Summary
This is an exciting opportunity to join a 4-year Apprenticeship, where you will be working towards the Level 3 Food and Drink Maintenance Engineer qualification. You will take part in fantastic training courses and team building events, whilst tackling real challenges and taking on real responsibility.
Annual wage
£20,000 a year
Salary £20,000 rising on completion of each academic year + annual bonus + benefits
Training course
Food and drink maintenance engineer (level 3)
Hours
Monday - Friday, shifts to be confirmed.
37 hours 30 minutes a week
Possible start date
Monday 1 September
Duration
4 years
Positions available
3
Work
As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.
What you’ll do at work
With strong mentorship and coaching from our experienced Technical Associates you will be:
* Learning how to maintain our plant
* Learning how to diagnose complex mechanical and electrical faults
* Learning how to repair our equipment
* Applying all relevant Mars quality and safety systems to ensure the safety of people and products is maintained
* Working across various areas in our factory including Mechanical, Electrical and Utilities
On successful completion of the Engineering Apprenticeship you will have demonstrated leadership, and the ability to take ownership and accountability for equipment, carry out complex fault diagnosis and repairs and provide technical coaching to others.
Where you’ll work
Oakwell Way
Birstall
Batley
WF17 9LU
Training
An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.
College or training organisation
KIRKLEES COLLEGE
Your training course
Food and drink maintenance engineer (level 3)
Equal to A level
Course contents
* Read and interpret task related information and data. For example, work instructions, SOPs, quality control documentation, Service Level Agreements, specifications, engineering representations, drawings, and graphical information, work instructions, and operation manuals.
* Plan work. Identify and organise resources to complete tasks.
* Identify hazards and control measures to mitigate risks.
* Comply with food safety regulations and procedures.
* Comply with health and safety regulations and procedures.
* Comply with environment and sustainability regulations and procedures: safe disposal of waste, re-cycling or re-use of materials and efficient use of resources.
* Select, check the condition, and safely use maintenance tools and equipment. Store tools and equipment. Complete or arrange maintenance of tools and equipment including calibration where required.
* Follow standard operating procedures and quality procedures.
* Follow site isolation and lock off procedures (lockout, tagout) and re-instatement of equipment with system checks and handover.
* Apply mechanical and fluid power system maintenance practices and techniques. For example, check levels, parts wear, pressure, and sensors, grease and lubricate parts, replace, fit components, and calibrate equipment.
* Apply electrical and control maintenance practices and techniques including use of electrical testing equipment and instruments. For example, panel risk assessment, fixed wire installation testing, fault finding, thermographic surveys, and checking protection settings.
* Apply reliability engineering techniques to prevent or reduce the likelihood or frequency of failures. For example, condition monitoring, oil sampling, thermography, vibration analysis, and ultrasound.
* Install and configure instrumentation or process control systems.
* Install and configure electrical systems. For example, add distribution boards to circuits, single and three phase motors (AC and DC).
* Assemble, position and fix equipment or components. Complete commissioning checks.
* Disconnect and remove equipment or components. Complete storage measures to prevent deterioration.
* Read and interpret equipment performance data.
* Fabricate, drill, and join to produce basic parts, spares or components to measurement and tolerance specification.
* Apply down-hand (flat) TIG welding techniques: butt and tee.
* Apply mathematical techniques to solve engineering problems.
* Produce and amend electrical and mechanical engineering representations, drawings, and graphical information. For example, for new component parts or change in circuit diagram or panel.
* Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques for example, using PLC data to diagnose issues and locate faults on industrial network.
* Apply continuous improvement techniques to understand current performance; collect and record data. Devise suggestions for improvement.
* Restore the work area on completion of activity.
* Resolve or escalate issues.
* Use information technology. For example, for document creation, communication, and information management. Comply with GDPR. Comply with cyber security.
* Record work activity. For example, asset management records, work sheets, checklists, waste environmental records, and any business or legal reporting requirements.
* Communicate verbal and written. For example, with colleagues and stakeholders. Use engineering terminology where appropriate.
* Produce reports for example, equipment performance reports.
* Provide guidance or training to colleagues or stakeholders.
* Read and interpret task related information and data. For example, work instructions, SOPs, quality control documentation, Service Level Agreements, specifications, engineering representations, drawings, and graphical information, work instructions, and operation manuals.
* Plan work. Identify and organise resources to complete tasks.
* Identify hazards and control measures to mitigate risks.
* Comply with food safety regulations and procedures.
* Comply with health and safety regulations and procedures.
* Comply with environment and sustainability regulations and procedures: safe disposal of waste, re-cycling or re-use of materials and efficient use of resources.
* Select, check the condition, and safely use maintenance tools and equipment. Store tools and equipment. Complete or arrange maintenance of tools and equipment including calibration where required.
* Follow standard operating procedures and quality procedures.
* Follow site isolation and lock off procedures (lockout, tagout) and re-instatement of equipment with system checks and handover.
* Apply mechanical and fluid power system maintenance practices and techniques. For example, check levels, parts wear, pressure, and sensors, grease and lubricate parts, replace, fit components, and calibrate equipment.
* Apply electrical and control maintenance practices and techniques including use of electrical testing equipment and instruments. For example, panel risk assessment, fixed wire installation testing, fault finding, thermographic surveys, and checking protection settings.
* Apply reliability engineering techniques to prevent or reduce the likelihood or frequency of failures. For example, condition monitoring, oil sampling, thermography, vibration analysis, and ultrasound.
* Install and configure instrumentation or process control systems.
* Install and configure electrical systems. For example, add distribution boards to circuits, single and three phase motors (AC and DC).
* Assemble, position and fix equipment or components. Complete commissioning checks.
* Disconnect and remove equipment or components. Complete storage measures to prevent deterioration.
* Read and interpret equipment performance data.
* Fabricate, drill, and join to produce basic parts, spares or components to measurement and tolerance specification.
* Apply down-hand (flat) TIG welding techniques: butt and tee.
* Apply mathematical techniques to solve engineering problems.
* Produce and amend electrical and mechanical engineering representations, drawings, and graphical information. For example, for new component parts or change in circuit diagram or panel.
* Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques for example, using PLC data to diagnose issues and locate faults on industrial network.
* Apply continuous improvement techniques to understand current performance; collect and record data. Devise suggestions for improvement.
* Restore the work area on completion of activity.
* Resolve or escalate issues.
* Use information technology. For example, for document creation, communication, and information management. Comply with GDPR. Comply with cyber security.
* Record work activity. For example, asset management records, work sheets, checklists, waste environmental records, and any business or legal reporting requirements.
* Communicate verbal and written. For example, with colleagues and stakeholders. Use engineering terminology where appropriate.
* Produce reports for example, equipment performance reports.
* Provide guidance or training to colleagues or stakeholders.
Your training plan
* You will be studying towards the Level 3 Food & Drink Engineering Maintenance Standard at Kirklees College Engineering Centre (Huddersfield) as well as supporting training and qualifications to enable you to carry out the role of an Engineer for Mars Petcare (academic content delivered offsite and includes residential block release)
* You should recieve a Diploma in food and drink engineering maintenance upon completion
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
* English (grade 4/C or above)
* Maths (grade 4/C or above)
Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.
Skills
* Communication skills
* Attention to detail
* Organisation skills
* Analytical skills
* Logical
* Team working
Other requirements
What are we looking for? A demonstrable interest in Engineering and Leadership The ability to work as part of a team The desire to learn Willing and able to travel to our Birstall site and Kirklees College We require you to be 16+ by the 1st September 2025 You must not have more than 2 years engineering experience, prior learning, or qualifications higher than an NVQ Level 3 in engineering