Engineering Apprentice
MARS CHOCOLATE UK LIMITED
Plymouth (PL6 7PL)
Closes on Friday 30 January 2026
Posted on 12 November 2025
Contents
Summary
Are you ready to kickstart your career with an exciting 4-year Apprenticeship at Mars? Dive into the world of food and drink as you work towards a Level 3 Mechatronics Maintenance qualification. This is not just any apprenticeship, it is your ticket to real-world experience, fantastic training, and a chance to make a difference!
- Wage
-
£20,000 a year
- Training course
- Mechatronics maintenance technician (level 3)
- Hours
-
Rotating shifts 6am to 2pm week 1 and 2pm to 10pm week 2 Monday to Friday.
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 7 September 2026
- Duration
-
3 years 6 months
- Positions available
-
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
- Learning how to maintain our plant
- Learning how to diagnose complex mechanical and electrical faults
- Learning how to repair our equipment
- Applying all relevant Mars quality and safety systems to ensure the safety of people and products is maintained
- Working across various areas in our factory, including Mechanical, Electrical and Utilities
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
CITY COLLEGE PLYMOUTH
Training course
Mechatronics maintenance technician (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Use information technology, for example to create documentation, communication and information management.
- Obtain, read and interpret task related documentation, such as work instructions, quality control documents, drawings, operation manuals, specifications and service manuals.
- Record information for example 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.
- Conduct initial assessment of equipment that requires maintenance.
- Formulate plans setting out the methodology of the maintenance activity including timescales and resources.
- Select, prepare and use material, consumables, tools and equipment.
- Comply with health and safety regulations and organisational requirements applicable in the workplace. For example, COSHH, PUWER, LOLER, PPE and applying safe systems of work.
- Apply dynamic risk assessment, hazard identification and risk mitigation principles and techniques.
- Apply isolation principles and techniques to equipment undergoing maintenance, including dissipation of stored energies as required.
- Manufacture, repair and refurbish components using hand and machine tools.
- Restore the workplace on completion of the maintenance activity. Handover resources, consumables and equipment to process owner.
- Apply the techniques and processes used in reactive maintenance and repair activities on complex engineered systems such as electrical, electronic, mechanical, fluid power and control systems.
- Produce, maintain, update, record and store documentation including electronic items such as PLC and robot programmes.
- Apply techniques and processes used in planned and preventative maintenance activities on engineered systems such as electrical, electronic, mechanical, fluid power and control systems.
- Apply functional testing and checking techniques and processes after maintenance interventions, and handover to the operational team.
- Apply techniques and processes used in condition monitoring, non-destructive or sensory testing. Record findings and take necessary actions.
- Apply calculation techniques such as, feeds, speeds, tolerances, electrical calculations using Ohms law, power calculations and cable sizing calculations.
- Select, use and confirm calibration of electrical and mechanical testing and measuring equipment.
- Produce sketches or drawings to support maintenance activities.
- Communicate in writing. Prepare communications, documents and reports on technical matters.
- Segregate, separate and dispose of waste streams and by-products.
- Apply 4S or 5S principles of housekeeping to the work environment.
- Identify opportunities and make recommendations to improve operational performance.
- Apply continuous improvement techniques.
- Communicate with others verbally. Negotiate with colleagues or stakeholders. For example, to access equipment or arrange access to equipment.
- Follow equity, diversity and inclusion procedures.
- Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development activities.
- Apply fault finding techniques used in reactive maintenance on complex integrated systems including half split, input output, six point technique, function or performance testing, unit or component substitution and equipment diagnostics.
- Use information technology, for example to create documentation, communication and information management.
- Obtain, read and interpret task related documentation, such as work instructions, quality control documents, drawings, operation manuals, specifications and service manuals.
- Record information for example 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.
- Conduct initial assessment of equipment that requires maintenance.
- Formulate plans setting out the methodology of the maintenance activity including timescales and resources.
- Select, prepare and use material, consumables, tools and equipment.
- Comply with health and safety regulations and organisational requirements applicable in the workplace. For example, COSHH, PUWER, LOLER, PPE and applying safe systems of work.
- Apply dynamic risk assessment, hazard identification and risk mitigation principles and techniques.
- Apply isolation principles and techniques to equipment undergoing maintenance, including dissipation of stored energies as required.
- Manufacture, repair and refurbish components using hand and machine tools.
- Restore the workplace on completion of the maintenance activity. Handover resources, consumables and equipment to process owner.
- Apply the techniques and processes used in reactive maintenance and repair activities on complex engineered systems such as electrical, electronic, mechanical, fluid power and control systems.
- Produce, maintain, update, record and store documentation including electronic items such as PLC and robot programmes.
- Apply techniques and processes used in planned and preventative maintenance activities on engineered systems such as electrical, electronic, mechanical, fluid power and control systems.
- Apply functional testing and checking techniques and processes after maintenance interventions, and handover to the operational team.
- Apply techniques and processes used in condition monitoring, non-destructive or sensory testing. Record findings and take necessary actions.
- Apply calculation techniques such as, feeds, speeds, tolerances, electrical calculations using Ohms law, power calculations and cable sizing calculations.
- Select, use and confirm calibration of electrical and mechanical testing and measuring equipment.
- Produce sketches or drawings to support maintenance activities.
- Communicate in writing. Prepare communications, documents and reports on technical matters.
- Segregate, separate and dispose of waste streams and by-products.
- Apply 4S or 5S principles of housekeeping to the work environment.
- Identify opportunities and make recommendations to improve operational performance.
- Apply continuous improvement techniques.
- Communicate with others verbally. Negotiate with colleagues or stakeholders. For example, to access equipment or arrange access to equipment.
- Follow equity, diversity and inclusion procedures.
- Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development activities.
- Apply fault finding techniques used in reactive maintenance on complex integrated systems including half split, input output, six point technique, function or performance testing, unit or component substitution and equipment diagnostics.
Training schedule
Training will take place at City College Plymouth (Kings Rd) full-time for the first year. During most college holidays you will be expected to attend the Mars Plymouth factory.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- any other 2 GCSEs (grade 4 or above)
- English (grade 4 or Above)
- Mathematics (grade 4 or Above)
- Science (grade 4 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
- Presentation skills
- Number skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
About this employer
At Mars our 140,000+ Associates across 80 countries get the opportunity to work in confectionery, family meals, petcare, veterinarian services and much more.
https://careers.mars.com/uk/en/apprenticeships (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
Private healthcare, salary increase upon successful completion of each academic year, on site gym, retail discounts.
After this apprenticeship
If the apprenticeship is completed successfully, you could progress to a permanent position at MARS.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
CITY COLLEGE PLYMOUTH
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000000284.
Apply now
Closes on Friday 30 January 2026
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