Business Improvement Practitioner Apprenticeship


Level: 3 / Duration: 15-18 mths

Improvement Practitioners use a blend of Lean and Six Sigma, project and change management principles and tools to identify and lead the delivery of change across organisational functions and processes. Improvement Practitioners can be found across all sectors and functions including automotive, banking, engineering, food products, IT, property, retail, telecoms etc. This apprenticeship develops the skills and competences for Business Improvement Practitioner’s. The Improvement Practitioner apprenticeship focuses on more advanced management and data analysis than the Improvement Technician would be expected to do.

Assessment

The EPA assessment period will last around 2 months

A portfolio of evidence of their best work
Multiple choice examination – to assess knowledge elements of the standard
Project report to explain how they applied their knowledge, skills and behaviours in a project which they have been working on during the course of their apprenticeship programme accompanied by an A3 Thinking project dashboard and a presentation followed by a Q&A
Meet with the independent assessor to have a Professional Discussion underpinned by their portfolio of evidence

The training will enable your apprentice to:

  1. Identifying potential opportunities and engaging team members in the identification of issues along with relevant solutions and controls
  2. Following a formal and best practice methodology for diagnosing issues, proposing solutions and implementing changes and controls.
  3. Focus on the use of Six Sigma techniques and principles
  4. Coaching teams and share best practice.
  5. Leading and managing projects and small teams ensuring motivation and momentum, and being responsible for success or failure of the proposed project.
  6. Provide expertise in business improvement methods

Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours

We can provide you with a full list of the Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours which your apprentice will be taught and assessed on but as an overview, your apprentice will learn the following:

    • Compliance and Legislation

    • Team formation & leadership

    • Communication

    • Business Case Preparation

    • Presentation and reporting

    • Communication tools and organisation

    • Understanding people and using influencing strategies, question effectively.

    • Plan and deliver meetings presenting insight to engage audiences

    • Project management

    • Change management

    • Coaching

    • Project selection & scope

    • Principles & methods: Six Sigma principles per ISO13053

    • Interim containment actions

    • Problem definition, planning, problem and goal statements

    • Principles and methods: Business value of Lean and Six Sigma improvement methods - 8D, practical problem solving, Define Measure Analyse Improve Control, Design for Six Sigma

    • Project selection and scoping: Y=f(x) equation (outputs are the result of inputs), business scorecard cascade

    • Problem definition: Cost of Poor Quality, problem analysis models such as Is/Is Not

    • Process mapping and analysis: Swim lane, value stream map, performance metrics – continuous, Parameter diagram, Takt time, Overall Equipment Effectiveness, theory of constraints principles, Kanban

    • Voice of the customer and ensure balance against the stated and unstated needs of the business (Voice of the Business)

    • Data analysis and basic tools

    • Measurement systems

    • Repeatability and Reproducibility principles

    • Basic statistics and measures: Control charts - attribute data, principles of normality

    • Measures of central tendency and spread

    • Process capability and performance: Capability analysis – continuous data for normal distribution

    • Root cause analysis: Key principles including symptoms, failure-mode, potential/verified cause, critical inputs, escape point. Graphical representation of data with dot, scatter and box plots

    • Benchmarking to support target setting

    • Sustainability & control: Identify failure modes and embed learning from improvements

    • Drive for results

    • Team-working

    • Professionalism

    • Safe working

    • Taking responsibility for an driving own continuous self-development

OR

complete the form below