Apprenticeships In The Pipeline

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 lead smaller projects and/or play a key supporting role in a larger programme – tackling issues that may require swift problem solving, or re-occurring challenges that require in-depth analysis and the implementation of a range of effective and sustainable countermeasures.

They are the focal point for all stakeholders and responsible for communication throughout a project.

Improvement Specialists are responsible for leading the deployment of improvement strategy, for training others and for providing broad and deep technical expertise in advanced and complex Lean and Six Sigma, Project and Change Management principles and tools to enable identification and delivery of improvement opportunities aligned to key business goals.

Improvement Specialists draw on their advanced knowledge and skills in applying Improvement principles and tools across a range of programmes/ projects/areas to build the capability of others.

They also swiftly visualise processes, problems and opportunities and use both graphical and statistical analysis to deliver improvements.

Improvement Leaders are responsible for developing improvement strategy, providing leadership in improvement for the business.

They work closely with all functions of the business to support the setting and achievement of business goals, often accountable for Improvement activities within the largest-scale and highest priority programmes of work.

The role is typically office-based but involves working wherever their improvement activities are focussed for example they could be working on the shop floor or at customer/supplier premises.

Quality Practitioners are responsible for deploying effective quality practices in their area to ensure organisations fulfil the contractual and regulatory requirements of their customers and other stakeholders.

This includes four main elements: 1. Quality Planning, 2. Quality Assurance, 3. Quality Control and 4. Continuous Improvement.

A fully competent Quality Practitioner can work in a wide range of organisations (from multi-nationals to SMEs), including automotive, defence, food, pharmaceutical, nuclear, retail, financial services, logistics services, public sector and government.

The role of the compliance and risk officer is to provide support and advice to the business on their specific area(s) of expertise e.g. financial crime, training and competence, fraud; working with the business on specific problems that emerge; analysing data, maintaining records and producing reports; working on review and audits to check that policies are being correctly applied.

All financial services organisations have to meet a wide range of compliance and risk requirements set out in legislation e.g. data security, or required by regulators e.g. financial crime, operational risk.

The role requires sound ethical standards, together with good communication and influencing skills as there can be differences of opinion between the business and the risk and compliance function on the appropriate action to take.

It is well recognised that the regulatory climate is a key contributor to the creation of a positive and supportive business environment whilst also assuring public and environmental protection.

Compliance Officers either work to perform regulatory services functions within local authorities such as environmental health, fire safety, licensing or trading standards but may also work within monitoring compliance teams within national regulators such as the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Health and Safety Executive (HSE), or the Register of Regulated Qualifications (OFqual).

Well designed and enforced regulation plays a vital role in improving the way we work for the benefit of business, employees, supporting sustainable growth, trade and investment and improved social and environmental outcomes.

The responsibilities of a policy officer encompass the development, implementation and evaluation phases of policymaking, and are likely to include: researching and understanding the political environment in order to support the continuous, uninterrupted development of a policy; gathering evidence and being objective to support the influencing and negotiating of new policies; handling sensitive information and keeping accurate records of policy history; assisting the wider team by providing administrative support during the introduction of new legislation; commissioning input from and preparing and drafting submissions for senior officials; and replying to public and formal correspondence within any deadlines given.

An Information Manager is responsible for the delivery and management of critical information, whether digital or otherwise, in the delivery phase of an infrastructure project and the ongoing management of that information within the operational phase of the resulting asset.

The Information Manager ensures that information meets required quality and specifications and is collected, managed and transferred effectively ensuring its value is understood, maximised and reused where it describes its physical asset counterpart.

Effective information management not only enables efficiencies to be achieved throughout an asset’s lifecycle, it also provides the opportunity to develop further insight or innovation by using, collaborating and manipulating information in more effective ways.