Construction Marine Ltd (CML)

How Skye Helped Strengthen Quality and Compliance at CML

From starting her apprenticeship with “no previous knowledge of Quality Management Systems or ISO standards” to applying quality tools to improve live business processes at CML, Skye Noble’s Quality Practitioner Level 4 Apprenticeship has delivered benefits for both her own development and the wider organisation. 

Now working full-time as a Compliance Coordinator at CML, Skye has developed not only her technical knowledge, but also the confidence to take greater responsibility, support audits, improve processes and contribute to continual improvement across the business. 

Building a Career in Quality at CML 

Founded in 1986, CML is a family-owned civil engineering company specialising in the UK infrastructure sector.  

Quality and compliance play an important role in the organisation, from maintaining effective management systems and monitoring performance to reviewing processes and meeting client and regulatory requirements. 

Developing employees who can understand these requirements and apply quality principles in practice is therefore an important part of supporting CML’s continued improvement. 

Improving Compliance Through the EPA 

One of the clearest examples of Skye applying her apprenticeship learning to the workplace came through her End Point Assessment (EPA) project. 

Skye reviewed CML’s existing Compliance Checking process, using a range of quality tools and techniques developed throughout her apprenticeship. These included KANO Analysis, STEEPLE, Binary Measurement System Analysis, Control Charts and the 5 Whys. 

Through her initial research, Skye identified an opportunity to improve the existing process. As the project progressed, she was able to gather further evidence of the improvement and demonstrate the impact following implementation. 

The project concluded with reflection and a Lessons Learned activity, allowing Skye to consider both the outcome of the change and how the process could continue to develop. 

This provided CML with a practical example of apprenticeship learning being used to review, test and improve a live business process. 

Turning Quality Learning into Practical Improvement 

Skye has also used her learning to strengthen the way she approaches corrective actions and non-conformances. 

Through the apprenticeship, she developed her knowledge of root cause analysis and began applying this to corrective actions and non-conformances within CML. By doing this she learned to establish why the issue had occurred in the first place, not just resolving the immediate problem 

As Skye explains: 

“Being able to apply root cause analysis to a range of problems has helped me look beyond simply addressing an immediate issue and instead identify why a non-conformance occurred in the first place.” 

This has supported CML as it continues to embed the 5 Whys approach into its root cause analysis activity. 

The business has also revised its Corrective Action process, with Skye involved in its implementation. Her manager, Angie, has since seen more timely closure of corrective actions alongside greater awareness of the process across the wider business. 

Together, these improvements are helping CML strengthen its approach to continual improvement and reduce business risk. 

Growing Confidence and Responsibility 

The development Skye has made has also been visible well beyond individual projects, specifically in CML’s reporting. 

As part of her role and the completion of her apprenticeship, Skye is now responsible for gathering data for client KPI reports. This involves collating information and communicating with different departments, business functions and office locations. 

Her manager has seen a significant increase in her confidence, saying “The confidence that Skye has gained from completing the Apprenticeship Programme has significantly improved, both within the Compliance Team and in the wider business functions across CML.” 

Taking responsibility for these activities has increased her visibility across CML as well as with external stakeholders. 

Strengthening Audit and ISO Knowledge 

Skye’s understanding of ISO standards and clause requirements has developed considerably throughout her apprenticeship and is now being applied through greater involvement in CML’s internal and external audits. 

She supports audit preparation and has become increasingly involved during the audits themselves, reviewing CML processes and evidence against relevant ISO clauses. 

This increased exposure is continuing to build Skye’s technical knowledge while providing additional quality and compliance capability within the business. 

A Distinction to Celebrate 

Alongside the improvements Skye has made within her role and across the organisation, she also achieved Distinctions across her EPA assessment units. This resulted in an overall Distinction for her Quality Practitioner Level 4 Apprenticeship. 

For Skye, the result reflected the hard work she had put in throughout both her apprenticeship & End Point Assessment (EPA). 

“Achieving a distinction was a great achievement and showed me that the hard work I put into my apprenticeship and End Point Assessment had paid off. 

A major factor in achieving a distinction was being able to apply what I was learning to real-world situations on a daily basis. This helped embed my knowledge and gave me a much better understanding of how quality management principles and tools work in practice.” 

Skye’s Advice to Future Learners 

Skye found the programme particularly valuable for developing her understanding of quality management principles, ISO standards and practical quality tools that can be applied across a wide range of industries. 

One of the biggest benefits for her was being able to put that learning into practice within her role as Compliance Coordinator and see the positive impact it could have on the business. 

“I would highly recommend this apprenticeship to anyone looking to develop their knowledge and career in quality. The apprenticeship provides a detailed understanding of quality management principles, ISO Standards and practical quality tools that can be applied across a wide range of industries.  

For me, the biggest benefit was being able to apply my learning directly to my role as a Compliance Coordinator and see the positive impact it could have on the business. If you are looking to develop your skills, gain a recognised qualification and make a real difference within your organisations, I would definitely recommend this apprenticeship.” 

Inspired by Skye’s story, and want to join our Quality Practitioner Level 4 Apprenticeship? Contact us today:  

📧info@clearquality.co.uk    
📞01709 918501