Apprenticeship Programme Overview
The role of an operations/departmental manager manages teams and/or projects, and achieves operational or departmental goals and objectives, as part of the delivery of the organisations strategy.
They are accountable to a more senior manager or business owner. Working in the private, public or third sector and in all sizes of organisation, specific responsibilities and job titles will vary, but the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed will be the same.
Key responsibilities may include creating and delivering operational plans, managing projects, leading and managing teams, managing change, financial and resource management, talent management, coaching and mentoring. Roles may include: Operations Manager, Regional Manager, Divisional Manager, Department Manager and specialist managers.
This programme is fully customisable.

What Will Your Managers Improve?
Knowledge & Skills
- Operational Management
- Project Management
- Leading People
- Managing People
- Building Relationships
- Communication
- Finance
- Awareness Of Self
- Management Of Self
- Decision Making
Behaviours
- Takes Responsibility
- Inclusive
- Agile
- Professionalism

Developing Your Programme
Key to the success of your apprenticeship programme will be for MTD to work in partnership with you to develop your programme so that it reflects your mission, values and behaviours, harnesses core working practices, terminology and wherever possible aligns to or embeds in house training opportunities.
Working in partnership with our curriculum experts we will develop a programme that is unique to your organisation.
The programme will be designed around your exact requirements to ensure that you receive real, tangible outcomes that can be evidenced in the workplace.
Below is some further information about the entry criteria and structure of the Operations/Departmental Manager Level 5 programme.
Programme Details
Programme
This programme takes a minimum of 30 months to complete. We’ll create a development schedule that aligns with your business requirements and availability of your people.
Requirements
Learners will be required to have or achieve level 1 English and Maths and to have taken level 2 English and Maths tests prior to completion of their Apprenticeship.
English Support?
Learners will be supported to develop and improve their English and maths skills prior to sitting their Functional Skills exams by our specialist functional skills trainers.
Skills & Behaviours
Achieved through a programme of masterclass workshops, tasks, activities and research. The masterclasses can be delivered face to face or online delivered by our specialist trainers.
Coaching & Support
Learners will be required to demonstrate their skills, knowledge and behaviours in the work setting. This activity will be supported by one of our experienced skills coaches.
Assessment
Throughout their apprenticeship journey, learners will be given support to develop their understanding and approach to completing their end point assessment.

Programme Structure
This programme has been designed in a way that will maximise the performance of each learner. Learning the theory of a topic is great but it’s what the learner does to embed the learning and actually use it, that matters most.
All learning is reinforced with ongoing coaching, online resources and off-the-job activity to bring it all to life.
Each part of the programme supports the learner to apply their knowledge and skills via INTENT – IMPLEMENT – IMPACT.
- What did they plan to change?
- What did they change and how?
- What impact did it make?
Initial workshop and event about the programme and how to get a high grade.
Practical and engaging. Can be classroom based or delivered virtually. Run by best in class trainers.
To take in-between masterclasses and to help embed the learning. Self-study and in the flow of work resources.
Held between the learner, employer and skills coach to monitor progress and to make any adjustments.
End of programme assessment. Consists of activities like observations, evidence, tests and discussions.
Creation of a pre-programme learning and development plan. Includes goal setting and actions.
One to one development with a designated skills coach. Covers skills and an assessment progress review.
20% of the learner’s total working hours is used for “off-the-job” learning and development activities.
Our designated skills coaches will always be on hand to help your learners all throughout the programme.
Learners gain a pass, merit or distinction from their end point assessment based on their results.

Programme of 5 x 1-Day Masterclasses
Our masterclasses are facilitated by best in class trainers for each topic. Content, activities, tasks, exercises and discussions are covered before, during and after each session to bring the learning to life and to ensure that it is implemented.
- Operational Management and Project Management
- Finance for Business
- Leading People
- Managing People, Building Relationships and Communication
- Awareness of Self
Operational Management and Project Management
The following topics will be covered before, during and after each masterclass and as part of the off-the-job learning:
- Understand operational management approaches and models
- How to create plans to deliver objectives and setting KPIs
- Understand business development tools and approaches to continuous improvement
- Understand operational business planning.
- How to set up and manage a project using relevant tools and techniques
- Process management and its application
- How to assess and manage risk within your operation
Finance for Business
The following topics will be covered before, during and after each masterclass and as part of the off-the-job learning:
- An introduction to business finance
- How to manage budgets and financial forecasting
- Applying operational business planning techniques to finance
- How to manage resources effectively
- Setting targets and monitoring performance
- Understanding organisational governance, compliance, policies and procedures
- Exploring the why and how to deliver ‘value for money’
- How to create cost efficiencies and safeguards that they don’t run over
Leading People
The following topics will be covered before, during and after each masterclass and as part of the off-the-job learning:
- Understanding and applying different leadership styles
- How to lead your managers including remote leadership
- How to motivate and improve department performance
- Effective coaching and mentoring strategies
- Understanding organisational culture and diversity
- Leading through change
- Making your mission, vision and goals a reality through your teams
Managing People, Building Relationships and Communication
The following topics will be covered before, during and after each masterclass and as part of the off-the-job learning:
- How to manage and develop high performing teams
- Performance management techniques
- Talent management models and how to recruit and develop people
- Understand approaches to partner, stakeholder and supplier relationship management
- Negotiation, influencing, and effective networking techniques.
- How to develop interpersonal skills and different forms of communication
Awareness of Self | Feedback
The following topics will be covered before, during and after each masterclass and as part of the off-the-job learning:
- Are you effective? Conducting a personal effectiveness audit
- How to reflect on your own performance
- Evaluating your style of working and the impact you have on others
- Developing your self-awareness and understanding unconscious bias and inclusivity
- Effective problem solving and decision making techniques
- Time management techniques and tools
- How to prioritise activities and approaches to planning

View our existing training programmes and those we have in the pipeline.

Understand the funding available for levy and non-levy employers.

Find out how to run a TNA within your organisation to identify skills gaps.
Get In Touch!
If you have got some training requirements in mind please call us on 0333 320 2883 or complete the online form below and tell us about what they are and we’ll get back to you with some options and costs.