Improvement Practitioner Higher Apprenticeship Level 4

Knowledge and Understanding of Improvement Practitioners:

Compliance: Understanding of legislative and customer compliance standards, including environmental and health and safety requirements.

Team Formation and Leadership: Proficiency in decision-making methods such as consensus, authority rule, and majority rule.

Project Management: Familiarity with business case development, risk analysis and management, toll-gate reviews, work breakdown structures, lessons learned, pilot studies, project reviews, process metrics, and benefits tracking.

Presentation and Reporting: Expertise in using reporting templates, message mapping, and building a strong case for change.

Change Management: Skills in stakeholder identification, analysis, and management (RACI); knowledge of the change curve, resistance traits, change sponsorship, and crafting a persuasive perspective.

Principles and Methods: Insight into the business value of Lean and Six Sigma methods, such as 8D problem-solving, Define-Measure-Analyse-Improve-Control (DMAIC), and Design for Six Sigma.

Project Selection and Scope: Understanding the Y=f(x) equation to link inputs to outputs and the cascading of business scorecards.

Problem Definition: Proficiency in calculating the Cost of Poor Quality and applying problem analysis models like Is/Is Not.

Process Mapping and Analysis: Ability to create swim lane diagrams, value stream maps, performance metrics, parameter diagrams, Takt time analysis, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), theory of constraints, and Kanban.

Basic Data Analysis Tools: Use of spreadsheets, pivot tables, and statistical software for analysis.

Measurement Systems: Application of Repeatability and Reproducibility principles.

Basic Statistics and Measures: Knowledge of control charts for attribute data and principles of normal distribution.

Data Analysis with Statistical Methods: Understanding measures of central tendency and variability.

Process Capability and Performance: Ability to conduct capability analysis for continuous data in a normal distribution.

Root Cause Analysis: Mastery of key principles, including symptoms identification, failure modes, potential causes, and visual representation through dot, scatter, and box plots.

Experimentation: Differentiating between active and passive data analytics, planning experiments, and executing them effectively.

Identification and Prioritization: Proficiency in using selection and prioritization matrices, and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA).

This course is for students aged 19+

Individual employers will set their own entry requirements. For further confrimation you can email apprenticeships@bpc.ac.uk

Qualifications:

Either before or during the apprenticeship, apprentices will be required to achieve level 2 qualifications in English and mathematics prior to taking the end point assessment

There is a percentage of work experience on-the-job that will be required for this.

Common job titles for this role include Business Improvement Practitioner, Continuous Improvement Manager, Process Excellence Manager, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, and Quality Control Senior Analyst, among others. Additionally, it encompasses roles such as Environmental Compliance Manager, various types of Engineers (e.g., Environmental, Mechanical, Geotechnical, Civil, Chemical), Environmental Construction Manager, Environmental Data Analyst, Environmental Health and Safety Officer, and Transportation Engineer.

Common job titles for this role include Business Improvement Practitioner, Continuous Improvement Manager, Process Excellence Manager, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, and Quality Control Senior Analyst, among others. Additionally, it encompasses roles such as Environmental Compliance Manager, various types of Engineers (e.g., Environmental, Mechanical, Geotechnical, Civil, Chemical), Environmental Construction Manager, Environmental Data Analyst, Environmental Health and Safety Officer, and Transportation Engineer.

Skills Applied by Improvement Practitioners:

Compliance: Work within organizational and statutory regulations.

Communication: Clear speaking and writing, influencing, effective questioning, meeting planning, and impactful presentations.

Coaching: Skills in observing, listening, questioning, providing feedback, and identifying learning opportunities.

Project Management: Ability to define, plan, sequence, and schedule activities with clear phases and milestones. Maintain and update project charters and review progress.

Change Management: Manage resistance, develop compelling change narratives, and assess impact.

Principles and Methods: Choose and apply structured improvement methods and tools while working with subject matter experts to achieve business goals.

Project Selection and Scoping: Assist in identifying and defining project scopes.

Problem Definition: Help craft clear problem and opportunity statements.

Voice of the Customer: Implement techniques to recognize and prioritize customer needs and balance them against business objectives.

Process Mapping and Analysis: Create detailed process maps to analyze flow, identify responsibilities, and discover improvement opportunities for a future state.

Lean Tools: Identify in-process waste through value stream analysis.

Measurement Systems: Conduct and evaluate measurement system studies.

Data Acquisition for Analysis: Formulate sampling strategies for data collection.

Basic Statistics and Measures: Use visual tools to assess data distribution and stability.

Statistical Data Analysis: Classify data types and choose suitable analysis methods, evaluate time series data, and derive insights.

Process Capability and Performance: Select appropriate metrics and analysis techniques.

Root Cause Analysis: Choose and use graphical tools to identify data trends and hypothesize root causes.

Experimentation and Optimization: Plan experiments with well-defined objectives and analyze data for optimization.

Identification and Prioritization: Pinpoint and prioritize critical factors and potential solutions.

Data Analysis (SPC): Use tools for continuous process monitoring and control, interpreting control charts effectively.

Benchmarking: Perform structured benchmarking to establish targets.

Sustainability and Control: Identify failure modes and ensure lessons from improvements are sustained.

Behaviours Demonstrated by Improvement Practitioners:

Drive for Results: Demonstrates a persistent commitment to change and motivates others to deliver results, standardizing best practices across teams.

Teamwork: Recognizes personal and others' working styles, building high-performing teams.

Professionalism: Upholds a moral, legal, and socially responsible approach, aligning with the organization’s values and remaining adaptable to project needs.

Continuous Development: Actively seeks feedback, reflects on performance, strives for growth, and adapts to new stakeholders and challenges.

Safe Working: Prioritizes safety, ensuring personal and team safety and addressing any safety concerns proactively.

Awarding Body:
Bournemouth University

Curriculum Area:
Business, Service Industries and ESOL - Business and Finance