Manufacturing Technician Apprenticeship
ABF GRAIN PRODUCTS LIMITED
Leigh (WN7 5RS)
Closes on Thursday 30 April 2026
Posted on 5 March 2026
Contents
Summary
Waterside Training in partnership with AB World Foods based at Leigh has 4 fantastic opportunities for apprentices to join their production team to support the manufacturing operations as Manufacturing Technician Apprentices.
- Wage
-
£16,800 a year
- Training course
- Process industry manufacturing technician (level 3)
- Hours
-
As the site is a 24-hour operation, to start, you will initially workday shifts 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. moving to a number of shifts consisting of 6-2, 2-10, 10-6 or 12-hour continental shifts. The first year will be at Waterside 9am – 4pm.
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 7 September 2026
- Duration
-
3 years
- 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
AB World Foods are looking to increase their manufacturing capability at the Leigh facility through the training and development of manufacturing Apprentices who will play a key role in supporting our ambitious growth plans.
As a technician you will cover roles within the Paste, Pappadum and Sauce teams, gaining an understanding of the core roles of Sauce/Paste Batching Technician, Sauce Filling Technician and Pappadum Extrusion Technician within the factory.
The role of Technician is responsible for operating key pieces of equipment on the line working on highly automated plant and equipment. Technicians are at the heart of the manufacturing and business processes - without this key role no product would be developed or produced. out this key role no product would be developed or produced.
Duties will include but are not limited to:
- Supporting product changeovers between batches
- Setting and adjusting machine parameters to maintain production quality
- Monitoring production lines to ensure continuous operation
- Supporting batching, filling and extrusion processes
- Assisting with basic fault finding on production equipment
- Supporting maintenance technicians when required
- Identifying equipment issues early to prevent downtime
- Using engineering knowledge to support problem solving
- Supporting lean manufacturing activities
- Identifying opportunities to improve efficiency
- Working safely in line with company procedures
- Completing daily cleaning and hygiene tasks
To be a technician you need to have a good understanding of Engineering techniques to be able to resolve problems with machinery and or production processes.
You will engage with the continuous improvement agenda seeking out new opportunities to take an active role in all CI activities working to set standards in a FMCG facility to control and set machinery.
You will work towards total Quality Assurance by ensuring all hygiene tasks are carried out and maintained in a clean and tidy state, proactively report pest control issues and manage process quality parameters to ensure good quality output.
Where you'll work
Kiribati Way
Leigh
WN7 5RS
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
Process industry manufacturing technician (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Review instructions or information to understand the task.
- Plan tasks. Identify and organise resources with consideration for safety, environmental impact, quality, and cost.
- Identify hazards and risks in the workplace and personal safety and mitigation measures.
- Apply health, safety, and environmental procedures in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidance.
- Follow environment emergency procedures. For example, make area safe, evacuate.
- Apply sustainability principles for example, minimising waste.
- Apply standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- Check equipment.
- Select, check, and prepare raw materials for process for example, weighing, measuring, control and blending, conditioning, dissolving, and sanitisation.
- Set and adjust processing parameters such as temperature, pressure, speed or time, distance.
- Monitor process for example, take readings and conduct walk-arounds.
- Conduct the control of product streams to maintain specifics.
- Apply quality assurance procedures. For example, density checks, contaminant check, and take samples for laboratory testing.
- Apply intermediate or post-manufacturing procedure for example, labelling, packing, storage, visual inspection, discharge.
- Manage waste streams.
- Clean equipment for example, boil-outs, steam-outs, bake-outs, steam in place SIP, clean in place (CIP).
- Conduct calculations for example, conversations, tare weight, charge weights, yield calculations.
- Store tools and equipment.
- Identify equipment for handover.
- Apply signage and access restriction measures.
- Shut down the process and equipment.
- Isolate process and systems.
- Complete isolation checks.
- Empty equipment for example, drain, purge, vent, and de-pressure.
- Purge, fill, pressurise and leak test.
- Complete post maintenance equipment checks.
- Line-up equipment.
- Connect service connections such as water, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic for chemical or petrochemical processing.
- De-isolate process, mechanical and electrical systems.
- Complete pre-start up checks.
- Start-up plant and equipment.
- Re-start process.
- Record or enter information - paper based or electronic.
- Interpret data for example, process data, quality control and test procedure data.
- Interpret drawings and graphs.
- Identify issues for example, defects, deviations, process variance, and maintenance requirements.
- Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
- Apply problem solving and fault-finding techniques.
- Apply continuous improvement techniques. Make a suggestion for improvement.
- Use information and digital technology for example, management information systems, human machine interfaces, word processing, spreadsheet, email, virtual learning platforms, document sharing platforms. Comply with cyber security requirements.
- Produce written documents for example, handover notes or emails, non-conformances, design change requests.
- Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
- Apply team working principles.
- Plan how to meet personal development needs. Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development (CPD) activities.
- Review instructions or information to understand the task.
- Plan tasks. Identify and organise resources with consideration for safety, environmental impact, quality, and cost.
- Identify hazards and risks in the workplace and personal safety and mitigation measures.
- Apply health, safety, and environmental procedures in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidance.
- Follow environment emergency procedures. For example, make area safe, evacuate.
- Apply sustainability principles for example, minimising waste.
- Apply standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- Check equipment.
- Select, check, and prepare raw materials for process for example, weighing, measuring, control and blending, conditioning, dissolving, and sanitisation.
- Set and adjust processing parameters such as temperature, pressure, speed or time, distance.
- Monitor process for example, take readings and conduct walk-arounds.
- Conduct the control of product streams to maintain specifics.
- Apply quality assurance procedures. For example, density checks, contaminant check, and take samples for laboratory testing.
- Apply intermediate or post-manufacturing procedure for example, labelling, packing, storage, visual inspection, discharge.
- Manage waste streams.
- Clean equipment for example, boil-outs, steam-outs, bake-outs, steam in place SIP, clean in place (CIP).
- Conduct calculations for example, conversations, tare weight, charge weights, yield calculations.
- Store tools and equipment.
- Identify equipment for handover.
- Apply signage and access restriction measures.
- Shut down the process and equipment.
- Isolate process and systems.
- Complete isolation checks.
- Empty equipment for example, drain, purge, vent, and de-pressure.
- Purge, fill, pressurise and leak test.
- Complete post maintenance equipment checks.
- Line-up equipment.
- Connect service connections such as water, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic for chemical or petrochemical processing.
- De-isolate process, mechanical and electrical systems.
- Complete pre-start up checks.
- Start-up plant and equipment.
- Re-start process.
- Record or enter information - paper based or electronic.
- Interpret data for example, process data, quality control and test procedure data.
- Interpret drawings and graphs.
- Identify issues for example, defects, deviations, process variance, and maintenance requirements.
- Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
- Apply problem solving and fault-finding techniques.
- Apply continuous improvement techniques. Make a suggestion for improvement.
- Use information and digital technology for example, management information systems, human machine interfaces, word processing, spreadsheet, email, virtual learning platforms, document sharing platforms. Comply with cyber security requirements.
- Produce written documents for example, handover notes or emails, non-conformances, design change requests.
- Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
- Apply team working principles.
- Plan how to meet personal development needs. Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development (CPD) activities.
Training schedule
Training will take place at Waterside Training WA9 1TW
Apprentices will complete a programme of both theoretical and practical learning over a three-year period. Initially, based at Waterside Training undertaking broad based training during year 1 in Electrical and Mechanical techniques alongside Lean Manufacturing and Business Improvement techniques before moving to a programme of working on with experienced production technician's tackling “real life” activities.
More training information
You will need to be able to travel to both Waterside Training, St Helens and AB World Foods, Leigh to carry out your training.
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
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Number skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
- Patience
About this employer
AB World Foods are a UK producer and global distributor of ethnic foods, dealing with all the major multiples. A flavour producer we produce Indian sauces, pastes and pappadums in a modern, high speed and high volume facility utilising cutting edge technologies.
AB World Foods, primarily known as Pataks, based at Leigh produce a wide range of products, primarily under the Pataks brand, creating authentic sauces, pickles, chutney and pappadums delivering great branded flavours for consumers across the world.
After this apprenticeship
The advertised Apprentice wage will increase yearly or upon completion of progressive stages. Apprentices have fantastic future prospects within ABWF and the wider ABF group. Possibility of progressing onto a Level 4 qualification (or further) subject to agreed performance criteria. After qualifying you could go on to supervisory roles or senior management
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 VAC2000019124.
Apply now
Closes on Thursday 30 April 2026
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.