In Summary
Lean Sigma is an end‐to‐end business philosophy that uses change management expertise to harness people’s commitment, attitude and capabilities to standardise work processes to make problems more visible and provide employee’s a suite of tools and techniques to solve those problem and embed the improvement.
The Lean Sigma Manager apprenticeship is a work‐based education and development programme which supports the development of the lean sigma knowledge base amongst practitioners in organisations run by the Irish Centre for Business Excellence (ICBE) and the University of Limerick.
It combines learning in the work place with learning in a higher education institute. This dual mode of learning provides the opportunity for learning acquired off‐the‐job to be applied and further developed with mentorship in the workplace.
There is a strong focus on integrating the application of the concepts, tools and techniques in the participants’ organisation during the course of the programme.
There is significant directed project work applying the lean sigma concepts in context, which meets the knowledge development, aim of a masters level programme and develop participants’ skills in the field of lean sigma management.
Lean Sigma Manager Apprenticeship Brochure
To view full details of this occupation, view information from our Careers database for the following occupation: Lean Sigma Manager
Entry Requirements
- Your employer must support your application
- Minimum requirements for a Lean Sigma Manager Apprenticeship would typically be a 2.2 honours degree in a relevant area and related disciplines
- Applicants who have completed a level 8 apprenticeship in a cognate field are also eligible to apply.
- The consortium would also facilitate recognition of prior learning (RPL) and would recognise candidates with a lower qualifications provided they have considerable industrial experience, and evidence of the ability to study at Masters level
- Applicants also need to meet the University of Limerick English language requirements
Training
The learning material is delivered by a combination of academic subject matter experts from the University of Limerick and industry professionals.
Delivery is by a blend of face‐to‐face sessions and online learning as this flexibility is favoured by participants and industry, it also allows practitioners in Lean and Six Sigma to deliver modules, workshops and seminars while in professional practice. The programme is structured for blended delivery which minimizes the time that participants are off the job. While apprentices’ will engage in significant study time the maximum ratio of on‐the‐job to off‐the‐job is 75/25.
University of Limerick Year 1-
Spring
Leadership & Change Management
Lean Thinking & Lean Tools 1
Autumn
Lean Thinking & Lean Tools 2
Lean Systems Project
University of Limerick Year 2-
Spring
Problem Solving Tools & Techniques
Quality Science Introduction
University of Limerick Year 3-
Spring
Enterprise Improvement Project
Off the Job delivery. 4 full days per semester for taught elements and project support workshops. These are on a Saturday on Campus in University of Limerick.
Additionally 1 day every 2 months for company visits and enterprise seminars during the week.
The off the job delivery is 14 days per year, 8 in UL on Saturday and 6 week day enterprise visits and seminars. Additional time should be agreed with your employer for study and participation on online learning activities to a maximum of 25% of the participants working time.
By the end of your training, you will be able to:
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Plan, implement, monitor and control Lean and 6Sigma activities at both operational and strategic levels in an organisational setting
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Present a professional Lean and/or 6Sigma plan to peers with the potential to achieve a significant improvement within their chosen project organisation or field
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Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of processes in an organisation
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Introduce new manufacturing/service/production/development methodologies and technologies to support and optimise product development
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Develop manufacturing/services/production/development processes from conception to full scale production/service delivery, ensuring a smooth transfer from design to production
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Lead teams through problem solving or process improvement initiatives
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Train or mentor others in quality problem solving techniques
Skills & Qualities
- Be an advocate for continuous improvement activities using statistical techniques, lean manufacturing tools, six sigma, design experimentation for process and equipment, to achieve targets and cost savings.
- Explore ways to bring new technologies into the organization to enhance delivery and keep costs low. Knows about the impact of digitization and automation.
- Ability to lead troubleshooting on processes while providing coaching and mentoring to other staff.
- Have a degree qualification or considerable industrial experience in the field.
Work Activities
- Identify, and develop the skills necessary to plan, implement, monitor and control Lean and 6Sigma activities at both operational and strategic levels in an organisational setting.
- Familiarise themselves with business process improvement methods and implementation tools of Lean and 6Sigma in an organisational context.
- Present a professional Lean and/or 6Sigma plan to peers with the potential to achieve a significant improvement within their chosen project organisation or field.
- Demonstrate the skills necessary to plan monitor and implement Lean and 6Sigma activities at an operational level within an organisational context
- Develop skills necessary to plan monitor and implement Lean and 6Sigma activities at a strategic level within an organisational context
Career Progression
- Lean Six Sigma Consultant
- Lead Manufacturing Engineer
- Process Development Engineer
- Compliance Structural Engineer
- Reliability Engineer
- Operating System Specialist
- Senior IT Project Manager
- Warehouse Operations Manager
- Business Process Analyst
- Data Scientist
- Project Engineer
- Director, Performance Excellence
Depending on your skills, knowledge and experience some of the opportunities below might be appropriate to help develop your Career pathway:
Getting an Apprenticeship
To become an apprentice in Ireland you must be hired by an employer. Apprenticeship employers are formally approved by SOLAS in advance of employing apprentices. Apprentices get a formal contract of employment as part of their apprenticeship.
To find an apprenticeship, you can search apprenticeship vacancies and a list of currently approved apprentice employers on the Apprenticeship Jobs & Employers Portal. You can search for vacancies by location, and employers in each apprenticeship.
Use this link to explore a list of Approved Employers by Region and by Apprenticeship type.
This apprenticeship is managed by the Irish Centre for Business Excellence. If you are interested in a Lean Sigma Manager apprenticeship you should make contact with the Irish Centre for Business in Excellence via the contact details below.
Full eligibility criteria for this apprenticeship are available in the Lean Sigma Manager apprenticeship brochure.
Further information is also available from the industry lead for this apprenticeship:
Irish Centre for Business Excellence
Vivienne Kiernan
15 East Link Business Park
Ballysimon Road
Limerick
Tel: +353 (0)61 423622
Email: [email protected]
Web: icbe.ie
Finding an employer and securing your apprenticeship
Finding an employer or registering your interest with an official Coordinating Provider is one of the first things you need to do to start an apprenticeship.
Opportunities for this apprenticeship may be available from the following organisations:
Online Jobsites
Here are some direct links to employment websites that frequently list apprenticeship vacancies.
Note: These websites may include vacancies that are not QQI accredited Apprenticeships.
Below are the results for an Apprentice from indeed.ie.
Pay & Fees
For this apprenticeship, it is up to the employer and the employee to agree the rate of pay applicable for the duration of the apprenticeship, the revised working hours necessary to allow for off‐the‐job elements, and the arrangement for the payment of the student contribution.
Lean Sigma Manager
| Year 1 | €900 |
| Year 2 | €900 |
| Total Fee | €1,800 |
Apprentices complete their off-the-job training in a higher education institution, for which they are required to pay a ‘student contribution’.
The amount payable is a proportion of the annual student contribution for students attending a full-time course in higher education. The student contribution is paid directly to the higher education institution over the 2 years.
Rates of salary when starting the programme will vary, based on employer agreement. Apprentice Engineering standard rates are listed below.
