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ST0555 v1.1 • Approved for Delivery

Improvement Specialist Level 5

Train your operational leaders to drive measurable process improvement using Lean Six Sigma and DMAIC methodology. Lean Six Sigma Black Belt level. 14 months. Fully funded through the Apprenticeship Levy.

Level 5 Apprenticeship Black Belt Level Lean Six Sigma Ofsted Good
Book a Discovery Call View Curriculum ↓

📈 Programme at a Glance

14
Month Programme
£9k
Funding Band
L5
Qualification Level
100%
Levy-funded for levy payers

Delivered by TESS Group, Ofsted Good provider

🎓 What Your Team Learns

D DMAIC Methodology
S Statistical Analysis & Root Cause
L Lean Principles & Waste Elimination
C Change Management & Leadership

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt credential included

How do you want to start?

Some organisations pilot with one improvement project first. Others want to build a full CI capability from day one. Both work, and we will help you decide which is right.

Start with one delegate

Pilot one CI project, prove the ROI, then scale

Put your best process thinker through the programme. They come back with a completed DMAIC project, measurable savings, and the Black Belt credential to lead improvement across the business.

Low commitment way to test the approach
Your pilot delivers a real improvement project with ROI
They become your internal CI champion
Fully funded through the levy to start
Discuss a Pilot →

Upskill an entire team

Build a CI capability across the organisation

When multiple people go through together, they build a shared improvement language, standardise their approach to problem-solving, and hold each other accountable. The impact compounds across every department.

Shared CI vocabulary and methodology
Multiple improvement projects running in parallel
Peer learning from different functional perspectives
Tailored to your organisation's specific challenges
Discuss a Team Cohort →

Built For Improvement Leaders

🏭

Operations Managers

Transform process efficiency across manufacturing and service operations with Lean principles.

Quality Leaders

Implement systematic quality improvement and Six Sigma methodologies to achieve excellence.

Finance Professionals

Drive cost reduction and process optimisation through Lean principles and strategic improvement.

🔄

Change Managers

Lead organisational transformation with structured frameworks, DMAIC, and data-driven change.

🏥

Healthcare Leaders

Apply Lean to patient pathways, clinical workflows, and healthcare process improvement.

Continuous Improvement Leads

Champion CI culture, mentor improvement teams, and deliver measurable transformation results.

Qualifications Included

1

Level 5 Apprenticeship

Ofqual-regulated

Mastery of improvement specialist competencies and continuous improvement practice.

2

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

Professional Credential

Internationally recognised Lean Six Sigma Black Belt: the full DMAIC toolkit, advanced statistics (MSA, hypothesis testing, regression, SPC), Design of Experiments and Minitab.

3

CMI Level 5 Leadership

Included · CMI-assessed

A CMI Level 5 Award in Management & Leadership, included (Unit 514 Managing Change, formally assessed): the leadership, change and stakeholder skills to drive improvement at scale.

Level 5 is Black Belt, not Green Belt

The Green Belt sat at Level 4 (Improvement Practitioner, now closed to new starts). This Level 5 Improvement Specialist is the Black Belt standard: it adds the advanced statistics (Design of Experiments, Measurement System Analysis, regression and SPC), failure-mode avoidance, and the capability to lead a portfolio of projects and coach Green Belt practitioners.

Included

A CMI Level 5 in Leadership & Management

Every Improvement Specialist also earns a CMI Level 5 Award in Management & Leadership at no extra cost, because leading improvement is as much about people as it is about data. Delivered as eight leadership workshops, with Unit 514 “Managing Change” formally assessed by CMI.

01  Leading & coaching high-performing improvement teams
02  Managing & leading change: CMI Unit 514 (formally assessed)
03  Strategic decision-making & problem framing
04  Influencing & board-level communication
05  Managing stakeholders & relationships
06  Operational planning & resource management
07  Building a continuous-improvement culture
08  Leading projects & programmes to results

Your 14-Month Learning Roadmap

Months 1–5

Foundations

Lean principles, Six Sigma DMAIC, process mapping, data collection, and quality systems.

Months 6–9

Advanced Analysis

Statistical analysis, root cause analysis, hypothesis testing, and advanced improvement tools.

Months 10–12

Strategic Leadership

Leading transformation at scale, change management, stakeholder engagement, and mentoring teams.

Months 13–14

EPA & Certification

Improvement project presentation, professional discussion, and End-Point Assessment.

What Your Team Will Master

The full DMAIC curriculum, broken down phase by phase. Every module maps directly to the ST0555 standard and maps to Lean Six Sigma Black Belt level.

D

Define

Months 1-3

Scope the right problems, align stakeholders, and build the business case for improvement.

Project Charters Voice of Customer Stakeholder Mapping SIPOC CTQ Trees Problem Statements
M

Measure

Months 3-5

Quantify current performance, establish baselines, and validate your measurement systems.

Process Mapping Data Collection Plans MSA / Gage R&R Process Capability Value Stream Mapping Baseline Metrics
A

Analyse

Months 6-8

Identify root causes using statistical tools and separate the vital few from the trivial many.

Root Cause Analysis Hypothesis Testing Regression Analysis Pareto Analysis 5 Whys / Fishbone FMEA
I

Improve

Months 8-10

Design, test, and implement solutions that eliminate root causes and deliver measurable gains.

Solution Design Pilot Testing Change Management Lean Tools (5S, Kaizen) DOE Basics Stakeholder Buy-in
C

Control

Months 10-12

Lock in the gains with control plans, monitoring systems, and knowledge transfer that sticks.

Control Plans SPC Charts Standard Work Visual Management Benefits Tracking Handover & Sustain
EPA

End-Point Assessment

Months 13-14

Independently assessed by an approved End-Point Assessment Organisation: a professional discussion underpinned by your portfolio, plus a statistical case-study examination in Minitab.

Statistical Case-Study Exam Minitab / Excel Portfolio of Evidence Professional Discussion Fail / Pass / Merit / Distinction

The 14 modules

One module per workshop, monthly through the programme. Each module is named for what you’ll actually do in it, with the technical content (DMAIC stage, tools, techniques) sitting underneath the title:

ST0555 Improvement Specialist · Level 5
Foundations
01 · The Improvement Mindset (the improvement profession & professional identity; Lean, Six Sigma & the DMAIC framework; behaviours: drive for results, process thinking)
02 · Reading the Business (strategy & policy deployment; commercial environment, risk & regulation; multi-element business case, financial appraisal & benefits realisation)
Define
03 · Defining the Right Problem (project selection & scoping; project charter & SIPOC; Voice of the Customer; CTQ & QFD / House of Quality; risk & project planning; tollgate reviews)
04 · Mapping the Process (process mapping & analysis; value stream mapping; activity-network & key-function diagrams; identifying waste; Lean thinking principles)
Measure
05 · Speaking the Language of Data (data collection & sampling plans, power & sample size; descriptive & probability statistics; Measurement System Analysis / Gage R&R; process capability: Cp/Cpk & performance; Minitab)
Analyse
06 · Finding the Real Cause (root cause analysis; multi-vari & matrix plots; hypothesis testing for all data types; correlation & regression; ANOVA; Pareto, 5 Whys & fishbone)
07 · Understanding the People (stakeholder & behavioural analysis; team development & situational leadership; motivation; change readiness & impact assessment)
Improve
08 · Designing the Solution (idea generation & prioritisation; TRIZ & Pugh matrix; Design of Experiments: full & fractional factorials, ANOVA, response surface; failure mode avoidance & FMEA; Lean tools: 5S, SMED, kanban, poka-yoke, standard work, kaizen)
09 · Leading People Through Change (change management & adoption; influencing & communication strategies; implementation planning; coaching teams through change)
Control & Scale
10 · Improvement at Strategic Scale (leading a portfolio of projects; coaching & training Green Belt practitioners; capability development; benchmarking; sustained benefits & financial impact)
11 · Making Change Stick (Statistical Process Control & control charts; control & reaction plans; prevention controls & standard work; sustaining gains, replication & a Lean culture)
Portfolio & EPA
12 · Telling the Story (portfolio of evidence & project report; preparing and delivering the recorded training session to Level 4 delegates)
13 · Gateway Ready (mock assessment; statistical case-study exam practice; gateway requirements & final portfolio polish)
14 · End-Point Assessment (your independent assessment against the ST0555 standard, graded Fail / Pass / Merit / Distinction)

Every module sits inside a real improvement project you bring to the programme. The methodology (DMAIC, Lean, statistical analysis in Minitab, stakeholder management and coaching) is taught against your live work, not as abstract theory.

Want to see the full syllabus?

Book a free discovery call and we will walk you through the curriculum, funding options, and how to get your team started.

Book a Free Discovery Call

Funding & Investment

The Improvement Specialist L5 sits in the £9,000 funding band. Here is how it works for your organisation.

£0

Levy Payers

Payroll over £3m

Use your existing Apprenticeship Levy to fund the full £9,000. No additional cost. Use it or lose it.

100%

SMEs (Under 50 Staff)

Fully funded by DWP

If you have fewer than 50 employees, the full cost is covered by DWP. Your apprentice pays nothing, you pay nothing.

5%

Non-Levy Employers

Co-investment

You contribute just 5% (£450). DWP covers the remaining 95%. That is £450 for a 14-month Black Belt programme.

Use our funding calculator to check your eligibility →

Not sure which funding route applies to you?

Check Your Funding Eligibility

Employer Return on Investment

Lean Six Sigma projects typically deliver measurable savings within the first improvement cycle.

£50k+
Typical Project Savings
3:1
Average ROI Ratio
100%
Levy-funded for levy payers
14
Month Programme

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a Black Belt qualification?+

The Improvement Specialist Level 5 apprenticeship (ST0555) includes a credential equivalent to a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Learners master the full DMAIC methodology, statistical analysis, root cause analysis, and control planning. It is recognised by employers across all sectors as equivalent to a standalone Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification.

How is the programme funded?+

The programme sits in the £9,000 funding band. Levy-paying employers (payroll over £3 million) use their existing levy pot. Non-levy employers pay just 5% co-investment (£450) for apprentices aged 25 and over, with DWP covering the remaining 95%, and apprentices aged 16 to 24 are fully funded. The apprentice never pays.

What sectors does this apply to?+

Lean Six Sigma principles are universal. Our learners come from manufacturing, healthcare (including NHS trusts), financial services, logistics, public sector, professional services, and more. The DMAIC methodology works anywhere there are processes to improve, which is everywhere.

How long is the programme?+

14 months on-programme, with monthly rolling starts available throughout the year. Off-the-job training is a minimum number of hours set for each standard (at least 187 across the programme), not a fixed share of the week; the rest of the time is spent in their normal role, applying what they learn to real improvement projects.

Can existing employees do this apprenticeship?+

Yes. Most of our Improvement Specialist apprentices are existing employees being upskilled. Operations managers, quality leads, project managers, and team leaders are all ideal candidates. There is no requirement to hire new staff. Any employee who will develop genuine new skills through the programme is eligible.

How does the End-Point Assessment work?+

The EPA follows the official ST0555 standard and has two independently-assessed components: a professional discussion (around two hours) underpinned by a portfolio of evidence, and a four-hour open-book statistical examination of eight mini case studies, completed in Minitab or Excel. Graded Fail, Pass, Merit, or Distinction.

How is the programme delivered?+

All sessions are delivered via live online workshops using Zoom or Microsoft Teams. No travel or venue costs required. We deliver nationwide across England with monthly cohort starts. Closed cohorts for organisations with multiple learners can include optional face-to-face sessions on request.

Ready to Lead Improvement?

Master Lean, Six Sigma, and strategic improvement leadership. Black Belt level. Monthly starts.

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
Lean & Six Sigma mastery
14-month programme
100% levy funded
Strategic leadership certification
Monthly starts available
Enquire Now

Ready to get started?

Fully funded through the Apprenticeship Levy. Monthly starts. Black Belt level. Choose how you want to begin.

Start with one delegate

Pilot one CI project, then scale

Discuss a Pilot →

Upskill an entire team

Build CI capability from day one

Discuss a Team Cohort →

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Trusted by leading employers across the UK

DPD, UK delivery partner NHS, National Health Service Financial Times National Highways Clarins Arriva, transport group Sunbelt Rentals SKF, engineering company Crystal Palace FC Transport for London