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Forklift Engineer Apprentice
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Apprentice Engineer
Are you practical, curious about how things work, and looking for a career where you can learn, earn and build valuable skills for the future? We're offering an exciting opportunity for an Apprentice Engineer to join our team and develop the skills needed for a career in engineering.
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What You'll Learn
Over a three-year apprenticeship programme, you'll gain hands-on experience and specialist training, learning how to maintain, diagnose and repair modern forklifts and material handling equipment.
You'll develop skills across:
- Mechanical engineering
- Electrical systems
- Hydraulics
- Fault finding and diagnostics
- Customer service and communication
- Business operations and teamwork
Throughout your apprenticeship, you'll be supported by experienced engineers who will mentor and guide you every step of the way.
What the Programme Includes
- Residential training blocks at a specialist technical college
- Practical workshop experience at our Ferndown facility
- Online learning and study support
- Field engineering experience alongside qualified engineers
- Opportunities to work with different departments across the business
- Ongoing mentoring and development
On successful completion, you'll achieve a nationally recognised engineering qualification.
Why Join Locators?
We believe in investing in people and helping them build successful careers. As your skills and knowledge grow, so will your salary and responsibilities. Many apprentices progress into permanent engineering roles, and our goal is to help you become a fully qualified Field Service Engineer supporting customers across the region.
You'll gain:
- A recognised qualification
- Hands-on experience with market-leading equipment
- Mentoring from experienced professionals
- A supportive team environment
- Excellent long-term career prospects
- The opportunity to earn while you learn
What We're Looking For
We're looking for someone who is enthusiastic, reliable and eager to learn. You don't need experience – just a genuine interest in engineering, technology or mechanics and a willingness to work hard and develop new skills.
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Could This Be You?
If you enjoy fixing things, solving problems, understanding how machines work, and want to build a career with real opportunities for progression, we'd love to hear from you.
Join Locators and take the first step towards an exciting future in engineering.
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
LOUGHBOROUGH COLLEGE
Training course
Lift truck and powered access engineering technician (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels
What you'll learn
- Apply health and safety procedures and safe systems of work in compliance with regulations and standards relevant to lift truck or powered access machines.
- Obtain and interpret lift truck and powered access machine technical data and repair instructions.
- Use tools, workshop equipment, diagnostic and measuring equipment when carrying out maintenance and repairs.
- Perform preventative maintenance activities on lift truck and powered access machines.
- Perform inspections on lift truck and powered access machines in compliance with Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) and Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) regulations.
- Remove and replace mechanical, electrical and hydraulic components.
- Apply diagnostic principles and problem-solving techniques to diagnose faults on lift truck or powered access machine systems.
- Carry out functional testing and quality checks on repaired lift truck or powered access machine components and systems.
- Carry out repairs and make required adjustments.
- Record or enter information - paper based or electronic. For example, job sheets, risk assessments, equipment service records, test results, handover documents and manufacturers' documentation, work sheets, checklists.
- Check and maintain stock.
- Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
- Prepare and maintain a clean, tidy and safe working area.
- Identify, organise and use resources to complete tasks, in compliance with quality, safety, sustainability and environmental standards and guidance.
- Follow equality, diversity and inclusion procedures.
- Store and maintain tools, workshop equipment, diagnostic and measuring equipment for maintenance and repairs.
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Training schedule
- Block release training at Stephenson College
- On-the-job training
- Off-the-job training
Essential qualifications
- GCSE in:
- English (grade 4/C)
- Maths (grade 4/C)
- Science, Engineering or IT (grade 4/C)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving skills
- Logical
- Team working
Locators is a highly successful, privately owned Material Handling company, supplying market leading equipment from world leading brands including Toyota, Manitou and Combilift.
Company benefits
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Free flu jabs
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Referral programme
Work Location
In person
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay.
After being an apprentice in the Workshop, we would want the candidate to progress to be a Field Service Engineer.
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
LOUGHBOROUGH COLLEGE
Apprenticeship Recruitment Team
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000047753.
Closes in 12 days (Tuesday 25 August 2026 at 11:59pm)
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