Operations Apprentice
MARS CHOCOLATE UK LIMITED
Plymouth (PL6 7PL)
Closes on Friday 30 January 2026
Posted on 24 October 2025
Contents
Summary
As part of our Mars Wrigley team in Plymouth, you will take part in fantastic training courses and team building events, whilst tackling real challenges and taking on real responsibility. As a Mars Apprentice you will gain a professional qualification, as well as on the job experience.
- Wage
-
£20,000 a year
Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Salary £20,000 + annual bonus + benefits
- Training course
- Food and drink technical operator (level 3)
- Hours
-
Shifts to be confirmed.
40 hours a week
- Start date
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Monday 7 September 2026
- Duration
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3 years
- Positions available
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4
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
As an operations apprentice, you will gain an understanding of machinery and manufacturing whilst taking ownership of your designated work areas. This helps to work towards becoming a Lead Operator of a team which teaches many skills beneficial to your progression and rewarding career.
What will be your key responsibilities?
- Technical Development - Learn to identify and solve machine and process issues, driving efficiency, reliability, and continuous improvement across operations
- Leadership Development - Gain experience coordinating small teams of operators and temporary staff, learning how to motivate and manage people to meet production goals
- Safety & Quality First - Apply Mars’ high standards to protect colleagues, ensure compliance, and deliver safe, high-quality products
- Future Growth - Rotational exposure across operations provides insight into supply
What’s in it for You?
- Purpose-Driven Work: Be part of a company that’s building a better world
- Training: Access to Mars University and continuous learning from day one
What can you expect from Mars?
- Work with diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles
- Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today
- Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University
- An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus
- Developing leadership skills to enable you to lead a team to achieve results
- Learning how to operate, diagnose faults, repair, and maintain our equipment
- Working across both process and wrapping areas of our factory
- Applying all relevant Mars quality and safety systems to ensure the safety of people and products is maintained
Where you'll work
Estover Close
Plymouth
PL6 7PL
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
BRIDGWATER AND TAUNTON COLLEGE
Training course
Food and drink technical operator (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Interpret, follow and implement food and drink production SOPs.
- Interpret, follow and implement quality assurance procedures.
- Monitor production performance, stock usage and rotation.
- Operate or use food and drink production tools and equipment.
- Identify hazards (Critical Control Points) 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. Segregate, recycle and dispose of waste.
- Monitor and inspect production machinery.
- Apply basic maintenance practices. For example, check levels, parts wear, pressure, and sensors, and grease and lubricate.
- Select and use maintenance hand tools.
- Follow food safe engineering standards and practices. For example, use of food safe chemicals, check out and in of components.
- Follow site isolation and lock off procedures (lockout, tagout).
- Diagnose and resolve issues. Escalate issues.
- Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques.
- Apply continuous improvement techniques. Devise suggestions for improvement.
- Collect and interpret information. Use data to apply changes
- Record information - paper based or electronic.
- Use information technology. Comply with GDPR.
- Plan and organise self, others and resources.
- Communicate with colleagues and stakeholders visually and verbally.
- Communicate in writing.
- Identify training needs. Train and buddy team members in the workplace.
- Interpret, follow and implement food and drink production SOPs.
- Interpret, follow and implement quality assurance procedures.
- Monitor production performance, stock usage and rotation.
- Operate or use food and drink production tools and equipment.
- Identify hazards (Critical Control Points) 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. Segregate, recycle and dispose of waste.
- Monitor and inspect production machinery.
- Apply basic maintenance practices. For example, check levels, parts wear, pressure, and sensors, and grease and lubricate.
- Select and use maintenance hand tools.
- Follow food safe engineering standards and practices. For example, use of food safe chemicals, check out and in of components.
- Follow site isolation and lock off procedures (lockout, tagout).
- Diagnose and resolve issues. Escalate issues.
- Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques.
- Apply continuous improvement techniques. Devise suggestions for improvement.
- Collect and interpret information. Use data to apply changes
- Record information - paper based or electronic.
- Use information technology. Comply with GDPR.
- Plan and organise self, others and resources.
- Communicate with colleagues and stakeholders visually and verbally.
- Communicate in writing.
- Identify training needs. Train and buddy team members in the workplace.
Training schedule
Food and Drink Technical Operator Apprenticeship Standard (Level 3).
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE 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
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Team working
- Initiative
- Patience
- Demonstrate leadership skills
- Being hands on
- The desire to learn
- Eager to learn
- Passion for Leadership
- Collaboration
Other requirements
You’ll need to be a great team player and communicator, with the motivation to get results and a positive mindset. Able to travel to our Plymouth site. You'll need to be 16+ by 7th September 2026
About this employer
When we make brands that put smiles on people’s faces and create better moments for millions, we feel a sense of pride in our work! At Mars Wrigley Plymouth, we make our iconic products like Hubba Bubba®, ORBIT®, EXTRA® and Airwaves®.
https://careers.mars.com/uk/en/home (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
Large number of company benefits including private healthcare, retail discounts.
After this apprenticeship
On successful completion of the Operations Apprenticeship, you will have demonstrated leadership skills and the ability to take ownership and accountability for a number of machines, processes or pieces of equipment and carry out complex operational tasks, enabling you to coordinate a team of operational Associates to achieve line KPIs and take the lead in repairing mechanical breakdowns.
What can you expect from Mars?
- Work with over 140,000 diverse and talented associates, all guided by The Five Principles
- Join a purpose-driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today
- Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University
- An industry-competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
BRIDGWATER AND TAUNTON COLLEGE
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000348309.
Apply now
Closes on Friday 30 January 2026
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