NEPIRC’s Lean Specialist Certificate Program is a series of courses covering the concepts and tools professionals need to support Continuous Improvement efforts in today’s work environment. The curriculum encompasses the necessary technical and interpersonal skills to implement sustainable improvements in productivity, quality and workplace safety. This program is ideal for individuals of all levels and designed to be appropriate for companies at any stage of their lean journey. Throughout the curriculum, participants will identify actual wastes in one of their company’s value streams and, in the final session, present an action plan from a “Waste Walk” that evidences their understanding of the application of the elements from each session. This course is eligible for WedNetPA funding.
This program will run every Wednesday from November 12 to December 17, 2025 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Graduation will take place on the last day of class during lunch.
The Lean Specialist Certificate Program agenda is as follows:
Morning, November12th
Principles of Lean Manufacturing with Introduction to Improvement Kata Cycles
Afternoon, November12th
Value Stream Mapping
Morning, November 19th
6S Workplace Organization
Afternoon, November 19th
Standard Work / Visual Management
Morning, November 26th
Rapid Changeover (SMED Technique)
Afternoon, Morning, November 26th
TPM
Morning, December 3rd
High-Performance Teams
Afternoon, Morning, December 3rd
Leadership Skills
Morning, December 10th
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
Afternoon, Morning, December 10th
Industry 4.0 / Kaizen Facilitation / Graduation
Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to:
- Recognize and eliminate workplace waste by determining value-added and non-value added activities
- Identify key value streams with your company
- Participate in Value Stream Mapping projects to identify opportunities for improvement
- Develop improvement plans for shop floor and office/administrative processes
- Assess the applicability of the Kaizen process to achieve gains and improve culture throughout the workplace
- Utilize updated skills in workplace organization, change management, team-building and quick changeover
