Level 3 Improvement Technician Apprenticeship
Yellow belt ( optional upgrade to green belt)
As an apprentice, you will learn how Lean and Six Sigma methodologies can enhance productivity, reduce waste, and improve overall efficiency within the business.
Apprentices will gain practical experience from our industry expert tutors with a wealth of experience and knowledge gained over years working across various business sectors and roles.
The apprenticeship is delivered through in-person sessions at Whyy? Change, in an open cohort capped at 10 apprentices, with a dedicated tutor supporting you throughout the entire duration of the programme.
What is an apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is a blend of a full-time job with training. The apprentice will roughly split their time 80/20, with the majority of their working time spent carrying out their day-to-day job responsibilities. A minimum of 6 hours per week of their normal working time will be ‘off-the-job’ and spent working towards their apprenticeship qualification.
Critical to the success of the apprenticeship, the apprentice must be actively working towards their apprenticeship standard for at least 6 hours per week of the time for which they are paid, over a minimum duration of 13 months.
For consistency, the minimum off-the-job training hours for each course are set by the Department of Education. Depending on how the course is planned and delivered, the number of hours required to successfully complete the apprenticeship may be higher than the statutory minimum.
Who is the Improvement Technician apprenticeship for?
There are a variety of job roles that a Level 3 Improvement Technician might be in. These include, but are not limited to: Business Improvement Co-ordinator, Continuous Improvement Practitioner, Process Technician, Operational Excellence/Lean Engineer, Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt, Quality Control Analyst, Environmental Compliance Technician, Environmental Construction Oversight Officer, Environmental Health and Safety Inspector, and Transportation Planner.
Apprenticeship learning route benefits
- • You will have weekly face-to-face delivery sessions (minimum of 3 hours per week)
- • 95% - 100% funding available for the apprenticeship programme
- • Apprentices are allocated at least 6 hours of their work time each week to complete the apprenticeship (a minimum of 3 hours at Whyy? Change and a minimum of 3 hours spent applying the learning in the workplace)
- • Our expert practitioners will deliver interactive and engaging sessions
Don't just take our word for it...
Ava from AESSEAL plc spoke to us about her Level 3 Improvement Technician apprenticeship experience. Here’s what she had to say:
“Whyy? Change are an outstanding training provider, offering full and in-depth apprenticeship courses suited for all. I have recently completed and excelled in my Improvement Technician Apprenticeship course led by Ray. All the staff are outstanding in what they do, with exceptional knowledge in many areas, making them a well-rounded team. I would certainly recommend Whyy? Change.”
What will you study on the level 3 apprenticeship?
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Compliance: Legislative and customer compliance requirements, including environmental and health and safety standards
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Team formation & leadership: Improvement team roles and responsibilities within a change environment
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Project management: Project charters, Gantt charts, reporting documentation, Red Amber Green (RAG) status, communication (verbal and non-verbal channels), and implementation plans
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Change management: The roles of managers and leaders within change, including influencing, reinforcement, and coaching principles
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Principles & methods: Six Sigma principles in line with ISO 13053 (International Organisation for Standardisation), interim containment actions, Lean principles
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Project selection & scope: Selection matrix and scoping tree
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Problem definition: Exploratory data analysis, data collection planning, problem and goal statements
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Data acquisition for analysis: Data stratification, sampling theory, data types, variation types and sources, data collection tools, operational definition, and principles of measurement error
- • Basic statistics & measures: Control charts
- Process capability & performance: Capability analysis for continuous data
- Sustainability & control: Process
Career Development
Average UK salary data from Glassdoor salary checker, April 2022.
Eligibility
At Whyy? Change, we assess every potential apprentice to ensure they are eligible for the apprenticeship. We will also discuss what both the apprentice and employer would like to gain from the programme.
- Aged 16 or over (no upper age limit)
- Employed
- Living in the UK or EU for the past 3 years
- Not on any other fully funded training course
- Individual employers will set their own entry requirements
Whether apprentices are attending in-person training sessions, or developing their knowledge and experience through real-life situations in the workplace, they will gain the skills needed to address skills gaps and apply what they have learned at Whyy? Change. To do this effectively, they require dedicated time to develop and become accomplished Improvement Technicians over the duration of the apprenticeship. In turn, your business will reap the benefits of this investment of time.
Once the learning has been completed, apprentices will be independently assessed to confirm their understanding and ability to apply their new knowledge, skills and behaviours. This assessment will take place through a range of methods that are both challenging and valuable for their long-term career development.
Discover our Lean & Six Sigma (Lean6) courses.
What are the benefits of this apprenticeship/accreditation?
- Nationally recognised qualification
The Level 3 Improvement Technician apprenticeship is a nationally recognised qualification and highly regarded within businesses, increasing your professional credibility and future career opportunities.
- Practical and applicable
Apply the knowledge, skills, and behaviours developed through the core aspects of Lean and put them into practice straight away in your role.
- Personal and professional development
Further your personal and professional development within a growing Lean environment. As your role progresses and your lean journey evolves, you will develop yourself both personally and professionally, becoming more confident in all aspects of Lean and continuous improvement techniques.
12 – 13 months
Improvement Technician Apprenticeship
Price
Funding Available: £4,000
Certificate
ISO 18404:2015 Lean6 Yellow Belt
Whyy? HQ or Onsite
Unit 7B, AESSEAL New York Stadium, New York Way, Rotherham, S60 1FJ
What is Lean Six Sigma?
Lean Six Sigma is a highly successful methodology for improving any manufacturing or business process. Applying this methodology aims to improve performance by systematically removing waste and reducing variation.
Still not sure?
Funding
The Improvement Technician Apprenticeship costs £4,000. You can get 95-100% funding available to your employer for the apprenticeship. To access this funding, all employers must have digital apprenticeship account.
During their apprenticeship, the apprentice has the opportunity to complete an additional set of modules. This is an additional cost of £1295 + VAT, which enhances the training to Green belt certification
Next course starting soon:
Want to know more?
Knowledge
they’ll learn
- Compliance
- Team formation and Leadership
- Self-Development
- Project Management
- Change Management
- Principles and Methods
- Project Selection and Scope
- Problem definition
- Process mapping and Analysis
- Data acquisition for analysis
- Basic Statistics and measures
- Process capability and Performance
- Root cause analysis
- Experimentation
- Identification and prioritisation
- Sustainability and Control Skills statements
Skills
they’ll develop
- Compliance Assessment method
- Communication R P
- Project management
- Change management
- Principles and Methods
- Project Selection and Scoping
- Problem Definition
- Voice of the Customer
- Process Mapping and Analysis
- Lean Tools
- Data Acquisition for Analysis
- Basic Statistics and Measures
- Data Analysis – Statistical Methods
- Process capability and performance
- Root Cause Analysis
- Identification & Prioritization
- Bench-marking
- Sustainability & Control
Behaviours
they’ll adopt
- Drive for results
- Team-working
- Professionalism
- Continuous Development
- Safe Working