Level 5 Operations or Departmental Manager

This apprenticeship has been designed to provide access to development opportunities for a wide a range of individuals as possible. This includes individuals who are at the start of their career and who wish to take their first steps into professional management, as well as those who may already have developed practical experience but who wish to develop their theoretical understanding of management skills.

Operations Manager, Regional Manager, Divisional Manager, Department Manager and Specialist Managers.

An operations or departmental manager is someone who manages teams and/or projects and achieves operational or departmental goals and objectives. The manager could be working in the public or private sector. However, their specific responsibilities and job titles may vary but the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed will be the same. Key responsibilities may include creating and delivering operational plans, managing projects, leading and managing teams, managing change, financial and resource management, talent management, and coaching and mentoring.

On completion of this standard, learners can register as full members with the Chartered Management Institute and/or the Institute of Leadership & Management, and those with 3 years of management experience can apply for Chartered Manager status through the CMI.

There will be on-programme assessment of Knowledge, Skills and Behaviour outcomes en-route to the final synoptic End Point Assessment.

• Completion and achievement of a relevant Level 5 Diploma in Operations & Department Management (or equivalent management qualification as recognised by Ofqual)
• Work based project
• Development of a portfolio of evidence
• Regular performance reviews between learner and line manager
• Feedback from line manager, direct reports, peers and customers/stakeholders (including 180/360-degree feedback or equivalent)

The learner will be allocated a qualified Tutor to support the full completion of the qualification and prepare for end point assessment. The tutor will meet with the learner on a regular basis in the workplace to conduct assessments which will be planned with the learner and their manager; assessment will also be conducted through a blended model of e–Learning and face to face delivery. The Tutor will manage the learner’s portfolio of evidence using an online electronic system called OneFile and provide regular updates about progress. The learner can contact their Tutor in between visits to discuss any aspect of the qualification and will have access to their individual learner’s portfolio.

An End Point Assessment will be carried out by staff from an independent End Point Assessment centre approved on the Register of End Point Assessment Organisations (EPAO).  

The End Point Assessment will test the entire apprenticeship standard and will be undertaken as follows:  

• Assessment of knowledge through a test using scenarios, questions and responses
• Assessment of competency through a structured competency-based interview
• Assessment of portfolio of evidence
• Presentation on a work-based project with Question and Answer session
• Review of the Continuing Professional Development Log and a professional discussion

The End Point Assessment requires learners to demonstrate they have achieved the standard.

Before the apprentice is ready to undertake the End Point Assessment by their employer and learning provider, they are required to:

• Achieve Operations Management Standard
• Achieve the Level 5 Diploma in Operations & Department Management (or equivalent)
• Achieve Level 2 Functional Skills in maths
• Achieved Level 2 Functional Skills in English
• Complete a portfolio of evidence  

The purpose of the End Point Assessment is to test (in a synoptic way) the Skills, Knowledge and Behaviours of the learner as set out in the apprenticeship standard.

The managers of staff/learners undertaking this apprenticeship standard will be required to offer their time throughout the programme and particularly at the End Point Assessment to support the learner. This is a mandatory requirement; the managers of the learners would need to confirm agreement to commit in order to enrol.

End Point Assessment provides learners with a showcase opportunity to provide oral and documentary evidence of their knowledge, skills and behaviours developed throughout the apprenticeship. This enables the independent assessor to assess the skills and behaviours of the learner by observing them in the course of their normal work. This will help to test the knowledge acquired by the learner throughout the apprenticeship.

The qualification usually takes around 30 months to complete. However, it is possible to complete earlier. This depends on learners existing achievement and individual circumstances. This can be discussed with the Tutor.

On completion of this level 5 qualification you could go on to complete a level 7 Certificate or Diploma in Leadership & Management, this would also be sufficient for entry to a Degree Apprenticeship.