Apprentice Processing Technician

Summary

This newly created role offers a fantastic opportunity for an apprentice to grow their skills and receive tailored training within a supportive and high performing team environment. Benefits: •Company pension •Cycle to work scheme •Free parking •On-site parking. Medicash.

Wage

£14,722.50 to £23,809.50, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course

Polymer processing technician (level 3)

Hours

37.5 hours per week. Shift work. Times to be confirmed.

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Wednesday 23 July 2025

Duration

3 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

Duties:

Support continuous improvement in manufacturing.
Assist with machine preparation and cleaning.
Operate key machinery and testing equipment.
Develop colour and additive formulations.
Liaise with internal teams to meet customer specifications
Maintain colour and effect standards.
Support internal departments with formulation issues.
- Troubleshoot formulations as requested.
- Support trials and approve new materials.
- Assist with laboratory procedure development.
- Participate in health, safety, and quality initiatives.

Where you'll work

UNIT 11 WETHERAL CLOSE
HINDLEY INDUSTRIAL EST
HINDLEY GREEN
WIGAN
WN2 4HS

Training

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

College or training organisation

THE S&A TRANSFORM GROUP LIMITED

Your training course

Polymer processing technician (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

Review instructions or information. For example, work instructions, sampling requirements, drawings dimensioning, labelling, formulations, machine settings.
Plan task and identify and organise resources with consideration for safety, environmental impact, security, quality and cost.
Identify and document hazards and risks in the workplace.
Apply health, safety, and environmental procedures in compliance with regulations and standards. For example, daily machine checks, wearing personal protective equipment.
Apply sustainability principles for example, in choice of materials, minimising waste.
Segregate resources for reuse, recycling, and handling.
Select, check, and prepare materials for polymer processing for example, weighing, control and blending, and conditioning.
Select, configure (for example, replace or change inserts) and check mould tools, formers, dies or other process equipment.
Check installation and function of processing equipment for the process.
Connect service connections such as water, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic.
Check hand tools, equipment and machinery including calibration record where applicable.
Set or check machine settings using instructions such as temperature, pressure, speed or time, distance.
Adjust machine setting for the speeds, positions, pressures and safety of the mould tool, former or die movement to meet product specification.
Start up manufacturing processes.
Monitor process feedback and adjust process parameters.
Shut down manufacturing processes.
Devise machine settings such as temperature, pressure, speed or time, distance for new or modified equipment, tooling or material.
Test and evaluate machine settings for new or modified equipment, tooling or material.
Select and apply optimal machine settings for new or modified equipment, tooling or material (for example, capability study).
Interpret data for example, process data, quality control and test procedure data. Use data to inform action.
Identify process faults and resolve.
Apply post processing techniques for example, assembly, printing, decorating, cooling operations, packing, and labelling.
Follow quality assurance processes during manufacture.
Perform quality control checks. For example, conduct parameter checks (size, colour, weight), and take samples.
Identify quality issues and resolve for example, defects, maintenance requirements.
Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
Apply preventative maintenance practices. For example, checking guarding, lubrication, cleaning of tooling, safety checks, and inspection for wear and tear.
Apply continuous improvement techniques. Devise suggestions for improvement. For example, improving the effectiveness of existing production, improving the energy consumption or waste profile of processes and procedures to improve the sustainability or carbon footprint of a product, process or task.
Apply team working principles.
Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
Record or enter information - paper based or electronic. For example, process and production records, traceability records, and quality assurance records.
Present information.
Communicate in written form in the workplace for example, handover notes or emails, non-conformances, design change requests, technical reports.
Use information and digital technology. Comply with GDPR and cyber security regulations and policies.
Plan how to meet personal development needs. Carry out and record planned and unplanned continued professional development (CPD) activities. Evaluate CPD against plans made.
Review instructions or information. For example, work instructions, sampling requirements, drawings dimensioning, labelling, formulations, machine settings.
Plan task and identify and organise resources with consideration for safety, environmental impact, security, quality and cost.
Identify and document hazards and risks in the workplace.
Apply health, safety, and environmental procedures in compliance with regulations and standards. For example, daily machine checks, wearing personal protective equipment.
Apply sustainability principles for example, in choice of materials, minimising waste.
Segregate resources for reuse, recycling, and handling.
Select, check, and prepare materials for polymer processing for example, weighing, control and blending, and conditioning.
Select, configure (for example, replace or change inserts) and check mould tools, formers, dies or other process equipment.
Check installation and function of processing equipment for the process.
Connect service connections such as water, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic.
Check hand tools, equipment and machinery including calibration record where applicable.
Set or check machine settings using instructions such as temperature, pressure, speed or time, distance.
Adjust machine setting for the speeds, positions, pressures and safety of the mould tool, former or die movement to meet product specification.
Start up manufacturing processes.
Monitor process feedback and adjust process parameters.
Shut down manufacturing processes.
Devise machine settings such as temperature, pressure, speed or time, distance for new or modified equipment, tooling or material.
Test and evaluate machine settings for new or modified equipment, tooling or material.
Select and apply optimal machine settings for new or modified equipment, tooling or material (for example, capability study).
Interpret data for example, process data, quality control and test procedure data. Use data to inform action.
Identify process faults and resolve.
Apply post processing techniques for example, assembly, printing, decorating, cooling operations, packing, and labelling.
Follow quality assurance processes during manufacture.
Perform quality control checks. For example, conduct parameter checks (size, colour, weight), and take samples.
Identify quality issues and resolve for example, defects, maintenance requirements.
Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
Apply preventative maintenance practices. For example, checking guarding, lubrication, cleaning of tooling, safety checks, and inspection for wear and tear.
Apply continuous improvement techniques. Devise suggestions for improvement. For example, improving the effectiveness of existing production, improving the energy consumption or waste profile of processes and procedures to improve the sustainability or carbon footprint of a product, process or task.
Apply team working principles.
Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
Record or enter information - paper based or electronic. For example, process and production records, traceability records, and quality assurance records.
Present information.
Communicate in written form in the workplace for example, handover notes or emails, non-conformances, design change requests, technical reports.
Use information and digital technology. Comply with GDPR and cyber security regulations and policies.
Plan how to meet personal development needs. Carry out and record planned and unplanned continued professional development (CPD) activities. Evaluate CPD against plans made.

Your training plan

This training plan has not been finalised. Check with this employer if you’ll need to travel to a college or training location for this apprenticeship.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

Chemistry (grade 6)
Maths (grade 6)

Desirable qualifications

A Level in:

Chemistry (grade C)
Maths (grade C)

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
Problem solving skills
Team working
Initiative
Flexible
Adaptable

About this company

Astropol specialise in accurate colour and additive solutions for the vinyl, non-vinyl and associated additive industries. Working in collaboration with our customers our technical team develop and create masterbatch samples for testing, customer approval and subsequent scale up to production - all to specific requirements.

http://www.astropol.uk.com (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

Experience in the industry and a Level 3 qualification in Polymer Processing.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is: