Mechanical Engineering Apprentice

PILKINGTON GROUP LIMITED

St Helens, St. Helens

Closes on Thursday 30 April 2026

Posted on 5 March 2026

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Contents

Summary

Pilkington UK Ltd has exciting opportunities for an individual who wishes to begin a successful career as a Mechanical Engineering Technician in a world-leading glass manufacturing business.

Wage

£19,250 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Salary is due for review in April 2026

Training course
Engineering maintenance technician - single discipline (level 3)
Hours
Site Monday to Friday 7:48am to 4pm

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Monday 7 September 2026

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

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a business which has a proven track record of developing apprentices who aspire to become team leaders and managers in the UK and around the world.

The apprenticeship will provide training in mechanical skills for the maintenance and fault finding of manufacturing equipment within the glass industry, working with our teams of highly skilled Engineers to provide mechanical engineering support to our multi-million pound plant operations

As a Mechanical Engineering Apprentice, you will gain experience of:

  • Machine and equipment maintenance, including preventative and planned maintenance tasks on mechanical equipment such as gearboxes, pumps, chain drive systems, hydraulics, pneumatics etc.
  • Fault finding and diagnostics
  • Using preventative maintenance systems
  • Restoring components undertaking repair
  • Replacement and servicing equipment

Apprentices will gain knowledge of both mechanical and electrical engineering principles, leadership skills, quality control, health and safety training, and exposure to non-operational functions (Planning, Finance, Commercial) at our world- class manufacturing facilities in St Helens.

Additional Training such as Health and Safety, De-fib, First Aid, Vehicles (including forklift trucks), Technical Knowledge and Leadership Skills will all be provided by the business.

Where you'll work

You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship is available in these locations:

  • Cowley Hill, City Road, St Helens, WA10 6UY
  • Green Gate Works, Sherdley Road, St. Helens, WA9 5DZ

Training

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

Training provider

ST HELENS COLLEGE

Training course

Engineering maintenance technician - single discipline (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Review and use information. For example, work instructions, drawings, design specifications, and plant configurations.
  • Use planning, prioritising, organising, and time management techniques to plan tasks.
  • Identify and organise resources to complete tasks. For example, consumables.
  • Respond and adapt to work demands. For example, adapt working methods to reflect changes in working environment, re-prioritise workloads to react to breakdowns and fault scenarios.
  • Identify equipment to work on. Check plant configuration is as defined.
  • Prepare the work area for maintenance tasks.
  • Identify environmental and health and safety hazards and risks and apply control measures.
  • Apply health, safety, and environmental procedures in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidance. For example, signage and barriers, working at height, confined spaces, and COSHH.
  • Follow security procedures. For example, site access, document classification, and securing assets.
  • Follow emergency incident and response procedures.
  • Apply sustainability principles. For example, minimising waste.
  • Segregate items for reuse, recycling, and waste.
  • Use mathematical principles and formulae to support engineering maintenance.
  • Apply engineering maintenance standards and procedures.
  • Apply foreign material exclusion procedures.
  • Follow maintenance tools and equipment control procedures. For example, handling and storage.
  • Reinstate the work area.
  • Apply team working principles.
  • Communicate with others to give and receive information. For example, colleagues, customers, and stakeholders.
  • Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
  • Record information.
  • Produce or update documents. For example, handover notes and reports.
  • Identify and highlight issues (red pen) with technical drawings.
  • Use digital and information technology. For example, databases, data sharing platforms, email, management information systems, and word processing. Follow cyber security and GDPR requirements.
  • Apply continuous improvement techniques to identify improvement suggestions.
  • Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development activities.
  • Electrical. Confirm safe electrical isolation lockout tagout method has been applied and test for dead.
  • Electrical. Select, check, and use electrical maintenance tools, measurement, and test equipment.
  • Electrical. Use electrical diagnostic equipment and apply fault finding and rectification techniques.
  • Electrical. Apply problem solving and critical reasoning techniques.
  • Electrical. Inspect and test electrical aspects of plant. For example, visual checks, insulation and continuity checks, thermographic surveys, and voltage levels.
  • Electrical. Remove and replace electrical parts.
  • Electrical. Prepare and terminate electrical cables.
  • Electrical. Set up, align and adjust electrical aspects of plant.
  • Electrical. Clean parts. For example, removal of dust and debris.
  • Electrical. Conduct and confirm electrical and connected services deisolation.
  • Electrical. Conduct functional testing.
  • Control and instrumentation. Conduct and confirm safe isolation of connected services
  • Control and instrumentation. Confirm safe electrical isolation lockout tagout method has been applied and test for dead.
  • Control and instrumentation. Select, check, and use control and instrumentation maintenance tools, measurement, and test equipment.
  • Control and instrumentation. Use control and instrumentation diagnostic equipment and apply fault finding and rectification techniques.
  • Control and instrumentation. Apply problem solving and critical reasoning techniques.
  • Control and instrumentation. Inspect and test control and instrumentation systems.
  • Control and instrumentation. Check calibration and make adjustments.
  • Control and instrumentation. Check loop function.
  • Control and instrumentation. Set up and adjust control and instrumentation systems.
  • Control and instrumentation. Clean parts. For example, removal of dust and debris.
  • Control and instrumentation. Remove and replace instruments and sensors.
  • Control and instrumentation. Re-connect instrumentation power supply, cables, pipework, and services.
  • Control and instrumentation. Conduct and confirm electrical and connected services deisolation.
  • Control and instrumentation. Conduct functional testing.
  • Mechanical. Check and confirm safe isolation of connected services.
  • Mechanical. Select, check, and use mechanical maintenance tools and equipment.
  • Mechanical. Use mechanical diagnostic equipment and apply fault finding and rectification techniques.
  • Mechanical. Apply problem solving and critical reasoning techniques.
  • Mechanical. Check condition and operation of mechanical aspects of plant and equipment. For example, pumps.
  • Mechanical. Remove and replace mechanical parts.
  • Mechanical. Examine mechanical parts for defects. For example, pump seals.
  • Mechanical. Set up, align, and adjust mechanical aspects of plant.
  • Mechanical. Clean parts. For example, removal of dust and debris.
  • Mechanical. Lubricate mechanical assemblies.
  • Mechanical. Confirm electrical and connected services deisolation.
  • Mechanical. Conduct functional testing.
  • Mechanical. Apply bench fitting techniques.
  • Review and use information. For example, work instructions, drawings, design specifications, and plant configurations.
  • Use planning, prioritising, organising, and time management techniques to plan tasks.
  • Identify and organise resources to complete tasks. For example, consumables.
  • Respond and adapt to work demands. For example, adapt working methods to reflect changes in working environment, re-prioritise workloads to react to breakdowns and fault scenarios.
  • Identify equipment to work on. Check plant configuration is as defined.
  • Prepare the work area for maintenance tasks.
  • Identify environmental and health and safety hazards and risks and apply control measures.
  • Apply health, safety, and environmental procedures in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidance. For example, signage and barriers, working at height, confined spaces, and COSHH.
  • Follow security procedures. For example, site access, document classification, and securing assets.
  • Follow emergency incident and response procedures.
  • Apply sustainability principles. For example, minimising waste.
  • Segregate items for reuse, recycling, and waste.
  • Use mathematical principles and formulae to support engineering maintenance.
  • Apply engineering maintenance standards and procedures.
  • Apply foreign material exclusion procedures.
  • Follow maintenance tools and equipment control procedures. For example, handling and storage.
  • Reinstate the work area.
  • Apply team working principles.
  • Communicate with others to give and receive information. For example, colleagues, customers, and stakeholders.
  • Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
  • Record information.
  • Produce or update documents. For example, handover notes and reports.
  • Identify and highlight issues (red pen) with technical drawings.
  • Use digital and information technology. For example, databases, data sharing platforms, email, management information systems, and word processing. Follow cyber security and GDPR requirements.
  • Apply continuous improvement techniques to identify improvement suggestions.
  • Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development activities.

Training schedule

Apprentices will spend one day per week at Waterside and 4 days per week on site

More training information

Waterside Training Ltd, WA9 1TW

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 5)
  • Maths (grade 5)
  • Science (grade 5)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Attention to detail
  • Organisation skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Presentation skills
  • Number skills
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative

Other requirements

This would be a four-year apprenticeship programme. Apprentices may occasionally be exposure to hot working environments and dusty areas due to the nature of our processes.

About this employer

As a member of the NSG Group, Pilkington United Kingdom Limited is one of the leading glass suppliers in the UK.  We manufacture, process and distribute glass in the UK under the Pilkington brand name, using the most advanced glass manufacturing and coating technologies.  We offer a wide range of innovative flat glass solutions for the construction industry and we also manufacture and supply products for non-building related applications such as digital signage and displays.

 

We employ around 3,000 people across the UK and the Pilkington brand is synonymous with technical excellence and service in the glass industry.

https://www.nsg.com/ (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

  • We endeavour to offer full time, permanent roles to qualified Engineering Technicians at the end of the period of apprenticeship training
  • We are a global business with opportunities for talented individuals both in the UK and abroad; most of our former apprentices go on to become Team Leaders, with many subsequently moving into Engineering management roles both at our Upstream manufacturing sites and at our European Technical Centre in Lathom, nr Ormskirk
  • Funding for degrees is available, subject to business requirements, throughout your career

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

ST HELENS COLLEGE

Lisa Humphreys

lhumphreys@waterside-training.co.uk

01744616592

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000018564.

Apply now

Closes on Thursday 30 April 2026

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.