Apprentice CNC Setter / Operator

Summary

Working alongside the lead CNC Setter, this role will be responsible for supporting the end-to-end manufacturing lifecycle of all customer and stock fulfilment orders from quote to final inspection, to the highest standard, whilst ensuring all health and safety and established procedures are adhered to.

Wage

£16,224 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course

Machining technician (level 3)

Hours

Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm, with 1 hours paid lunch.

40 hours a week

Start date

Monday 1 September 2025

Duration

3 years 6 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

Supporting the Lead Setter with technical quotations and enquiries, to ensure accurate pricing and lead times for all manufactured items are passed to the Sales Team and Customers.
Communicate and collaborate with all internal departments, suppliers and team members to manage and resolve issues as and when required to ensure delivery on time, in full (OTIF) measures are met. At all times, providing a professional and efficient support for all manufacturing issues and enquiries, to include updates on breakdowns, material and tooling needs, delayed orders and issue resolution.
Administrating and updating online order fulfilment and scheduling plans using our online business information system (orderwise) to ensure all stakeholders have real time view of work plans and fulfilment schedules.
Supporting and shadowing the lead setter with all programming, setting and operating of CNC twin spindle fixed head, sliding head lathes and a Mill/Turn Centre to optimum efficiency using Celos, Fanuc and Mitsubishi control systems, to ensure all products are manufactured to meet the established quality standard, reading and following instructions on drawings, routing and set up sheets in line with ISO9001 procedural requirements. And that all machines are fully utilised throughout the available machining hours.
Supporting the team to ensure full machine safety, optimisations and efficiencies. To include adhering to all day-to-day maintenance checks and machine servicing schedules. Understanding preferential tooling and programming techniques to optimise cycle times and work scheduling.
Following established quality standards and supporting the full in-house inspection requirements to include some accountability for first off, in process checks and final inspection. Leading the team to our ‘no customer returns’ excellence directive, for first time delivery of high-quality products, every time.
Bringing in Goods from Suppliers to include, loading and unloading deliveries and shipments efficiently & safely, ensuring goods are checked thoroughly and stored away efficiently and correctly, ensuring compliance to any traceability processes. Communicating issues to relevant parties and working with key stakeholders to resolution
Stock Management, taking a supporting role in ensuring that the stock taking process is followed and up to date, and ensure any data integrity, stock movement, wastage and general issues are processed and escalated where necessary and the stock system (orderwise) updated as required.
Ensuring stock and material is prepared in compliance to traceability requirements and made available for the workshop and works orders as required. Ensuring all works orders and technical drawings are prepared and checked prior to manufacture.
General workshop health and safety enforcement, ensuring all areas of the workshop are kept clean, tidy, and safe at all times. Ensuring the areas around machines are kept clean and free of oil. Stocks and Tooling are stored safely and organised to optimum efficiency. Leading the team in ensuring safety measures are met and all requirements are adhered to, without exception.
Assisting with any ad hoc duties and cover required to support the Management and Manufacturing Team in the effective and safe running of the workshop to include off machine finishing and prep for offsite finishing requirements
Encouraging and supporting cross company collaboration between departments to ensure key performance indicators and customer satisfaction targets are met.

Where you'll work

UNIT 6-7
ARTILLERY BUSINESS PARK
GARRISON AVENUE
PARK HALL
SY11 4AD

Training

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

College or training organisation

SHREWSBURY COLLEGES GROUP

Your training course

Machining technician (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

Comply with statutory health and safety regulations and procedures.
Comply with environmental, ethical and sustainability regulations and procedures: safe disposal of waste, re-cycling or re-use of materials and efficient use of resources.
Prepare and set up conventional or CNC machines.
Operate and adjust conventional or CNC machines.
Apply risk assessment and hazard identification processes and procedures in the work area.
Monitor, obtain and check stock and supplies, and complete stock returns.
Record information - paper based or electronic. For example, energy usage, job sheets, risk assessments, equipment service records, test results, handover documents and manufacturers' documentation, asset management records, work sheets, checklists, waste environmental records and any legal reporting requirements.
Read and interpret information. For example, data and documentation used to produce machined components.
Apply engineering, mathematical and scientific principles.
Plan and organise own work and resources.
Follow and apply inspection, quality assurance procedures and processes.
Select machining process.
Select and setup tooling and work holding devices.
Set and adjust machine operating parameters. For example, setting feeds and speeds for roughing and finishing operations, loading, proving and validating programs when using a CNC machine tool.
Apply machining operations and techniques to produce complex components with features. For example, parallel; stepped; angular diameters and faces; grooves; slots; recesses and undercuts; radii and chamfers; internal and external forms and profiles; reamed; bored; drilled and electro eroded holes; internal and external screw threads.
Measure and check components.
Select and check condition of tools and equipment. Identify issues, resolve and take action as needed.
Identify and action issues in the manufacturing process.
Apply fault-finding and diagnostic testing procedures to identify faults. Diagnose and resolve issues. Escalate issues.
Maintain the work area and return any resources and consumables.
Communicate with others verbally. For example, colleagues and stakeholders.
Follow machine shut down, safe isolation, handover, start up or warm up procedures. Escalate issues.
Apply continuous improvement techniques. Devise suggestions for improvement.
Apply ethical principles.
Apply team working principles.
Comply with statutory health and safety regulations and procedures.
Comply with environmental, ethical and sustainability regulations and procedures: safe disposal of waste, re-cycling or re-use of materials and efficient use of resources.
Prepare and set up conventional or CNC machines.
Operate and adjust conventional or CNC machines.
Apply risk assessment and hazard identification processes and procedures in the work area.
Monitor, obtain and check stock and supplies, and complete stock returns.
Record information - paper based or electronic. For example, energy usage, job sheets, risk assessments, equipment service records, test results, handover documents and manufacturers' documentation, asset management records, work sheets, checklists, waste environmental records and any legal reporting requirements.
Read and interpret information. For example, data and documentation used to produce machined components.
Apply engineering, mathematical and scientific principles.
Plan and organise own work and resources.
Follow and apply inspection, quality assurance procedures and processes.
Select machining process.
Select and setup tooling and work holding devices.
Set and adjust machine operating parameters. For example, setting feeds and speeds for roughing and finishing operations, loading, proving and validating programs when using a CNC machine tool.
Apply machining operations and techniques to produce complex components with features. For example, parallel; stepped; angular diameters and faces; grooves; slots; recesses and undercuts; radii and chamfers; internal and external forms and profiles; reamed; bored; drilled and electro eroded holes; internal and external screw threads.
Measure and check components.
Select and check condition of tools and equipment. Identify issues, resolve and take action as needed.
Identify and action issues in the manufacturing process.
Apply fault-finding and diagnostic testing procedures to identify faults. Diagnose and resolve issues. Escalate issues.
Maintain the work area and return any resources and consumables.
Communicate with others verbally. For example, colleagues and stakeholders.
Follow machine shut down, safe isolation, handover, start up or warm up procedures. Escalate issues.
Apply continuous improvement techniques. Devise suggestions for improvement.
Apply ethical principles.
Apply team working principles.

Your training plan

You will attend the Shrewsbury College, London Rd campus for your taught input each week (2 days per week) and the remainder of the working week will be based in the workplace.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

Maths and English (grade 4 / C 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
Number skills
Analytical skills
Logical
Team working

About this company

GWR Fasteners is a multi-award-winning company which distributes standard fasteners, special manufactured fasteners, and manufactured precision components to destinations all over the world. They take pride in being unique in differentiating themselves from the rest of the market, and providing an excellent service for their customers, in terms of the quality of their products, but also in how they communicate with their customers.

http://www.gwr-fasteners.co.uk (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

We would look to employ the apprentice in a full-time role as a CNC Setter/Operator on completion of their apprenticeship standard.

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 VAC1000330761.

Apply now

Closes on Friday 15 August 2025

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