OTMA’s Improvement Specialist Apprenticeship is designed for professionals responsible for driving continuous improvement across organisations. It equips learners with the advanced knowledge, tools, and leadership skills needed to deliver strategic improvement initiatives, develop others, and create measurable business impact.
This programme is ideal for individuals working in roles where they influence performance, lead projects, and support organisational change. It provides a structured pathway to build both technical expertise and leadership capability, enabling learners to confidently lead improvement activity aligned to business goals.
What the Improvement Specialist Apprenticeship covers
The Improvement Specialist Apprenticeship develops both strategic and technical capability, combining leadership development with advanced improvement methodologies. Learners explore how to identify opportunities, analyse performance, and deliver sustainable improvements across a range of business functions.
Throughout the programme, apprentices gain confidence in areas such as:
- Leading improvement projects and cross-functional teams
- Applying structured problem-solving and improvement methodologies
- Analysing processes, data, and performance to identify opportunities
- Planning and delivering change and transformation initiatives
- Coaching and developing others in improvement practices
- Aligning improvement activity to organisational strategy and goals
- Managing stakeholders and influencing across the organisation
Learners develop the ability to visualise processes, identify inefficiencies, and apply both analytical and practical tools to deliver meaningful, measurable results.
Advanced tools, techniques, and methodologies
A key feature of the Improvement Specialist Apprenticeship is the depth of technical knowledge developed throughout the programme. Learners are introduced to a wide range of advanced tools and approaches used in continuous improvement, Lean thinking, and structured problem solving.
This includes areas such as:
- Process mapping and performance analysis
- Root cause analysis and data-driven decision making
- Statistical methods and measurement techniques
- Experimentation and optimisation approaches
- Risk management and failure prevention
- Continuous improvement frameworks and methodologies
By combining technical knowledge with real-world application, apprentices build the confidence to guide others, critique improvement activity, and ensure best practice is applied consistently across projects.
Bonus Qualification with BSI
A key strength of this apprenticeship is our unique integration with BSI allowing learners the option to gain an BSI approved Lean Six Sigma qualification. This a first-of-its-kind partnership between OTM Apprenticeships and BSI, learners gain access to professionally recognised BSI Lean Six Sigma training as part of their apprenticeship journey, at no additional cost.
This means apprentices don’t just learn how to lead change, they develop the technical credibility to underpin it. All BSI training is delivered by fully Approved BSI Tutors and meets the highest professional standards, giving learners and employers confidence that improvement activity is structured, robust, and aligned with global best practice.
Who the apprenticeship is for
The Improvement Specialist Apprenticeship is designed for individuals responsible for leading or supporting improvement initiatives within their organisation. This may include professionals working in operations, project management, quality, or transformation roles.
Typical responsibilities include:
- Leading improvement projects or programmes
- Supporting the deployment of improvement strategy
- Managing or mentoring improvement teams
- Analysing performance and identifying opportunities for change
The programme is also ideal for organisations looking to build internal capability, ensuring improvement activity is driven by skilled professionals who can deliver sustainable results.
Building capability and driving change
Improvement Specialists play a critical role in enabling organisations to adapt, grow, and remain competitive. They act as both technical experts and leaders, supporting teams to identify opportunities, implement solutions, and sustain improvements over time.
This apprenticeship develops the ability to guide others in selecting the right tools and approaches, ensuring improvement activity is aligned with organisational priorities. Learners also build strong communication and leadership skills, enabling them to influence stakeholders and drive engagement across teams.
By focusing on both capability development and practical delivery, the programme ensures learners can create lasting impact within their organisation.
CMI Leadership Pathway
For learners looking to further develop their leadership and management capabilities, the Improvement Specialist Apprenticeship can be enhanced with an optional CMI Operational Leadership & Management Programme.
Designed for professionals responsible for leading teams, departments, or improvement initiatives, this pathway focuses on developing practical leadership skills that can be applied immediately in the workplace. Areas of focus include leading people, managing stakeholders, operational excellence, change management, and delivering measurable organisational impact.
The programme is aligned to leadership and management best practice and provides an opportunity for learners to strengthen their ability to influence, lead change, and drive continuous improvement across their organisation.
Benefits include:
- Developing leadership and management skills alongside your apprenticeship
- Building confidence in leading people, projects, and organisational change
- Strengthening stakeholder management and influencing skills
- Supporting progression into more senior leadership roles
- Access to resources and development opportunities through the Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
The CMI Leadership Pathway is optional and may be subject to eligibility and employer requirements.
Delivering sustainable improvement
The Improvement Specialist Apprenticeship equips learners with the skills to not only deliver improvements but also sustain them. This includes embedding new ways of working, monitoring performance, and ensuring continuous learning is captured and shared across the organisation.
Learners develop a strong understanding of how to balance data, people, and processes to achieve consistent results. They also gain the confidence to lead change, manage complexity, and contribute to long-term organisational success.
For employers, investing in the Improvement Specialist Apprenticeship builds a culture of continuous improvement, strengthens internal capability, and ensures that improvement initiatives deliver real, measurable value.
If you’d like to explore whether this programme is right for you or your employee, get in touch with our team today.
