You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree.

Subjects that cover quality control include:

• production management
• business and management
• manufacturing engineering

You may need a degree that is specific to the industry you want to work in, for example:

• science
• construction
• engineering
• pharmaceuticals

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

You could do a Quality Practitioner Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship.

This could take between 1 and 2 years to complete.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

You could start work as a quality control assistant and move into a quality officer role by training on the job, for example through the Chartered Quality Institute.

You could apply directly for jobs if you have a a experience in quality control.

You'll find job opportunities in any industry or sector that has quality control processes, such as engineering, manufacturing or health and safety .

You could take quality control qualifications through the Chartered Quality Institute, or as part of a leadership course from the Chartered Management Institute.

You'll need:

• the ability to analyse quality or performance
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to work well with others
• excellent verbal communication skills
• to be flexible and open to change
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• the ability to monitor your own performance and that of your colleagues
• active listening skills
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

As a quality control officer, you could:

• inspect and test products and production processes
• check that required standards and regulations are being met
• identify gaps in quality control
• record and report findings to managers
• design, review and update quality control policies
• assess the effectiveness of changes to processes or production
• use quality assurance equipment and software to analyse and improve standards

You could work in a laboratory, in a factory, in an office or visit sites.