Manufacturing apprentice

Are you looking to establish a career in manufacturing? Our apprenticeship provides valuable on-the-job training and experience combined with studying for several qualifications including Level 3 Science Manufacturing Technician standard and Level 2 & 3 in papermaking.

Wage

£25,775 a year

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab) the salary will be reviewed on an annual basis

Training course

Process industry manufacturing technician (level 3)

Hours

Monday to Wednesday, 7.00am - 3.30pm. Thursday - Friday, 7.00am - 3.00pm. At some point during your apprenticeship, you may be expected to work on shifts (6.00am - 6.00pm or 6.00pm - 6.00am). 39 hours a week

Start date

Monday 7 September 2026

Duration

3 years

Positions available

1

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

This manufacturing apprentice role will enable you to learn the skills required to be able to assist the production department, resources, and systems to ensure the company maintains a high-quality product, always in line with company policies, regulatory standards, and statutory guidelines / deadlines. At the end of the 3-year apprenticeship with the training provided and qualifications achieved we expect that you will become fully competent in being a manufacturing operative and be able to complete the following duties:

• Set up different machines
• Run the machine to create a pulp that will be used to produce paper
• Complete quality and productivity checks
• Undertake routine maintenance whilst maintaining safety and reliability standards and working as part of a team

Where you'll work

Disley Tissue Ltd Waterside
Disley
Stockport
Cheshire
SK12 2HW

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

HCF CATCH LIMITED

Training course

Process industry manufacturing technician (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents:

• Review instructions or information to understand the task. Plan tasks. Identify and organise resources with consideration for safety, environmental impact, quality, and cost. Identify hazards and risks in the workplace and personal safety and mitigation measures. Apply health, safety, and environmental procedures in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidance. Follow environment emergency procedures. For example, make area safe, evacuate. Apply sustainability principles for example, minimising waste. Apply standard operating procedures (SOPs). Check equipment. Select, check, and prepare raw materials for process for example, weighing, measuring, control and blending, conditioning, dissolving, and sanitisation. Set and adjust processing parameters such as temperature, pressure, speed or time, distance. Monitor process for example, take readings and conduct walk-arounds. Conduct the control of product streams to maintain specifics. Apply quality assurance procedures. For example, density checks, contaminant check, and take samples for laboratory testing. Apply intermediate or post-manufacturing procedure for example, labelling, packing, storage, visual inspection, discharge. Manage waste streams. Clean equipment for example, boil-outs, steam-outs, bake-outs, steam in place SIP, clean in place (CIP). Conduct calculations for example, conversations, tare weight, charge weights, yield calculations. Store tools and equipment. Identify equipment for handover. Apply signage and access restriction measures. Shut down the process and equipment. Isolate process and systems. Complete isolation checks. Empty equipment for example, drain, purge, vent, and de-pressure. Purge, fill, pressurise and leak test. Complete post maintenance equipment checks. Line-up equipment. Connect service connections such as water, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic for chemical or petrochemical processing. De-isolate process, mechanical and electrical systems. Complete pre-start up checks. Start-up plant and equipment. Re-start process. Record or enter information - paper based or electronic. Interpret data for example, process data, quality control and test procedure data. Interpret drawings and graphs. Identify issues for example, defects, deviations, process variance, and maintenance requirements. Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility. Apply problem solving and fault-finding techniques. Apply continuous improvement techniques. Make a suggestion for improvement. Use information and digital technology for example, management information systems, human machine interfaces, word processing, spreadsheet, email, virtual learning platforms, document sharing platforms. Comply with cyber security requirements. Produce written documents for example, handover notes or emails, non-conformances, design change requests. Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders. Apply team working principles. Plan how to meet personal development needs. Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development (CPD) activities. Review instructions or information to understand the task. Plan tasks. Identify and organise resources with consideration for safety, environmental impact, quality, and cost. Identify hazards and risks in the workplace and personal safety and mitigation measures. Apply health, safety, and environmental procedures in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidance. Follow environment emergency procedures. For example, make area safe, evacuate. Apply sustainability principles for example, minimising waste. Apply standard operating procedures (SOPs). Check equipment. Select, check, and prepare raw materials for process for example, weighing, measuring, control and blending, conditioning, dissolving, and sanitisation. Set and adjust processing parameters such as temperature, pressure, speed or time, distance. Monitor process for example, take readings and conduct walk-arounds. Conduct the control of product streams to maintain specifics. Apply quality assurance procedures. For example, density checks, contaminant check, and take samples for laboratory testing. Apply intermediate or post-manufacturing procedure for example, labelling, packing, storage, visual inspection, discharge. Manage waste streams. Clean equipment for example, boil-outs, steam-outs, bake-outs, steam in place SIP, clean in place (CIP). Conduct calculations for example, conversations, tare weight, charge weights, yield calculations. Store tools and equipment. Identify equipment for handover. Apply signage and access restriction measures. Shut down the process and equipment. Isolate process and systems. Complete isolation checks. Empty equipment for example, drain, purge, vent, and de-pressure. Purge, fill, pressurise and leak test. Complete post maintenance equipment checks. Line-up equipment. Connect service connections such as water, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic for chemical or petrochemical processing. De-isolate process, mechanical and electrical systems. Complete pre-start up checks. Start-up plant and equipment. Re-start process. Record or enter information - paper based or electronic. Interpret data for example, process data, quality control and test procedure data. Interpret drawings and graphs. Identify issues for example, defects, deviations, process variance, and maintenance requirements. Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility. Apply problem solving and fault-finding techniques. Apply continuous improvement techniques. Make a suggestion for improvement. Use information and digital technology for example, management information systems, human machine interfaces, word processing, spreadsheet, email, virtual learning platforms, document sharing platforms. Comply with cyber security requirements. Produce written documents for example, handover notes or emails, non-conformances, design change requests. Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders. Apply team working principles. Plan how to meet personal development needs. Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development (CPD) activities.