Risk Management

By the end, you can identify and rate risks, write controls for them, keep a risk register and report the top risks to management.

Job-ready skillAbout 60 hours3 stagesFree

0%complete

Video lessons for this skill are being curated.
Start with the tasks and free resources below.

Choose a lessonOpen on YouTube

Risk managers find what could go wrong in a business, from fraud and accidents to load-shedding and cyber attacks, and plan how to prevent or reduce it. Banks, insurers and mines employ many.

Turn on JavaScript to track your progress. The lessons are:FoundationsUnderstand risk: likelihood, impact and appetite.Task: List ten risks for a small business you know and rate each for likelihood and impact on a 1 to 5 scale.Core skillsLearn risk registers, controls, and the main types of risk.Task: Build a risk register in a spreadsheet with owners, controls and a heat map that colours risks by score.Applied practiceReport and improve.Task: Write a one-page top five risks report for a manager: what each risk is, what is being done and what decision is needed.

Your plan

My weekly pace

Study streak: 0 days

Ask a friend to hold me to it

Want a mentor to check in each week? Join check-ins.

What competent looks like

Identifies risks across operations, finance, people and IT
Rates risks consistently
Writes practical controls
Keeps a living risk register
Reports clearly to decision makers

The South African route

The Institute of Risk Management South Africa (IRMSA) offers recognised qualifications. Insurance and banking routes have their own regulatory exams.

Free resources

Risk management body
IRMSA
Free risk management courses
OpenLearn

These links go to free courses and sites run by other organisations. We chose them in October 2026 but do not run them, so check costs, dates and entry requirements on their site. Broken link? Tell us.

Jobs it can lead to

Risk assistant
Compliance and risk analyst trainee
Insurance administrator
Internal audit assistant