations under different circumstances.
Organisations and employers need to ensure that their human resource or learning and development managers and advisors have the level 5 qualifications. This factor is essential because the qualification shows the effectiveness of the units when it comes to developing the professional capabilities of individuals to undertake their responsibilities in an organisation. Completing the units under the two options provides learners with the knowledge and skills required to undertake their responsibilities in work setting effectively. Therefore, individuals who strive to pursue a role in HR or L&D management or advisor must take these units to stand out among other professionals in the same field.
