Operations and Quality Improvement (Non Statutory) (Wales)

Framework status: Current (latest) issue

Framework details

Framework ID: FR01057
Issue number: 1
Issued: 17 May 2012

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Operations and Quality Improvement (Non Statutory) (Wales)
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Issued by
SEMTA

Contact name: N/A
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Purpose

The long term profitability and therefore survival of the Welsh manufacturing base is reliant on being able to manufacture high value added products more cost effectively and with greater quality and productivity than international competition.

Between 2000 to 2009 Gross Value Added productivity (GVA) per employee in the engineering sector in Wales saw a significant improvement from £38,500 to £57,800 per employee, an increase of 50%. Similar productivity improvements will be needed in the manufacturing sector to ensure we remain internationally competitive.

Operations and Quality Improvement Level 3 framework provides an industry standard programme centred on the proven tools and techniques of lean process and quality improvement activities. It is designed to support continuous improvement by promoting effective team working and developing lean skills across the wider workforce.

Demographic profile:

There are 2,500 team leaders/supervisors employed in manufacturing engineering in Wales. The main occupations for this group include metal working, machining, inspection, test and assembly.

Work status - 99% of team leaders/supervisors are employed full-time
Age - 16% are aged 60 plus
Disability - 13% have some sort of disability
Ethnicity – less than 1% are from an ethnic minority

Apprenticeship demand:

The importance of business improvement techniques to the sector can be seen by the strong growth in numbers taking B-IT S/NVQs at both level 2 and level 3. Over the last five years over 72,000 B-IT Level 2 qualifications and 5,000 Level 3 qualifications have been completed in the sector across Great Britain.

In terms of the current workforce in the engineering manufacturing sector in Wales, three-quarters of team leaders and supervisors are qualified at NVQ Level 3 or above. Those working with qualifications below NVQ Level 3 could provide a market potential for just over 600 people to undertake an Operations and Quality Improvement Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.

Skills gaps in operator occupations will make imperative that there are sufficient numbers of qualified team leaders/ supervisors in operator occupations to lead teams to deliver productivity gains through process improvement.

Despite the recession, employers in these sectors have a substantial demand for new recruits. In 2009, 8% of engineering manufacturing establishments had vacancies, over 800 vacancies in total of which 200 were operator vacancies.

In addition there would be natural wastage and retirement to be compensated for that would provide a steady requirement for new entrants. It is estimated that there were over 50 team leader/supervisor vacancies across engineering manufacture in Wales. In addition, over 500 team leader/supervisors (approximately 90 per annum) will need to be recruited into technical operator occupations over the period 2011-2016 to replace those retiring in the sector. The Operations and Quality Improvement Level 3 apprenticeship framework would be a particularly relevant qualification for these new entrants to undertake.

The Operations and Quality Improvement Level 3 Apprenticeship is delivered by high-achieving manufacturing practitioners and is a down-to-earth, hands-on programme designed for:
• supervisors, team leaders and facilitators in companies that have lean systems in place and are responsible for carrying out business improvement activities
• people who through Continuous Professional Development are being prepared to take on staff responsibilities in a business improvement environment
• other people involved in the business at all levels who require a more in-depth understanding of business improvement practices

This programme will be essential in ensuring that engineering manufacturing companies in Wales can compete against strong international competition.

 

Download framework

Operations and Quality Improvement (Non Statutory) (Wales)
(PDF document 1.77 MB)