Congratulations Certified Lean Apprentices – 12/31/25

Our Certified Lean Apprentice program provides a great introduction to the principles, concepts, and terms which everyone “must understand” in any organization seeking to make a Lean Transformation. As a Lean Apprentice, you will be a valuable project team member able to help analyze value streams, identify waste, design and implement improvements, and promote continuous improvement. Success with Lean projects and continuous improvement efforts will help propel your career.

Contributing to Lean projects and continuous improvement efforts will deliver improved performance for your organization. Eliminating waste will improve the quality of products, services, and processes. Equipped with a solid understanding of Lean principles, concepts, and terms, you will collaborate effectively with team members on improvement projects and promote a culture of continuous improvement.

A Lean credential validates your understanding of Lean principles and methodologies, providing employers with assurance of your knowledge. As members of the Credential Registry, an organization dedicated to providing up-to-date information about all credentials, we ensure your certification is recognized and verifies your knowledge and capabilities.

Through our Lean program, you gain valuable skills and become part of a thriving community of Lean professionals. As Thom Mandl emphasizes in his article on Top 5 Reasons to Earn a Certification, engaging with this community offers invaluable networking opportunities and access to industry events, allowing you to stay current with best practices and emerging trends.

Self-improvement is essential for thriving in today's world. Investing in personal development not only enhances individual capabilities, but also contributes to organizational success. People who continuously seek opportunities for growth, will bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to their organization.

Lean Apprentice, this certification, is the introductory certification and is designed for everyone at an organization which is pursuing a Lean Transformation.

Lean Practitioner gives you hands-on experience leading a value stream mapping project.

Lean Expert gives you hands-on experience leading a problem solving project.

Lean Master walks you through an assessment of your organization’s Lean Transformation program and helps you build an improvement roadmap.

You can learn more at Lean Education Standards.

Historically, belts have been used for Six Sigma certifications, a methodology focused on reducing variation. Some companies have applied the belts to Lean training. The yellow belt would be a close match to apprentice, but it can be confusing as an apprentice practices Lean and a yellow belt is focused on Six Sigma.

Collaborating with our customers and others, we have gone with Apprentice as it’s a clear connection to a role required at organizations pursuing a Lean Transformation.

You can learn more at Lean Education Standards.

For most people, your time investment will be about 6 to 8 hours. Since the course is self-paced, you can spread your time as fast or as slow as you want.

Your assigned coach, will be available based on your preferences. You can connect with your coach via email, telephone, Zoom meetings, or through the learning management system. This customized approach allows you to get the most out of the course.

We are passionate about developing Lean leaders through education, application, and coaching. You will not be alone on this journey of discovery.

Yes. It is very common for an organization to send waves of people through training. A Lean Transformation program is more energized and successful when everyone is on the same page.

Contact us to learn more.

Our Lean certifications need to be renewed every 3 years.

Our certification maintenance program is focused on keeping your skills refreshed through continuing education, improvement projects, and giving back.

Find more at Certification Maintenance.

Research into Lean Six Sigma reveals it is much more about Six Sigma and tends to have very little about the rich features of a Lean Transformation. Lean Six Sigma will often treat Lean as a collection of tools, you can sometime use when you work on a Six Sigma project.

Descriptions of Lean Six Sigma will often place a strong emphasis on using the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (DMAIC) methodology. This methodology is big for Six Sigma projects and not very common for Lean projects.

You can learn more at What is Lean Six Sigma?

Yes. Lean certifications can easily fit into other management systems.

Lean is more than a set of tools, it’s a mindset of empowerment and improvement. This transformational mindset can support many successful management systems.