This qualification is the first of two qualifications for people who are, or are training to be first line managers (team leaders, supervisors, or charge hands). People in these roles are likely to be responsible for managing people, resources, or workplace operations, and may have had little, or no formal training.

The compulsory section specifies the essential oral communication skills required of first line managers, while the elective sections allow the candidate to select from a diverse range of outcomes to allow the qualification to be focused on the specific needs of the individual, business, or workplace.

Knowledge and skills covered in the first two elective sections include relevant business skills such as administration, people development, quality management, systems and resources, and interpersonal skills. A third elective allows the candidate to choose from anywhere on the National Qualifications Framework to include industry-specific skills and knowledge, or to build on earlier learning, or begin building a career pathway of his/her choosing.

The National Certificate in Business (First Line Management) (Level 3) [Ref: 0743] may lead to the National Certificate in Business (First Line Management) (Level 4) [Ref: 0649] and to other qualifications in the Business field such as the National Diploma in Business (Level 5) with optional strands in Accounting, Finance, Finance - Maori, Health and Safety Management, Human Resource Management, Maori Business and Management, Marketing, People Development and Coordination, Project Management, Quality Management, and Systems and Resources Management [Ref: 1498], or other qualifications in business administration, small business management, or Maori business and management.