Engineering Improvement Technician - Advanced Apprenticeship (Level 3)
Introduce a powerful catalyst for continuous improvement into your engineering team with the Level 3 Improvement Technician apprenticeship.
Apprentices learn to identify inefficiencies, analyse processes and drive measurable improvements using Lean and Six Sigma methodologies, skills that directly support productivity, quality and operational performance across engineering environments. They work as part of your operational teams to resolve issues, prevent recurrence and embed effective problem‑solving practices, ultimately helping your organisation operate more efficiently and competitively.
Key information
Key information about this apprenticeship programme, with the main details like the level, duration and industry/sector. Full details about this standard can be found on the Skills England website.
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Level: 3 (Advanced)
The level of the apprenticeship programme.
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Duration: 14 months
The overall duration of the apprenticeship including the end-point assessment (EPA) period.
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Training location: Workplace
The primary location where training/assessment for this apprenticeship will take place.
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Mode of Attendance: Employer based
How an apprentice participates in their training and learning activities as part of the programme.
- Industry/sector: Business and administration
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Maximum funding available: £4,000.00
This is the maximum amount the government will contribute toward training and assessment costs for that apprenticeship.
Apprenticeship overview
Responsible for delivery and coaching of improvement activity within an area of responsibility.
The key skills, knowledge, behaviours and duties that will be carried out by the apprentice as part of this apprenticeship.
Skills developed
- Compliance: Work in accordance with organisational controls and statutory regulations.
- Communication: Share improvement progress through appropriate reporting.
- 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.
- Project selection and Scoping: Identify and scope improvement projects and establish clear measurable objectives.
- Problem definition: Develop a problem or 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.
- Data acquisition for analysis: Develop data collection plan and validated measurement processes to understand performance.
- Basic statistics and measures: Establish patterns and trends in data over time using tally, pie, run/trend and pareto charts.
- Data analysis-statistical methods: Identify common and special cause variation.
- Process capability and performance: Analyse product/process performance using good quality data.
- Root cause analysis: Use cause and effect diagrams, technique of 5 whys and graphical analysis to understand and verify root causes.
- Identification and prioritisation: Identify and prioritise improvement solutions.
- Benchmarking: Recognise the value of sharing best practice.
- Sustainability and control: Create control and reaction plans with detection measures, identify opportunities to embed changes to leverage benefit to the business.
Further information
- Business Improvement Co-ordinator
- Continuous Improvement Executive
- Environmental Compliance Technician
- Environmental Construction Oversight
- Environmental Health And Safety Inspector
- Lean Six Sigma Yellow belt and Quality Control Analyst
- Operational Excellence/Lean Engineer
- Process technician
- Transportation Planner
- Environmental improvement compliance technician
- Environmental improvement health and safety inspector
- Transportation sustainability improvement planner
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 including automotive, banking, engineering, food products, IT, property, retail, telecoms Local and County Councils, NHS, Voluntary / Charity, Utilities, Pharmaceuticals, Insurance, Hospitality etc. 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.
Occupation profile:
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 including automotive, banking, engineering, food products, IT, property, retail, telecoms Local and County Councils, NHS, Voluntary / Charity, Utilities, Pharmaceuticals, Insurance, Hospitality etc.
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
There are a variety of job titles associated with the occupation, these include, but are not limited to: Business Improvement Co-ordinator, Continuous Improvement Executive, Process Technician, Operational Excellence/Lean Engineer, Lean Six Sigma Yellow belt and Quality Control Analyst, Environmental Compliance Technician, Environmental Construction Oversight, Environmental Health and Safety Inspector, and Transportation Planner.
Green job titles: Transportation sustainability improvement planner, Environmental improvement compliance technician and Environmental improvement health and safety inspector
Duration:
Typically 14-18 months
Entry requirements:
Individual employers will set their own entry requirements
Qualifications:
Either before or during the apprenticeship, apprentices will be required to achieve level 2 qualifications in English and mathematics prior to taking the end point assessment
Level:
Level 3
Review:
After 3 years
Hire an apprentice today!
Are you interested in this apprenticeship for your business or company? Get in touch with our dedicated Business Development Manager for this industry/sector to find out more. Alternatively, you can fill out our employer interest form below and we'll get back to you.
Jenni Walker
Job title: Business Development Advisor - Construction & Engineering
Call Jenni Walker on: 0115 884 2678
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Information provided for this apprenticeship programme is sourced from the Skills England formerly the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE). For the information authored by Skills England, this was last modified on 28th October 2026.