Operations Apprentice

Summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join a 3-year Apprenticeship, where you will be working towards the Level 3 Food and Drink Technical Operator 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

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Salary increase upon successful completion of each academic year. Annual company bonus Shift Allowance

Training course

Food and drink technical operator (level 3)

Hours

Monday to Friday (shifts usually 7am - 7pm or 7pm - 7am). You will work a 3 week shift rotation.

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Possible start date

Monday 1 September

Duration

3 years

Positions available

2

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

As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

With strong mentorship and coaching from our experienced Technical Associates you will be:

Developing leadership skills to enable you to lead a team to achieve results
Learning how to operate, diagnose faults, repair and maintain our equipment
Working across both process and wrapping areas
Applying all relevant Mars quality and safety systems to ensure the safety of people and products is maintained

Where you’ll work

Hansa Road

Hardwick Industrial Estate

King's Lynn

PE30 4JE

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

THE COLLEGE OF WEST ANGLIA

Your training course

Food and drink technical operator (level 3)

Equal to A level

Course contents

Interpret, follow and implement food and drink production SOPs.
Interpret, follow and implement quality assurance procedures.
Monitor production performance, stock usage and rotation.
Operate or use food and drink production tools and equipment.
Identify hazards (Critical Control Points) 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. Segregate, recycle and dispose of waste.
Monitor and inspect production machinery.
Apply basic maintenance practices. For example, check levels, parts wear, pressure, and sensors, and grease and lubricate.
Select and use maintenance hand tools.
Follow food safe engineering standards and practices. For example, use of food safe chemicals, check out and in of components.
Follow site isolation and lock off procedures (lockout, tagout).
Diagnose and resolve issues. Escalate issues.
Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques.
Apply continuous improvement techniques. Devise suggestions for improvement.
Collect and interpret information. Use data to apply changes
Record information - paper based or electronic.
Use information technology. Comply with GDPR.
Plan and organise self, others and resources.
Communicate with colleagues and stakeholders visually and verbally.
Communicate in writing.
Identify training needs. Train and buddy team members in the workplace.
Interpret, follow and implement food and drink production SOPs.
Interpret, follow and implement quality assurance procedures.
Monitor production performance, stock usage and rotation.
Operate or use food and drink production tools and equipment.
Identify hazards (Critical Control Points) 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. Segregate, recycle and dispose of waste.
Monitor and inspect production machinery.
Apply basic maintenance practices. For example, check levels, parts wear, pressure, and sensors, and grease and lubricate.
Select and use maintenance hand tools.
Follow food safe engineering standards and practices. For example, use of food safe chemicals, check out and in of components.
Follow site isolation and lock off procedures (lockout, tagout).
Diagnose and resolve issues. Escalate issues.
Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques.
Apply continuous improvement techniques. Devise suggestions for improvement.
Collect and interpret information. Use data to apply changes
Record information - paper based or electronic.
Use information technology. Comply with GDPR.
Plan and organise self, others and resources.
Communicate with colleagues and stakeholders visually and verbally.
Communicate in writing.
Identify training needs. Train and buddy team members in the workplace.

Your training plan

May lead to permanent position once the apprenticeship has successfully been completed.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

English (grade C or 4 or above)
Maths (grade C or 4 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
Problem solving skills
Logical
Team working
Initiative
Desire to learn

Other requirements

You'll be required to work shifts in this role, and as such we require you to be 18+ by the 1st September 2025

About this company

Our ambition is to create the world’s fastest-growing dinner company by providing people with healthy, easy, affordable and, of course, delicious meals. Our best-loved dinnertime brands include BEN’S ORIGINALTM, MASTERFOODS TM, SEEDS OF CHANGE TM, TASTY BITE TM and DOLMIO TM. Mars Food has 13 brands produced across the world and available in more than 30 countries. More than 1,500 Associates are united by delivering our Purpose: Better Food Today. A Better World Tomorrow.

https://www.mars.com/en-gb/our-brands/mars-food-nutrition (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

On successful completion of the Operations Apprenticeship you will have demonstrated leadership skills and the ability to take ownership and accountability for a number of machines, processes or pieces of equipment and carry out complex operational tasks, enabling you to coordinate a team of operational Associates to achieve line KPIs and take the lead in repairing mechanical breakdowns.

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The contact for this apprenticeship is: