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Learn More →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.
Delivered by TESS Group, Ofsted Good provider
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt credential included
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.
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.
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.
Transform process efficiency across manufacturing and service operations with Lean principles.
Implement systematic quality improvement and Six Sigma methodologies to achieve excellence.
Drive cost reduction and process optimisation through Lean principles and strategic improvement.
Lead organisational transformation with structured frameworks, DMAIC, and data-driven change.
Apply Lean to patient pathways, clinical workflows, and healthcare process improvement.
Champion CI culture, mentor improvement teams, and deliver measurable transformation results.
Ofqual-regulated
Mastery of improvement specialist competencies and continuous improvement practice.
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.
Complimentary · CMI-assessed
A complimentary CMI Level 5 Award in Management & Leadership (Unit 514 Managing Change, formally assessed) — the leadership, change and stakeholder skills to drive improvement at scale.
The Green Belt is our Level 4 Improvement Practitioner. 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.
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.
Lean principles, Six Sigma DMAIC, process mapping, data collection, and quality systems.
Statistical analysis, root cause analysis, hypothesis testing, and advanced improvement tools.
Leading transformation at scale, change management, stakeholder engagement, and mentoring teams.
Improvement project presentation, professional discussion, and End-Point Assessment.
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.
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:
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.
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 CallThe Improvement Specialist L5 sits in the £9,000 funding band. Here is how it works for your organisation.
Payroll over £3m
Use your existing Apprenticeship Levy to fund the full £9,000. No additional cost. Use it or lose it.
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.
Co-investment
You contribute just 5% (£450). DWP covers the remaining 95%. That is £450 for a 14-month Black Belt programme.
Not sure which funding route applies to you?
Check Your Funding EligibilityLean Six Sigma projects typically deliver measurable savings within the first improvement cycle.
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.
The programme sits in the £9,000 funding band. Levy-paying employers (payroll over £3 million) use their existing levy pot. SMEs with fewer than 50 employees get 100% funding from DWP. Other non-levy employers pay just 5% co-investment (£450), with DWP covering the remaining 95%. The apprentice never pays.
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.
14 months on-programme, with monthly rolling starts available throughout the year. Apprentices spend approximately 20% of their working time on off-the-job training (roughly one day per week), with the remaining 80% in their normal role applying what they learn to real improvement projects.
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.
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.
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.
Master Lean, Six Sigma, and strategic improvement leadership. Black Belt level. Monthly starts.
Fully funded through the Apprenticeship Levy. Monthly starts. Black Belt level. Choose how you want to begin.