Entry Requirements:

Individual employers will set the selection criteria for their Apprenticeships.

What will I learn?

• Health & Safety: Relevant statutory, organisational and health and safety regulations relating to lean manufacturing operations and safe practices
• Environmental: Compliance procedures/systems in line with regulatory requirements e.g. ISO 14001 or other relevant environmental standards
• Production: Their individual roles and responsibilities within the organisation and the flexibility required to deliver products to meet customers costs/delivery targets/requirements e.g. Just in time (JIT)
• Lean Manufacturing Operations: Manufacturing standard operation procedures (SOPs) adherence and development of lean processes
• Quality Control: Process equipment monitoring, data collection, error proofing and operating procedures e.g. ISO 9002 or other relevant quality standards
• Problem Solving: The tools and methods of effective problem solving using data, reports and documents to resolve production related issues e.g. A3 report, graphs, matrices and escalate concerns
• Continuous Improvement: How to study and identify ways to improve the safety, quality, cost or process efficiency using lean manufacturing tools e.g. kaizen  
• Communication: How to share information using a range of methods within the manufacturing environment e.g. oral, written, electronic, information boards, visual displays
• Work Place Organisation: How to maintain a safe and efficient work site through work place organisation e.g. 5s and process ownership

Core Skills: A Lean Manufacturing Operative will have the skill and understanding to:

• Health & Safety: Work safely at all times, complying with health and safety legislation, regulations, and other relevant guidelines. Identifying risks within their processes and support/carry out countermeasure activities to improve safe working. Manage tooling, equipment and materials daily in-line with supplier standards e.g. COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health).
• Environmental: Comply with environmental procedures and systems and contribute to the achievement of specific standards e.g. ISO 14001 or other relevant environmental standards and use the 4R’s (Reduce, Re-use, Recycle, Recover) where possible.
• Production: Demonstrate their ability to carry out their role effectively, efficiently and flexibly maintaining lean manufacturing principles to meet customer’s demands e.g. JIT
• Lean Manufacturing Operations: Demonstrate their skill and knowledge following SOPs and building their versatility across a number of processes and process areas. Select and use appropriate tools, equipment and materials to carry out the manufacturing operation
• Quality Control: Demonstrate appropriate process documentation control. Accurately completing check sheets, monitoring process and equipment data efficiently and legibly using the correct terminology required to meet the quality standard e.g. ISO 9002
• Problem Solving: Demonstrate their ability to identify and resolve problems within the lean manufacturing environment using effective problem solving tools and techniques. Manage problems that may occur during the manufacturing process within the limits of their responsibility and escalate as appropriate
• Continuous Improvement: Generate ideas and contribute to process improvement activities individually or as part of a team through fact finding and analysis to improve the safety, environment, quality, cost or production process. Identifying and eliminating the 7 wastes (defects, over production, transportation, waiting, inventory, motion and processing)
• Communication: Demonstrate communication skills which include oral, written, electronic (PC), information boards or visual displays to effectively share information
• Work Place Organisation: Maintains and monitors the work site efficiently and effectively at all times using the elements of sifting, sorting, sweeping, spick & span (5’s) within the lean manufacturing environment