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This apprenticeship has been retired
Managing teams and projects in line with a private, public, or voluntary organisation's operational or departmental strategy.
This occupation is found in small, medium, large, and multinational organisations in private, public and third sectors across all areas of the economy.
Operations managers undertake leadership and management duties with teams and senior managers where there is a requirement to ensure that teams carry out their role to meet organisational goals. They are a key component of all types of business model where there is an operational area or department with a workforce to lead, manage and support.
The broad purpose of the occupation is a leadership role, with operational and project responsibilities. An operations manager will have responsibility for managing individuals or a team. They provide direction, instructions, and guidance to ensure the achievement of set goals. They are vital for the smooth functioning of all departments in any organisation and are often responsible for ensuring their function is correctly administered and maintained in line with legislation and the organisation’s policies and procedures. Operations managers will provide clear, and inclusive leadership and direction relating to their area of responsibility within an organisation. Typically, this involves setting, managing, and monitoring achievement of core objectives that are aligned to the overall strategic objectives of their organisation. In a smaller organisation they are also likely to contribute to the execution and achievement of the strategic objectives.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with their colleagues from other internal departments such as operational functions, human resources, finance, legal, IT, sales and marketing, and project groups. Operations managers also interact with external stakeholders such as customers, clients, or suppliers. They may work in varied environments including in an office, onsite, or remotely and demonstrate a high level of flexibility and adaptability to meet the needs of the organisation.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for leading and managing their operational function which includes accountability for developing team members, managing projects, planning, and reviewing workloads and resources, delivering operational plans, resolving problems, and building relationships internally and externally.
An operations manager may work as part of a network or in a team setting. They work within agreed budgets and available resources and report to senior leaders. They will be responsible for decision-making, and will guide or influence the decisions of others, including business continuity principles, collecting, and interpreting data to find trends, analysing resources, and identifying ways to improve efficiencies.
Operations managers will understand how their role supports the wider organisation structure. They will apply codes of practice, legislation, and regulations in respect of their organisation’s areas of operation. This will apply not only to legal and ethical responsibilities, but will also include equity, diversity and inclusion, health and safety, and the sustainability impacts of the organisation.
This is a summary of the key things that you – the apprentice and your employer need to know about your end-point assessment (EPA). You and your employer should read the EPA plan for the full details. It has information on assessment method requirements, roles and responsibilities, and re-sits and re-takes.
An EPA is an assessment at the end of your apprenticeship. It will assess you against the knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs) in the occupational standard. Your training will cover the KSBs. The EPA is your opportunity to show an independent assessor how well you can carry out the occupation you have been trained for.
Your employer will choose an end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) to deliver the EPA. Your employer and training provider should tell you what to expect and how to prepare for your EPA.
The length of the training for this apprenticeship is typically 24 months. The EPA period is typically 5 months.
The overall grades available for this apprenticeship are:
When you pass the EPA, you will be awarded your apprenticeship certificate.
The EPA gateway is when the EPAO checks and confirms that you have met any requirements required before you start the EPA. You will only enter the gateway when your employer says you are ready.
The gateway requirements for your EPA are:
Project with report
You will complete a project and write a report. You will be asked to complete a project. The title and scope must be agreed with the EPAO at the gateway. The report should be a maximum of 4 words (with a 10% tolerance).
You will have 12 weeks to complete the project and submit the report to the EPAO.
You need to prepare and give a presentation to an independent assessor. Your presentation slides and any supporting materials should be submitted at the same time as the project output. The presentation with questions will last at least 60 minutes. The independent assessor will ask at least 6 questions about the project and presentation.
Professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio of evidence
You will have a professional discussion with an independent assessor. It will last 60 minutes. They will ask you at least 6 questions. The questions will be about certain aspects of your occupation. You need to compile a portfolio of evidence before the EPA gateway. You can use it to help answer the questions.
You should speak to your employer if you have a query that relates to your job.
You should speak to your training provider if you have any questions about your training or EPA before it starts.
You should receive detailed information and support from the EPAO before the EPA starts. You should speak to them if you have any questions about your EPA once it has started.Reasonable adjustments
If you have a disability, a physical or mental health condition or other special considerations, you may be able to have a reasonable adjustment that takes this into account. You should speak to your employer, training provider and EPAO and ask them what support you can get. The EPAO will decide if an adjustment is appropriate.
This apprenticeship aligns with The Chartered Management Institute for Member, as well as Chartered Manager status where they can evidence 3+ years management experience.
Please contact the professional body for more details.
This apprenticeship aligns with Institute of Leadership for Member
Please contact the professional body for more details.
| Version | Change detail | Earliest start date | Latest start date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4 | End point assessment revised | 25/09/2024 | Not set |
| 1.3 | Occupational standard, end-point assessment plan and funding band revised | 19/09/2024 | 24/09/2024 |
| 1.2 | End-point assessment plan revised | 21/10/2020 | 18/09/2024 |
| 1.1 | The funding band for this standard has been reviewed as part of the apprenticeship funding band review. The new funding band is £7000 | 04/03/2019 | 20/10/2020 |
| 1.0 | Retired | 01/06/2016 | 03/03/2019 |
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