21 March 2018

Improvement Technician Level 3

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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. Typically, Technicians work as a member of an operational team to resolve problems – preventing re-occurrence, engaging others in issues affecting them and to support the improvement of performance.

Typical activities include:

  • Engaging team members in the identification of improvement opportunities and relevant countermeasures and controls
  • Initiating and facilitating improvement activities through to confirmed resolution
  • Providing local expertise in business improvement methods and basic tools to team

Typical Job Roles: Business Improvement Co-ordinator, Continuous Improvement Executive, Process Technician, Operational Excellence/ Lean Engineer, Lean Six Sigma Yellow belt and Quality Control Analyst.

Employer Commitment

The employer must be prepared to provide the learner with the opportunity to carry out work and be part of projects which will enable them to produce the substantial evidence required for completion. In order to ensure successful progression we request that employers participate in joint reviews of the learner’s progress at regular intervals throughout the apprenticeship and have some involvement with the project(s) being undertaken.

Duration

Typically this apprenticeship will take 14 to 18 months to complete.

Training and Support from Skills Training UK

During the apprenticeship the learner will have a dedicated trainer-assessor who will visit them within the work place at least once per month in order to support their learning, development of competency and generation of evidence. The knowledge modules will require formal teaching sessions which may take place within an appropriate area within the workplace or off site. This will also be supported between visits by off-site information, advice, guidance and academic progress support. The trainer-assessor will work with the learner and the employer in order to ensure successful progression against all elements of the apprenticeship.

Eligibility

The entry requirement for this apprenticeship will be decided by each employer. Employees without Level 2 English and Maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the End Point Assessment.

Requirements: Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours

Below are examples of what the Level 3 Improvement Technician includes.

Knowledge

  • Team formation and leadership – in a change environment
  • Project management e.g. reporting documentation,
  • RAG status, communications
  • Change management – roles of the manager and leader within change
  • Principles and methods – Six Sigma principles per ISO13053, Lean principles
  • Problem definition – exploratory data analysis, data collection planning, problem and goal statements
  • Process mapping and analysis – Supplier Input Process Output Customer (SIPOC) process mapping, value and waste analysis, performance metrics – discrete data
  • Data acquisition for analysis – e.g. data stratification, sampling theory, data types, variation types and sources, data collection tools
  • 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
  • Identification and prioritisation – brainstorming, selection criteria
  • Sustainability & control – Process

Skills

  • Compliance – work in accordance with organisational controls and statutory regulations
  • Communication – share improvement progress through appropriate reporting
  • Project selection and scoping – identify and scope improvement projects and establish clear measurable objectives
  • Project management – plan, manage and implement improvement activities. Identify and support management of risks. Develop the business case for improvement activity and implementation
  • Change management – engage through communications. Reinforce – positively and negatively.
  • Effectively coach peers
  • Principles and methods – use a structured method and appropriate improvement tools, engaging with subject matter experts to deliver business benefits
  • Problem definition – develop a problem/opportunity statement supported by validated data
  • Voice of the customer – apply techniques to identify customers, their requirements and translate these to metrics
  • Process mapping and analysis – apply process mapping tools to visualise processes, analyse process performance establishing key insights for performance improvement
  • 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 proofing, preventative maintenance

Behaviours

  • Drive for results – clear commitment for identifying opportunities and delivering improvements
  • Team working – 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 organisation’s 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

End Point Assessment

  • To successfully complete the apprenticeship, the learner needs to pass an independent End Point Assessment which consists of three distinct assessment methods:
  • Multiple Choice examination – to assess knowledge elements of the standard
  • Project report, presentation and questioning – to assess knowledge, skills and behaviours in the standard
  • Professional discussion, underpinned by the log completed during the apprenticeship

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