Business Improvement Technician Apprenticeship


Level: 3 / Duration: 15-18 mths

Improvement Technicians are responsible for delivery and coaching of improvement activity within an area of responsibility, often associated with Lean and Six Sigma methodologies. They can be found across all industry sectors and functions including automotive, banking, engineering, food products, IT, property, retail, telecoms Local and County Councils, NHS, Voluntary / Charity, Utilities, Pharmaceuticals, Insurance, Hospitality etc.

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. Engage team members in the identification of improvement opportunities and relevant countermeasures and controls
  2. Initiate and facilitate improvement activities through to confirmed resolution
  3. Use recognised improvement and project management techniques, utilising six sigma tools and structured approach.
  4. Help embed best practice improvement techniques, methodologies and structure within the team
  5. Provide local 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: Legislative and customer compliance requirements including environment and health and safety

    • Team formation & leadership: Improvement team roles and responsibilities in a change environment

    • Self-development: Different sources for knowledge development

    • Project management: Project charter, Gantt chart, reporting documentation, Red Amber Green (RAG) status, communication (verbal and non-verbal channels) and implementation plans

    • Change management: Roles of the manager and leader within change. Influencing, reinforcement and coaching principles

    • Project selection & scope: Selection matrix, scoping tree

    • Principles & methods: Six Sigma principles per ISO13053 (International Organisation for Standardisation), interim containment actions, Lean principles

    • Problem definition: planning, problem and goal statements

    • Lean tools: Apply techniques such as identification and removal of 8 wastes, 5S (Sort, Shine, Set, Standardise, Sustain), standard work, kaizen, visual displays and controls, error maintenance

    • Process mapping & analysis: Supplier Input Process Output Customer (SIPOC), process mapping, value and waste analysis, performance metrics - discrete data

    • Data acquisition for analysis: Data stratification, sampling theory, data types, variation types and sources, data collection tools, operational definition and principles of measurement error

    • Voice of the customer: Apply techniques to identify customers, their requirements and translate these to metrics

    • Basic statistics & measures: Control charts - discrete data

    • Process capability & performance: Capability analysis - continuous data

    • Root cause analysis: Histograms

    • Experimentation: Active analysis versus one factor at a time, Plan Do Check Act

    • Benchmarking: Recognise the value of sharing best practice

    • Sustainability & control: Create control and reaction plans with detection measures, identify opportunities to embed changes to leverage benefit to the business.

    • Drive for results: Clear commitment for identifying opportunities and delivering improvements, pays attention to detail

    • Team-working: Helps when asked, works effectively in a diverse team, considers impact of own actions on others, motivates peers

    • Professionalism: Acts in a moral, legal and socially appropriate manner, aligns behaviours to the organisations values, trusted to working on own when appropriate

    • Continuous development: Acts upon feedback, reflects on performance and has a desire for learning

    • Safe working: Ensures safety of self and others, challenges safety

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