Apprentice Engineer

Apprentice multi skilled engineer within the maintenance department executing improvement and preventative activities including responding to breakdowns in a fast moving 24/7 environment. You will work towards a Level 3 Food and Drink Maintenance Engineer apprenticeship standard.

The Level 3 Food and Drink Engineering Maintenance apprenticeship programme lasts four years, and combines block release at Kirklees College (Huddersfield), with on the job work experience within the engineering department at Grupo Bim bo UK Ltd (New York Bakery) in Swinton, Mexborough. Grupo Bim bo is the largest Bakery product manufacturer in the world.

If successful at the end of the program you will have the following knowledge, skills and understanding to be a Food and Drink Maintenance Engineer:

• Food processing/manufacturing and product knowledge (to meet company requirements e.g., dairy/confectionary/meat processing)
• Legislation and regulations in the food and drink industry, including understanding of food safety, health and safety, hazard analysis critical control Point (HACCP), Threat Assessment Critical Control Point (TACCP) and Vulnerability Assessment Critical Control Point (VACCP)
• Basic principles of sustainability and environmental legislation
  The impact of customer requirements and demands on the food chain
• The key principles of cleaning and hygiene processes cover both Cleaning in Place (CIP) and cleaning out of place systems
• The key principles of quality management systems and processes
• The key principles of Continuous Improvement (CI) Management
  Materials science, including the key features of raw materials, their own uses in foods production and types of equipment used to process them
• Types of best practice maintenance approaches and techniques in the food and drink industry
• The principles of fault finding
• The operation of mechanical equipment in the food and drink industry
• How to produce replacement components
• The function of fluid power systems
• The operation of heat exchange equipment
• The principles of cutting and welding in the food and drink industry
• Principles of electrical systems, including their uses, safety, and legislation
• Services and utilities knowledge, including the importance and importance of energy management and pollution control in food production

You will study towards a Level 3 Food and Drink Maintenance Engineer Apprenticeship Standard at Kirklees College.

You will achieve a Diploma in Food and Drink Engineering Maintenance.

The college element of this apprenticeship has typically been on “block release”, so there has been the expectation to work and study away from home.

When required, accommodation and travel will be organised, but we need you to have a mature outlook, be mobile, and be “up” for the challenge of managing yourself and your studies when you are away from home at college, and when working at site.

Typical College attendance:

The typical duration of college attendance in previous years is shown below-

Year 1 = 17 weeks, Year 2 = 10 weeks, Year 3 = 16 weeks, Year 4 = 0 weeks

This is a 4-year programme.

The final year will involve completion of a portfolio and preparation for End Point Assessment (EPA). This measures the skills, knowledge and behaviours outlined in the standard and is carried out by ESFA approved organisations independent from the college.