Toolmaker Apprentice
NICO MANUFACTURING LIMITED
Essex (CO15 3TJ)
Closes in 16 days (Friday 22 August 2025)
Posted on 5 August 2025
Contents
Summary
You will learn the skills required to work in a fully equipped toolroom including the manufacture of new tooling and servicing of old complex power press, plastic mould and diecasting press tooling. Utilising equipment such as wire erroders, spark erroders, CNC machining centres, lathes, as well as standard bench work.
- Wage
-
£15,311.40 to £24,761.88, depending on your age
National Minimum Wage
- Training course
- Machining technician (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday to Thursday, from 8:00am - 4:30pm.
Friday, from 8:00am - 3:30pm, with a 30 minute lunch break.
39 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 8 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
- Disassemble, examine, diagnose and repair unserviceable power press tooling
- Assist in the transfer of tool design from drawings to physical tooling
- Operating all types of toolmaking machinery in the manufacture of tools and associated parts
- Assist in the diagnosis of incorrect tooling and gauges at production
- Assist in the servicing and maintenance of toolroom machinery and equipment
Where you'll work
109 Oxford Road
Clacton On Sea
Essex
CO15 3TJ
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
COLCHESTER INSTITUTE
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.
Training schedule
- The apprentice will be working towards the Level 3 Machining Technician Apprenticeship Standard
- Qualifications include: EAL Level 3 Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (Development Competence), EAL Level 2 Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering (Foundation Competence) and EAL Level 3 Diploma in Machining (Development Knowledge)
- College attendance required one day per week at Colchester Institute - Braintree Campus (transport from Colchester Campus provided if needed)
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
- Creative
- Initiative
- Patience
About this employer
Nico Manufacturing Limited based in Clacton On Sea are a long established successful manufacturer of double glaze window hardware including locks and hinges and architectural hardware for doors etc. It employs around 150 people of which 8 are toolmakers and have been based on the current site for more than 60 years.
After this apprenticeship
Once qualified and if proven the apprentice can in time progress to chargehand and supervisor of the toolroom.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
COLCHESTER INSTITUTE
Colchester Institute - Apprenticeship Team
ci.apprenticeships@colchester.ac.uk
01206 712043
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000335466.
Apply now
Closes in 16 days (Friday 22 August 2025)
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