Maintenance Engineering Apprenticeship
FINE LADY BAKERIES LIMITED
Manchester (M40 2BA)
Closes in 13 days (Friday 8 August 2025 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 24 July 2025
Contents
Summary
Fine Lady Bakeries, part of the Heygate group, employs over 700 people across two sites in Manchester and Banbury. Both sites retain a family-owned atmosphere where everyone is accessible and approachable.
- Wage
-
Competitive
Competitive wage offered
- Training course
- Food and drink maintenance engineer (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday - Friday, 08:00 - 17:00 (1 hour unpaid lunch break or 2 x 30 unpaid breaks).
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 15 September 2025
- Duration
-
3 years 6 months
- Positions available
-
2
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
Working in a clean environment, you'll collaborate closely with a tight-knit shift team and wider engineering staff.
You'll work closely with key operatives to deliver top-tier solutions that optimise plant performance.
You will attend training at Kirklees State Of The Art College based in Huddersfield. Being 27 miles from the bakery in Newton Heath Manchester you will be required to commute, with travel expenses covered. Student accommodation is available for those unable to commute via public transport or car, though applicants must be 18 or over to comply with accommodation rules, see the below for accommodation details.
Fine Lady Bakeries will provide ongoing support through regular meetings and updates throughout your apprenticeship, particularly during the crucial first year liaising with yourself and your college mentors.
Your commitment is crucial; successful completion of the apprenticeship will secure a full-time engineering position at our bakery here in Newton Heath, Manchester.
Where you'll work
Grimshaw Lane
Manchester
M40 2BA
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
KIRKLEES COLLEGE
Training course
Food and drink maintenance engineer (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Read and interpret task related information and data. For example, work instructions, SOPs, quality control documentation, Service Level Agreements, specifications, engineering representations, drawings, and graphical information, work instructions, and operation manuals.
- Plan work. Identify and organise resources to complete tasks.
- Identify hazards 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: safe disposal of waste, re-cycling or re-use of materials and efficient use of resources.
- Select, check the condition, and safely use maintenance tools and equipment. Store tools and equipment. Complete or arrange maintenance of tools and equipment including calibration where required.
- Follow standard operating procedures and quality procedures.
- Follow site isolation and lock off procedures (lockout, tagout) and re-instatement of equipment with system checks and handover.
- Apply mechanical and fluid power system maintenance practices and techniques. For example, check levels, parts wear, pressure, and sensors, grease and lubricate parts, replace, fit components, and calibrate equipment.
- Apply electrical and control maintenance practices and techniques including use of electrical testing equipment and instruments. For example, panel risk assessment, fixed wire installation testing, fault finding, thermographic surveys, and checking protection settings.
- Apply reliability engineering techniques to prevent or reduce the likelihood or frequency of failures. For example, condition monitoring, oil sampling, thermography, vibration analysis, and ultrasound.
- Install and configure instrumentation or process control systems.
- Install and configure electrical systems. For example, add distribution boards to circuits, single and three phase motors (AC and DC).
- Assemble, position and fix equipment or components. Complete commissioning checks.
- Disconnect and remove equipment or components. Complete storage measures to prevent deterioration.
- Read and interpret equipment performance data.
- Fabricate, drill, and join to produce basic parts, spares or components to measurement and tolerance specification.
- Apply down-hand (flat) TIG welding techniques: butt and tee.
- Apply mathematical techniques to solve engineering problems.
- Produce and amend electrical and mechanical engineering representations, drawings, and graphical information. For example, for new component parts or change in circuit diagram or panel.
- Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques for example, using PLC data to diagnose issues and locate faults on industrial network.
- Apply continuous improvement techniques to understand current performance; collect and record data. Devise suggestions for improvement.
- Restore the work area on completion of activity.
- Resolve or escalate issues.
- Use information technology. For example, for document creation, communication, and information management. Comply with GDPR. Comply with cyber security.
- Record work activity. For example, asset management records, work sheets, checklists, waste environmental records, and any business or legal reporting requirements.
- Communicate verbal and written. For example, with colleagues and stakeholders. Use engineering terminology where appropriate.
- Produce reports for example, equipment performance reports.
- Provide guidance or training to colleagues or stakeholders.
- Read and interpret task related information and data. For example, work instructions, SOPs, quality control documentation, Service Level Agreements, specifications, engineering representations, drawings, and graphical information, work instructions, and operation manuals.
- Plan work. Identify and organise resources to complete tasks.
- Identify hazards 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: safe disposal of waste, re-cycling or re-use of materials and efficient use of resources.
- Select, check the condition, and safely use maintenance tools and equipment. Store tools and equipment. Complete or arrange maintenance of tools and equipment including calibration where required.
- Follow standard operating procedures and quality procedures.
- Follow site isolation and lock off procedures (lockout, tagout) and re-instatement of equipment with system checks and handover.
- Apply mechanical and fluid power system maintenance practices and techniques. For example, check levels, parts wear, pressure, and sensors, grease and lubricate parts, replace, fit components, and calibrate equipment.
- Apply electrical and control maintenance practices and techniques including use of electrical testing equipment and instruments. For example, panel risk assessment, fixed wire installation testing, fault finding, thermographic surveys, and checking protection settings.
- Apply reliability engineering techniques to prevent or reduce the likelihood or frequency of failures. For example, condition monitoring, oil sampling, thermography, vibration analysis, and ultrasound.
- Install and configure instrumentation or process control systems.
- Install and configure electrical systems. For example, add distribution boards to circuits, single and three phase motors (AC and DC).
- Assemble, position and fix equipment or components. Complete commissioning checks.
- Disconnect and remove equipment or components. Complete storage measures to prevent deterioration.
- Read and interpret equipment performance data.
- Fabricate, drill, and join to produce basic parts, spares or components to measurement and tolerance specification.
- Apply down-hand (flat) TIG welding techniques: butt and tee.
- Apply mathematical techniques to solve engineering problems.
- Produce and amend electrical and mechanical engineering representations, drawings, and graphical information. For example, for new component parts or change in circuit diagram or panel.
- Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques for example, using PLC data to diagnose issues and locate faults on industrial network.
- Apply continuous improvement techniques to understand current performance; collect and record data. Devise suggestions for improvement.
- Restore the work area on completion of activity.
- Resolve or escalate issues.
- Use information technology. For example, for document creation, communication, and information management. Comply with GDPR. Comply with cyber security.
- Record work activity. For example, asset management records, work sheets, checklists, waste environmental records, and any business or legal reporting requirements.
- Communicate verbal and written. For example, with colleagues and stakeholders. Use engineering terminology where appropriate.
- Produce reports for example, equipment performance reports.
- Provide guidance or training to colleagues or stakeholders.
Training schedule
Currently, we are seeking to recruit an Apprentice Maintenance Engineer who will receive training in both Electrical and Mechanical engineering. The apprenticeship programme will be structured as follows:
- Year 1 (September 2025 – August 2026): you will attend Kirklees state-of-the-art college based in Huddersfield on the Monday 8th September 2025 through to Friday 23rd January 2026. This includes paid travel expenses or college provided accommodation throughout your learning journey* You will then return to the Bakery working Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm to gain essential Bakery knowledge and skills.
- Year 2 (September 2026 – August 2027): 25th January 2027 you will attend Kirklees College for 11 weeks as a block. Again, either commuting or staying in paid accommodation. After this you will return to the Bakery and work Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm building on your Bakery skill set until the next academic year restarts.
- Year 3 (September 2027 – August 2028): You will attend Kirklees college on the 4th January 2028 for a 5-week block, with a further 5-week block commencing on 19th April - followed again by a further 5 week block commencing on the 31st May. Again, either commuting or staying in paid accommodation. In between such dates and after all blocks have been completed you will return to the Bakery and commence work on Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm and finalising your skill set.
- Year 4 (September 2028 – August 2029): Day release with assessments on site (no accommodation required)
More training information
- You will work towards obtaining a Level 3 Diploma in Food & Drink Maintenance Engineer, along with training in Continuous Improvement (CI), Health & Safety (H&S), and Food Safety, with the option to pursue an HNC
- Once fully trained, your naturally inquisitive mind will be equipped to handle fault-finding and drive improvements in systems or processes using key skills gained in Continuous Improvement, while ensuring a Safe working environment
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 4 / C or above)
- Maths (grade 4 / C or above)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
Other requirements
• Genuine interest in engineering, supported by evidence such as a relevant hobby • Academic qualifications; minimum of GCSE English language and maths grade 4 or above along with a Science • Key computer skills • Punctuality and ability to commute is essential • Willingness to learn academically and practically • Good communication skills, written and verbal • Attention to detail, initiative, and problem-solving abilities
About this employer
For many years Fine Lady produced a wide range of bakery products from its ten acre site in Banbury, Oxfordshire. Due to continued growth across its customer base an additional purpose built bakery was opened during the later part of 2010 in Manchester giving the business both additional capacity as well as a far greater geographical footing to serve its customers requirements. Fine Lady produces in excess of 3 million loaves of bread every week.
https://www.heygates.co.uk/general/fine-lady-bakery/ (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
• Expenses covered throughout training • Competitive post-training salary • 28 days annual leave including (holidays cannot be taken during college blocks) • Onsite secure parking • Life assurance & Pension scheme • Free bread
After this apprenticeship
- Career growth opportunities
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
KIRKLEES COLLEGE
Mark
mcooney@kirkleescollege.ac.uk
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000333487.
Apply now
Closes in 13 days (Friday 8 August 2025 at 11:59pm)
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