Becoming a qualified Service Designer Approved by the government in March 2023, the Level 6 Service Designer Apprenticeship is a clear pathway for career progression for anyone interested in Service Design training and becoming a qualified Service Designer. Organisations are waking up to the importance of designing and improving services, systems and processes to better meet the needs of customers and stakeholders. The Service Designer takes a human-centred and iterative approach, analysing services holistically. Their 'toolkit' includes design thinking, customer experience analysis and business service design skills. According to the Institute for Apprenticeships: "There has been a growing demand for service design skills to be embedded within culture and governance structures to support future ways of working." Having taken the lead in developing the A4Q Service Designer qualification over the past 4 years, AssistKD is proud to support this new apprenticeship. Our Level 6 Service Designer Apprenticeship scheme launched in July 2024. Employers benefit from a formal programme to develop in-house Service Designers, unlocking the potential of new starting and existing employees. Apprentices develop a portfolio of skills whilst gaining industry experience, working towards the Service Designer Level 6 qualification. Analysing their organisation's service offering, they will develop a comprehensive understanding of the customer experience. AssistKD's fully audited Service Design apprenticeship scheme offers the same low mentor-to-apprentice ratio and specialist training from experts in the field as our Business Analyst apprenticeship scheme (rated Outstanding by Ofsted). Employer benefits – create your own in-house expertise Skill up a new starter or unlock the potential of a member of your team. Work with the best. AssistKD helped to develop the new A4Q Service Design qualification and offer high quality Service Design training. Nurture new talent. Find a keen, motivated new starter who is willing to learn… then watch them fly. Grow your own. Develop loyal employees who understand your business, instead of recruiting Service Designers in a competitive market. Add value. Increase ROI. Better trained, more effective staff benefit your organisation. The Service Design skills they learn will more than repay the time and cost of the training. Apprentice benefits – gain professional skills for life Work towards new Service Designer Level 6 qualification, whilst developing skills for life and gaining valuable industry experience. Learn from experienced and successful practitioners, NOT from other people’s bad habits. A dedicated mentor will be with you every step of the way. No hefty student loan. Earn while you learn. Fantastic job prospects, in an exciting new professional field. Be in demand. With your Service Design ‘toolkit’ you can work in a wide range of sectors including the health sector, finance sector, business and professional services, retail sector, technology sector, government, public sector, charity sector and more. Career progression. Move into roles such as Service Designer, CX Designer, Interaction Designer, Process Designer, Human-centred Designer. Pastoral Care and Safeguarding. We care about your safety and welfare, and your long-term career aspirations. Safeguarding and Prevent considerations underpin all our work, and we offer tailored additional support packages where required. About the Service Designer Apprenticeship The Service Designer apprenticeship has been designed to equip apprentices with the key skills required for a successful career as a Service Designer. The ‘Occupational Standard’ details the skills, knowledge and behaviours you will develop, that need to be evidenced to achieve the apprenticeship. To view this, click here. The AssistKD programme The programme is a mixture of formal course attendance, dedicated mentor input and support, deliberate practice, directed self-study and e-learning. Apprentices are expected to compile a portfolio of ‘evidence’ to demonstrate how they’ve applied their new skills in the workplace. Alongside formal employer training, the programme makes up the required 6 hours per week of ‘off the job’ learning. In brief the programme: Suits all ages and backgrounds, from school leavers to long service employees. Is a challenging, yet manageable learning and development timetable. Leads to attaining a Level 6 Service Designer Apprenticeship. Employers can also choose to invest in the certificates within the A4Q Service Designer qualification (discussed on enrolment). Is flexible to suit different abilities and learning styles, including learning tasks and assignments geared to the apprentice’s working environment. Benefits from ongoing support and guidance from an experienced mentor with additional content available via our Learning Zone including podcasts, videos and blogs. The formal study you undertake aligns closely to the A4Q Certified Designer scheme pictured below. Employer next steps Here are a few questions to ask yourself if you are considering running a Service Designer apprenticeship scheme. Get informed. Read the government’s Employer Guide to Apprenticeships here. Read the Institute for Apprenticeships Service Designer Occupational Standard here. Keen to go ahead? We’ll be happy to help. If you choose AssistKD as a provider, we can answer all your questions, discuss the final content of the programme to be delivered, and help you with the necessary contractual agreements. For more information or an informal conversation, please e-mail lawrence.darvill@assistkd.com Need some help? To discuss your requirements, call Lawrence on01844 211665 or email us at enquiries@assistkd.com