• Postgraduate

Strategic Workforce Planning PgCert

Overview

Overview

As healthcare staff move up through the levels, workplace planning is increasingly a topic on the minds of effective managers and is one of the key areas of development within health and social care.

Additionally, succession planning, talent development and retirement planning are all necessary processes to ensure effective service delivery in healthcare.

Good workforce planning can play an important role in supporting the health and social care sectors to meet their service and productivity targets by ensuring that the ‘right people are in the right jobs at the right time.'

For workforce planning to be effective, it is important to have people with the right skills who can efficiently deliver this crucial work in the health and social care sectors.

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Select your desired study option, then pick a start date to see relevant course information:

Study options:
We support flexible study by offering some of our courses part-time or via distance learning. To give you real world experience before you graduate, we also offer some courses with a placement or internship. All available options are listed here. Your choices may affect some details of your course, such as the duration and cost per year. Please re-check the details on this page if you change your selection.

Start date:

If your desired start date is not available, try selecting a different study option.

Why study Strategic Workforce Planning with us?

Why study Strategic Workforce Planning with us?

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What our students say…

Having been out of study mode for 20+ years, I was initially concerned with the level of study required. However, I have found the academic elements of the course to be very closely aligned to my day-to-day work and time spent studying now will reap benefits for me and my Trust long term. UWL and Workforce Projects Team staff have all been supportive.

Julie Sherwood
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Top modern university London for nursing Times and Sunday Times 2023
Industry focused teaching
Lifelong careers support from the UWL Careers Service.
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Course detail & modules

Course detail & modules

The Postgraduate Certificate in Strategic Workforce Planning has been developed in response to the increasing demand for specific training and education for those involved in workforce planning across the health and social care sectors.

Until recently the provision of workforce planning training and education at a national level has been limited.

Demands from service highlighted the need to:

  • integrate the workforce planning function with service and consider improvements in service

  • focus on long-term strategic planning and improving the sector to facilitate workforce
  • enable consistency of approach; raise the profile of and improve the perception and pragmatics of the role of workforce planning.

This course will support you to think critically about your role as a healthcare manager required to do workforce planning and the strategic workforce planning requirements of your organisation.

You will reflect upon a wide range of influences on workforce planning, critically analyse relevance to current service provision and service improvement in your workplace and demonstrate your ability to draw upon this learning to enhance skills in practice.

The course places a strong emphasis on addressing the specific problems, challenges, and issues which staff encounter in the workplace. You will complete a small organisationally relevant work-based project to address some of these issues.

Compulsory modules

  • Context of Strategic Workforce Planning

    This module will teach you to think critically about your role as a healthcare manager who has responsibility for workforce planning and the strategic workplace requirements of your organisation.

  • Workforce Planning for Service Improvement

    This module will support you to think critically about your service and consider the improvement of your service to enable effective workforce planning.

  • Leading Workforce Planning

    This module will support you to think critically about your leadership and your experience of leadership in healthcare.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

You should have one of the following:

  • an honours degree (2:1 or above) from a UK university or equivalent
  • an NVQ level 5
  • a professional qualification (e.g. CIMA, ACCA, CIPD) achieved through an examination or assessed route equivalent to an undergraduate degree
  • a qualification comparable in level with a NARIC certificate to demonstrate equivalence
  • substantial work experience in strategic workforce planning

In the last instance you will need to map your work experience to level 6 SEEC indicators and submit a recently written work based report. The report should demonstrate a sound grasp of key policy issues and an ability to analyse, synthesise and evaluate complex ideas.

In addition to the above, you must:

  • be working for a health or social care organisation 
  • be sponsored by your line manager or organisational workforce lead
  • secure agreement to attend all study days
  • complete a personal statement to include why you are applying for the course and what you hope to achieve in your career from the course

 You must not be registered on another course whilst enrolled on this course.

We look for students who show enthusiasm and a passion for the subject through previous study or professional experience.

If you have any questions about the relevance of your qualifications or experience please contact the course leader shown in the teaching staff.

7.0 IELTS or above

You need to meet our English language requirement - a minimum of IELTS 7.0 for each of the 4 individual components (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening). We also accept other English language examination equivalents. Contact our International Office to find out more.

You also need academic qualifications at the same level as UK applicants. In some countries where teaching is in English, we may accept local qualifications. Check for local equivalents. 

We offer pre-sessional English language courses if you do not meet these requirements.
Find out more about our English Language courses.

We look for students who show enthusiasm and a passion for the subject through previous study or professional experience.

If you have any questions about the relevance of your qualifications or experience please contact the course leader shown in the teaching staff.

Fees & funding

Fees & funding

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Please note:

  • Fees for the 2026/27 academic year and onwards may be subject to Government regulation and change.
  • Tuition fees are charged for each year of your course. If your course runs for two years or more, you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year.
  • If your course runs for less than two years, the cost above is for your full course and you will need to pay the full fee upfront.
  • If no fee is shown above then the fees for this course are not available yet. Please check again later for updates.

Funding your studies

You may be eligible for a student loan to cover the cost of tuition fees, or a maintenance loan. 

We help keep your costs down by offering free transport between our London campuses. Our Student Services teams can also offer advice on managing student finances, working while you study, and more. View full details, including conditions and eligibility.

Fees and funding
{{ formatCurrencyValue(currentVariantData.field_p_cv_int_main_fee.name) }} per year*

Please note:

  • Fees for the 2026/27 academic year and onwards may be subject to Government regulation and change.
  • Tuition fees are charged for each year of your course. If your course runs for two years or more, you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year.
  • If your course runs for less than two years, the cost above is for your full course and you will need to pay the full fee upfront.
  • If no fee is shown above then the fees for this course are not available yet. Please check again later for updates.

Funding your studies

You must be classified as a UK student before starting this course. 

Visit the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website for information about whether you qualify as a UK student or as an International student.

More about UK fees
Teaching staff

Teaching staff

Associate Professor Rowan Myron

Professor Rowan Myron

I am an experienced researcher, writer, presenter and manager with expertise in psychology, improvement science and knowledge mobilisation in healthcare. I use innovative techniques to build team dynamics with staff, researchers and patients. I also lead the University's doctoral research programmes, and have a strong interest in using new technologies to engage frontline staff in learning opportunities.

I am an experienced researcher, writer, presenter and manager with expertise in psychology, improvement science and knowledge mobilisation in healthcare. I use innovative techniques to build team dynamics with staff, researchers and patients. I also lead the University's doctoral research programmes, and have a strong interest in using new technologies to engage frontline staff in learning opportunities.

Study & career progression

Study & career progression

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On successful completion of this course you will be better equipped to fulfil your organisation’s strategic workforce planning needs. 

We offer a wide range of CPD courses that may help your development goals.

Or you can explore our healthcare research offering.

How to apply

How to apply

Search for courses

Important notes for applicants

Disclaimer

*Modern universities - defined as higher education institutions that were granted university status in, and subsequent to, 1992.

**The National Student Survey 2023 and 2024 - Average of answers to all questions by registered student population. Excludes specialist institutions.

Testimonials - our students or former students provided all of our testimonials - often a student from the course but sometimes another student. For example, the testimonial often comes from another UWL student when the course is new.

Optional modules - where optional modules are offered they will run subject to staff availability and viable student numbers opting to take the module.

Videos - all videos on our course pages were accurate at the time of filming. In some cases a new Course Leader has joined the University since the video was filmed.

Availability of placements - if you choose a course with placement/internship route we would like to advise you that if a placement/internship opportunity does not arise when you are expected to undertake the placement then the University will automatically transfer you to the non-internship route, this is to ensure you are still successful in being awarded a degree.