Daryl Coombs x Operations Management

Growing strong with Operations Management Apprenticeship

In his role as Production Manager at ForFarmers UK, Daryl Coombs leads a busy mill operation, where precision, safety and efficiency go hand in hand. His role involves production, planning, engineering and managing the site to deliver customer demands and maintain high levels of quality and compliance.

With a desire to grow his leadership and management ability, Daryl decided on the Level 5 Operations Management apprenticeship with Itec.

Daryl already had strong technical expertise but wanted to enhance his strategic management and interpersonal skills. The programme offered the chance to combine theory and practice to help Daryl to lead more with more confidence and clarity.

“I wanted to build on my operational experience by developing my leadership capabilities — particularly around change management and business improvement. The apprenticeship helped me align what I do every day with recognised management models and frameworks.”

ForFarmers supported Daryl’s choice to study for the qualification providing flexibility to balance study with his day-to-day responsibilities. This also gave Daryl the opportunity to apply new techniques he had learned directly to live projects within the mill, leading to measurable improvements in team collaboration and processes efficiency.

During the programme, Daryl acquired a practical understanding of leadership styles, motivation, and team working. Modules on strategy and operations helped him approach projects with greater vision and structure, while improved communications and coaching skills made him a better leader across his teams.

“The apprenticeship helped me make the shift from a mainly operational to a strategic leadership way of thinking. It’s given me the competence and confidence to drive change and facilitate ForFarmers’ long-term ambition.”

A memorable project in the apprenticeship focused on increased collaboration between the production, planning, and engineering departments. Using frameworks such as Belbin’s team roles and Tuckman’s stages of team development, Daryl made changes that improved coordination and efficiency.

Another success came from implementing Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model to introduce a new preventive maintenance procedure. This procedure helped improve communication, attained team acceptance, and led to measurable gains in equipment uptime.

“Applying what I learned to real-life projects was the most rewarding part. I could see the immediate impact of theory in action – and that’s what made the qualification so valuable.”

Daryl’s credits much of his success to the guidance and support of his Itec assessor, Yihya Sirhan. Yihya provided on-going feedback, adaptability, and a practical approach to learning, to help keep Daryl on track during the programme.

“Yihya understood the nature of my work and always provided guidance that was relevant to my place of work. His guidance, encouragement, and practical advice made a big difference in keeping me motivated and on track, ensuring I could successfully complete the apprenticeship while continuing to deliver results in my role.”

Since completing the apprenticeship, new procedures have been put in place by Daryl to improve shift handovers, communication, and measuring performance. These have made the teams work better together, reduced errors, and improved productivity.

The experience has also transformed his confidence as a leader. He now addresses challenges in a strategic way, employing his engagement, motivation, and communication skills to achieve results.

Looking to the future, Daryl aims to continue growing as a strategic leader, progressing to even bigger operations projects and mentoring younger leaders at ForFarmers.

“The qualification has provided me with confidence and skills in order to lead effectively. It’s been an investment in my own development — and in the success of the business.”