Manufacturing Apprentice

THE SFS MANUFACTURING GROUP LTD
Blackburn (BB2 4AY)
Closes on Monday 30 November 2026
Posted on 1 October 2026

Summary

SFS Manufacturing Group Ltd in Blackburn are recruiting for a Manufacturing Apprentice. The successful candidate will work towards completing a Level 2 Lean Manufacturing Operative Apprenticeship over the duration of 15 months.

Wage

• £16,224 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
• National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
• Paid monthly on the 27th.

Training

• Lean manufacturing operative (level 2)
• Hours: Monday - Thursday 7:30am - 4:30pm / Friday 7:30am - 12:30pm / 15 min morning break (paid) 30 min lunch(unpaid). 39 hours a week
• Start date: Friday 4 December 2026
• Duration: 1 year 3 months
• Positions available: 1

Work

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

What you'll do at work

Manufacturing Apprentice – Silicone Rubber Production

• Completed training in the safe and independent operation of silicone rubber extrusion machinery, producing components and profiles to customer specifications and quality standards.
• Assisted with machine setup, material preparation, tooling changes, and process monitoring to ensure efficient production runs and minimise waste.
• Conducted routine quality inspections using measuring equipment and visual checks to ensure finished products met required dimensions, tolerances, and quality standards.
• Identified and reported production issues, defects, or equipment faults to supervisors, contributing to continuous improvement and product quality.
• Responsible for packaging finished goods accurately and securely, ensuring products were prepared for dispatch in accordance with customer requirements and shipping schedules.
• Maintained accurate production, quality, and stock records where required.
• Assisted with raw material handling, stock control, and inventory management within the warehouse and production areas.
• Performed daily housekeeping duties, ensuring production and warehouse areas remained clean, organised, and compliant with health and safety regulations.
• Followed company quality, environmental, and health and safety procedures, including the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Worked collaboratively with production operators, supervisors, and warehouse personnel to meet production targets and customer delivery deadlines.
• Developed practical skills and knowledge across manufacturing operations, extrusion processes, quality control, warehouse management, and continuous improvement activities as part of an apprenticeship programme.

Where you'll work

Enterprise House
Hollin Bridge Street
Blackburn BB2 4AY

Training

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

Training provider
NORTH LANCS. TRAINING GROUP C.I.C.

Training course
Lean manufacturing operative (level 2)
Understanding apprenticeship levels

What you'll learn

• Work safely at all times, complying with health and safety legislation, regulations, and other relevant guidelines.
• Identifying risks within their processes and support/carry out countermeasure activities to improve safe working.
• Manage tooling, equipment and materials daily in-line with supplier standards e.g. COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health)
• Comply with environmental procedures and systems and contribute to the achievement of specific standards e.g. ISO 14001 or other relevant environmental standards and use the 4R’s (Reduce, Re-use, Recycle, Recover) where possible
• Demonstrate their ability to carry out their role effectively, efficiently and flexibly maintaining lean manufacturing principles to meet customer’s demands e.g. JIT
• Demonstrate their skill and knowledge following SOPs and building their versatility across a number of processes and process areas.
• Select and use appropriate tools, equipment and materials to carry out the manufacturing operation
• Demonstrate appropriate process documentation control. Accurately completing check sheets, monitoring process and equipment data efficiently and legibly using the correct terminology required to meet the quality standard e.g. ISO 9002
• Demonstrate their ability to identify and resolve problems within the lean manufacturing environment using effective problem solving tools and techniques.
• Manage problems that may occur during the manufacturing process within the limits of their responsibility and escalate as appropriate
• Generate ideas and contribute to process improvement activities individually or as part of a team through fact finding and analysis to improve the safety, environment, quality, cost or production process.
• Identifying and eliminating the 7 wastes (defects, over production, transportation, waiting, inventory, motion and processing)
• Demonstrate communication skills which include oral, written, electronic (PC), information boards or visual displays to effectively share information
• Maintains and monitors the work site efficiently and effectively at all times using the elements of sifting, sorting, sweeping, spick & span (5’s) within the lean manufacturing environment
• Check components for damage and that they are in a usable condition
• Correctly position, align and secure the components
• Secure the components in position using the specified fastening device/method
• Obtain and follow the correct Job instructions/Standard operating procedures production/assembly specifications in accordance with time constraints and the roles and responsibilities identified for the production/assembly activity
• Produce components which comply with the specification and quality requirements
• Carryout quality checks on component parts and completed assemblies and deal with quality concerns and defects in line with their responsibility
• Obtain and follow the correct Job instructions, inspection/quality procedures and product specifications in accordance with time constraints and the roles and responsibilities identified for the inspection/quality assurance activity
• Collect production samples at the required frequency in accordance with inspection specification and operating procedures
• Carryout inspection and testing activities using the specified methods and equipment
• Prepare, Handle, transfer and store samples safely and correctly in accordance with quality control procedures
• Accurately interpret the data/results gained from the inspection and testing procedures being used
• Record and report inspection findings to relevant person
• Safely move materials to the correct location using the relevant equipment
• Obtain and follow the correct Job instructions, specification details and specific transfer/handling procedures in accordance with time constraints and the roles and responsibilities identified for the logistic/material handling activity
• Move materials using the appropriate procedures, ensuring the materials are correct, safely loaded and secure.
• Check materials selected to be moved are in line with job requirements
• Carryout quality checks on materials that are to be moved and deal with quality concerns and damage in line with their responsibility
• Return equipment to its correct location on completion of the activities and leave it in a safe and usable condition
• Perform one processing/finishing operation method e.g. hand processing, manually operated machine processing, fully automated machine processing, combined processing
• Obtain and follow the correct Job instructions, processing/finishing procedures and equipment operating procedures in accordance with time constraints and the roles and responsibilities identified for the processing/finishing activity
• Perform the processing/finishing operation according to instructions and safe operating procedures
• Monitor and control the processing/finishing operation
• Produce processed/finished products which comply with processing specification