Automation and Control Technician apprentice
ZF LEMFORDER UK LIMITED
W. Midlands (WS10 8BH)
Closes in 3 days (Monday 4 August 2025 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 18 July 2025
Contents
Summary
An Automation and Control Apprenticeship will install, maintain, and troubleshoot automated systems, including PLCs, sensors, and control panels. You will gain hands-on experience in programming, diagnostics, and system integration while ensuring safety and compliance within ZF Lemforder.
- Wage
-
£14,526.20 to £23,492.04, depending on your age
National Minimum Wage
- Training course
- Automation and controls engineering technician (level 4)
- Hours
-
8:00am – 4:30pm Mon-Thur (Lunch 12:30pm – 1:00pm unpaid)
8:00am – 1:00pm Fri (work through).
37 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 8 September 2025
- Duration
-
4 years
- 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
- Acquire foundational knowledge of AGV/AMR systems, including navigation technologies, control systems, and software platforms.
- Develop familiarity with industry standards, safety protocols, and system integration.
- Assist in the installation, testing, troubleshooting, and maintenance of AGV/AMR systems under supervision.
- Support system updates, battery maintenance, fleet monitoring, and basic diagnostics of robotic vehicles
- Participate in the configuration and testing of route mapping and task assignments within warehouse or production environments
- Work closely with cross-functional teams including engineering to understand workflow requirements and challenges
- Communicate findings, incidents, and improvement suggestions clearly.
- Observe and document performance metrics for AGV/AMR systems.
- Support root cause analysis and corrective actions for system inefficiencies
- Complete training modules and assessments as part of a apprenticeship program
- Cost Saving Projects
- Create and improve visual management systems around the plant
- Arrange workshops and lead them within ZFPS
- Present data to the management meeting
- Support the cycle counting job role as required
- Represent the ZFPS department at meetings both internal and external as required
- Audit existing and recently implemented processes on a weekly basis
- Support and conduct 5S Audits
- Support sustainability
- Apply digital app solutions based on group standards
- Creation and Implementation of STD work
- Participate and Update the Value stream (Direct and indirect)
- Implementation and resolve any issues related to Shopfloor management
- Identify and lead Line balancing opportunities
- Participate and lead OMA (Overall maturity assessment) of the plant
- Supplier/Customer visits to resolve issues
- Undertake any other reasonable requests by the Company.
- Required to support the plant outside of normal working hours
- Other Admin tasks as required
Where you'll work
P.O. Box 35
Darlaston
Wednesbury
W. Midlands
WS10 8BH
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
SHREWSBURY COLLEGES GROUP
Training course
Automation and controls engineering technician (level 4)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Safety Effective - The ability to work safely in an industrial environment and where required, produce risk assessment and method statement documentation. Be able to apply the principles of functional machinery or process safety including SIL (Safety Integrated Level) and PL (Performance Level) terminology.
- Engineering documentation - Production and interpretation of a range of technical documentation (device manuals, operating procedures, schematics, fault reports etc), and working with company documentation systems.
- Project engineering capabilities - Support of installation, commissioning, shut-down, start-up and maintenance, service, or support of a wide range of systems and devices.
- Diagnostic capabilities - Fault finding, diagnosis, rectification and reporting of automation control systems and controls applications via the utilisation of formal problem solving methods and diagnostic tools or software.
- Instrumentation configuration and calibration - Set-up, calibrate and commission a wide variety of field level instrumentation that interfaces to automation and control systems
- Industrial Networks configuration and support - configure, assist commissioning and continued support of industrial network solutions at all hierarchical levels of control system integration using the requisite tools and or software.
- HMI and SCADA configuration and programming - Make changes to existing systems or implement new configurations.
- PLC or Robot configuration and programming - Implement complex PLC or Robot program content and configurations to affect changes to increase availability and or efficiency of automation controlled machinery and the ability to configure PLC and or Robot hardware and program a wide variety of PLC’s and or Robot’s.
- Safety Effective - The ability to work safely in an industrial environment and where required, produce risk assessment and method statement documentation. Be able to apply the principles of functional machinery or process safety including SIL (Safety Integrated Level) and PL (Performance Level) terminology.
- Engineering documentation - Production and interpretation of a range of technical documentation (device manuals, operating procedures, schematics, fault reports etc), and working with company documentation systems.
- Project engineering capabilities - Support of installation, commissioning, shut-down, start-up and maintenance, service, or support of a wide range of systems and devices.
- Diagnostic capabilities - Fault finding, diagnosis, rectification and reporting of automation control systems and controls applications via the utilisation of formal problem solving methods and diagnostic tools or software.
- Instrumentation configuration and calibration - Set-up, calibrate and commission a wide variety of field level instrumentation that interfaces to automation and control systems
- Industrial Networks configuration and support - configure, assist commissioning and continued support of industrial network solutions at all hierarchical levels of control system integration using the requisite tools and or software.
- HMI and SCADA configuration and programming - Make changes to existing systems or implement new configurations.
- PLC or Robot configuration and programming - Implement complex PLC or Robot program content and configurations to affect changes to increase availability and or efficiency of automation controlled machinery and the ability to configure PLC and or Robot hardware and program a wide variety of PLC’s and or Robot’s.
Training schedule
You will attend the Shrewsbury Colleges Group, London Rd Campus one day per week or taught input on your chosen HNC and then the remainder of the working week will be in the workplace.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
Desirable qualifications
BTEC in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Administrative skills
- Number skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
About this employer
ZF is a global technology company supplying advanced mobility products and systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial technology. Its comprehensive product range is primarily aimed at vehicle manufacturers, mobility providers and start-up companies in the fields of transportation and mobility. ZF electrifies a wide range of vehicle types. With its products, the company contributes to reducing emissions, protecting the climate as well as enhancing safe mobility.
https://www.zf.com/mobile/en/homepage/homepage.html (opens in new tab)
After this apprenticeship
We would look to offering the successful apprentice the opportunity to join us as a qualified Technician with possible progression.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
SHREWSBURY COLLEGES GROUP
Jules Rhodes
julesr@shrewsbury.ac.uk
01743 653 460
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000332611.
Apply now
Closes in 3 days (Monday 4 August 2025 at 11:59pm)
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