Level 5 Operations/Department Manager Higher Apprenticeship Standard
Accountable for a department, not just a team
An apprenticeship is a real, paid job. The apprentice works for an employer and trains with us at the same time, and comes out with a nationally recognised qualification and the experience to go with it.
The short answer
What an apprentice needs
The entry requirement for this apprenticeship will be decided by each employer but may typically be five GCSEs at Grade C or higher. Apprentices without level 2 English and Maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the end-point assessment
The employer sets the real bar, so treat this as a guide. If somebody is close but not quite there, it is still worth the conversation.
What they’ll learn
Area, department, general, operations, regional and specialist managers. Private, public or third sector, any size of organisation.
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They will develop and deliver operational plans
Leadership and management alongside teams and senior managers, making sure teams fulfil their roles and meet organisational goals.
Covers operational plans, leadership and management duties, organisational goals
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They will manage resources, change and talent
Resource management, managing change and talent management: the three that decide whether a department copes with a difficult year.
Covers resource management, managing change, talent management
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They will use data and manage stakeholders
Data analysis and stakeholder management, so decisions are argued with evidence and landed with the people they affect.
Covers data analysis, stakeholder management
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They will deliver sustainable solutions
Named explicitly in the standard, rather than treated as an afterthought once the operational problem is solved.
Covers delivering sustainable solutions
Nobody springs anything on anyone
All apprentices must undertake an independent endpoint assessment which is a synoptic assessment of the knowledge, skills and behaviours that have been learnt throughout the apprenticeship. The purpose of the assessment is to make sure the apprentice meets the standard set by employers and are fully competent in the occupation.
Coursework and portfolio
Work launched in class and completed in the job, building the evidence the assessor will look at.
A review with you
The employer, the apprentice and the tutor. Half an hour. Progress, targets, and anything getting in the way.
A full mock
Marked by a tutor who is not theirs, so the feedback is honest and the real thing holds no surprises.
What it takes, on both sides
If you're the employer
- A real role that covers the standard. Your Employer Relationship Officer will check it before anyone enrols.
- Time released for teaching, on a timetable you'll have from day one.
- Half an hour every 8 to 10 weeks for a three-way review.
- Your say-so when the apprentice is ready for their final assessment.
If you want to be the apprentice
- A job. An apprenticeship is employment, so you need an employer before you can start.
- Already working in this kind of role? Your manager can put you forward directly.
- An initial skills scan with us, so we know where you're starting from.
- No employer yet? That's the usual starting point, and finding one is the part we help with.
This is a step, not a destination
Most of our apprentices carry on, usually with the same employer and usually into a wider role. Which route is right depends on the job being done, so it is worth a conversation rather than a guess.
Not sure what comes after this one? Tell us the role and we'll tell you honestly which of our apprenticeships, higher apprenticeships or university-level courses fits next.
Where this course can take you
- Before you start
- This course Level 5
- Further study
Check you have what you need in the entry requirements.
Not sure? Talk to us and we will help you find the right starting point.
See all 2 courses
At University Campus North Lincolnshire
At University Campus Doncaster
Careers it can lead to
- Financial and Accounting Technicians £63,100 a year
- Human Resources and Industrial Relations Officers £28,000 a year
- Sales Accounts and Business Development Managers £48,900 a year
- Book-keepers, Payroll Managers and Wages Clerks £25,700 a year
See all 13 careers
- Managers in Logistics £41,200 a year
- Managers and Directors in the Creative Industries £50,800 a year
- Financial Accounts Managers £41,300 a year
With further study or experience
- Education Managers £33,400 a year
- Early Education and Childcare Services Managers £22,400 a year
- Human Resource Managers and Directors £48,700 a year
- Other Health Professionals £37,100 a year
- Chartered and Certified Accountants £39,100 a year
- Chief Executives and Senior Officials £75,800 a year
Typical pay is the UK median for each job (Lightcast, October 2026).
How to start this apprenticeship
It takes two, an employer and an apprentice. Pick your side.
Put someone on this programme
Recruiting, or formalising the training of someone already in post? Start with a conversation. We'll check the role, sort the funding, and get them enrolled.
Speak to us today 01724 281111
Or advertise a vacancy through us and we'll handle the recruitment.
You'll need an employer first
An apprenticeship is a job, so an employer has to take you on before you can start. Already employed in this kind of role? Your manager can put you forward directly.
No vacancy that suits? Register your interest and we'll tell you when one comes up.