Apprentice Craft Technician: Ceramics

1882 LTD

Stoke-On-Trent (ST12 9ER)

Closes in 14 days (Friday 10 April 2026)

Posted on 27 March 2026

Print

Contents

Summary

At 1882 Ltd, we don’t just make design driven ceramics; we preserve a legacy. Based in the historic heart of the British Ceramic’s Industry and founded by a fifth-generation ceramics family. The vacancy is for an apprentice Craft Technician: Ceramics. 

Wage

£16,224 to £25,775.88, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Craft technician (level 3)
Hours
Monday to Friday 7.30am to 2.30pm. Some flexibility is required based on the skills being taught at the time.

39 hours a week

Start date

Monday 25 May 2026

Duration

1 year 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

The vacancy is for an apprentice Craft Technician: Ceramics. The successful applicant will be trained across many aspects of pottery / ceramics production. This will include learning and understanding materials, design and production techniques, finishing and packaging of goods. This is a hands-on role working within an active ceramics factory. Your day-to-day department will be the Decoration & Glazing team. You will receive extensive training in all heritage and contemporary decoration techniques and processes.

You will also be placed on a Level 3 Craft Technician: Ceramics apprenticeship. You will be required to attend training with Creative Alliance and partner organisations throughout the 18 months of the course.

Skills Required

  • Attention to detail
  • Proactive, patient and positive with a can-do attitude
  • Effective communication skills
  • Be hands on and able to use tools
  • Ability to work well as part of a team
  • Methodical and tidy
  • Be able to present information in different formats

Where you'll work

Wedgwood Drive
Barlaston
Stoke-On-Trent
ST12 9ER

Training

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

Training provider

THE WEST MIDLANDS CREATIVE ALLIANCE LIMITED

Training course

Craft technician (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Select and use tools and equipment.
  • Use technology as an enabler to make hand-crafted items, models or prototypes.
  • Identify sustainable techniques to make handmade or hand- produced items.
  • Store tools and materials, ensuring they are protected from damage when not in use.
  • Follow health and safety procedures.
  • Clean, maintain and prepare the craft workspace or workshop.
  • The roles, responsibilities and interdependencies of different parties in a project and your role within this.
  • Identify costs. Deploy controls to enable effective budget management.
  • Manage projects on time and budget. Maintain reputational standards and mitigate legal risks.
  • Conduct stock control and liaise with suppliers.
  • Communicate with stakeholders, colleagues or customers.
  • Follow quality assurance procedures.
  • Apply design principles to the making or production of items, in line with the brief such as shape, size, proportion, colour and finish.
  • Select packaging for craft items to protect them whilst in transit. Present items as per the organisation’s or client or customer needs.
  • Use specialist tools and equipment required for specific purposes.
  • Make ceramic items, prototypes or models in line with the brief. Consider: purpose, end user, market, and budget.
  • Select and use clay or material for the ceramic item being made.
  • Use making skills for example hand building, sculpting, throwing, casting, moulding, and tool crafting or equivalent.
  • Select and use finishing techniques or glazes to be applied to the final ceramic product.
  • Assess the finished ceramic item against the brief and the production schedule including efficiency and wastage, quality, budget.
  • Use drawn plans (hand or digital), prototypes or models to aid the making of a hand-made ceramic product.
  • Mix dyes, paints and pigments to colour match to a sample.
  • Dye selected fabric swatches, to produce colour samples matched to a design brief.
  • Manage the dye baths in an efficient and sustainable way.
  • Plan and work through a schedule of items to be dyed.
  • Select and apply the dye method required to create the effect in the design brief.
  • Select and use the dye type according to the fibre content and, composition of chosen fabric.
  • Apply techniques such as hand painting, spraying, block printing, screen printing and textile effects.
  • Use image editing technology to create artwork for printing.
  • Use finishing and fixing techniques to complete the dye process.
  • Apply special effects techniques such as distressing, breakdown, ageing, wounds or blood effects.
  • Paint, print or dye a textile design on flat pattern pieces.
  • Record dye recipes and log information related to the dyeing process such as the order of processes.
  • Select and use tools and equipment.
  • Use technology as an enabler to make hand-crafted items, models or prototypes.
  • Identify sustainable techniques to make handmade or hand- produced items.
  • Store tools and materials, ensuring they are protected from damage when not in use.
  • Follow health and safety procedures.
  • Clean, maintain and prepare the craft workspace or workshop.
  • The roles, responsibilities and interdependencies of different parties in a project and your role within this.
  • Identify costs. Deploy controls to enable effective budget management.
  • Manage projects on time and budget. Maintain reputational standards and mitigate legal risks.
  • Conduct stock control and liaise with suppliers.
  • Communicate with stakeholders, colleagues or customers.
  • Follow quality assurance procedures.
  • Apply design principles to the making or production of items, in line with the brief such as shape, size, proportion, colour and finish.
  • Select packaging for craft items to protect them whilst in transit. Present items as per the organisation’s or client or customer needs.
  • Use specialist tools and equipment required for specific purposes.

Training schedule

Level 3 Craft Technician Apprenticeship - Ceramics

See full standard here

https://skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0919-v1-1

Craft technicians provide technical support to ensure new or existing items, are made or restored by hand. They are designed, developed, and created in line with company and client requirements. Increasingly, the integration of digital technologies across this sector will support production processes. While still retaining unique craft or skill qualities through hybrid manufactured and hand produced or handmade production.

Craft technicians must adhere to the organisation’s confidentiality requirements and understand basic copyrighting and intellectual property arrangements. Working with discretion, taking positive action in response to feedback, being solution focused, and maintaining awareness of the bigger picture. Including budget and broader resource constraints and environmental impacts and ways to reduce these, are essential to a craft technician approach.

Core Training

Duty 1 Make products or component parts of products by hand in line with the settings quality standards, confidentiality policies and intellectual property requirements.

Duty 2 Utilise technology as an enabler to handmake or hand produce items within social, cultural, economic, technological and environmental contexts impacting your chosen specialism.

Duty 3 Follow agreed plans, designs or brief to aid the successful creation of a specified handmade or hand produced products within time and cost constraints.

Duty 4 Maintain equipment and the workspace, and store tools in line with the settings standards and health and safety requirements.

Duty 5 Research and develop sustainable production techniques, processes and the use of recycled and sustainable materials

Duty 6 Manage expectations by maintaining regular communication and delivering effective project management, budget tracking, troubleshooting, project delivery and timekeeping.

Duty 7 Order or recommend materials and tools in line with the settings procurement policies and processes. Following stock management procedures as needed to achieve value for money.

Duty 8 Record and control materials, items, stock, products and suitably store these to maintain their fitness for use.

Duty 9 Utilise technology to communicate, market and sell handmade or hand produced items effectively.

Duty 10 Provide excellent and inclusive service and relationship management to a diverse range of customers, creative teams, clients and colleagues.

Duty 11 Package present or handover products in line with the settings standards, procedures an customer, client or colleague requirements.

Ceramicist Training:

Duty 12 Make, service, restore, and or conserve ceramic items for customers, clients public or private collections.

Duty 13 Manage the planning or design process for hand-made ceramic products.

Duty 14 Work with customers and clients to understand their requirements. Creating technical or other drawings and plans (by hand or digital) for the product as needed.

Duty 15 Create samples or prototypes to assist in the creation of hand-made ceramic products.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade C/4)
  • Maths (grade C/4)

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
  • Team working
  • Initiative
  • Patience

About this employer

At 1882 Ltd., we don’t just make design driven ceramics; we preserve a legacy. Based in the historic heart of the British Ceramic’s Industry and founded by a fifth-generation ceramics family, we are dedicated to bridging the gap between centuries-old heritage craft and contemporary design.

 

An apprenticeship with us is an invitation to master the industrial craft and expertise that has defined British ceramics since the 1800s. We work with the world’s most inventive designers—from Max Lamb to Shona Heath—to push the boundaries of what clay can do. As an apprentice, you won’t just be learning a trade; you will be collaborating on pieces that sit in museum collections and are showcased around the world.

https://1882ltd.com/icon-collection/ (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

This apprenticeship aims to equip individuals with a broad and robust understanding of the ceramics manufacturing process, supporting their development into a skilled and versatile Craft Technician within our business.

Successful completion of the programme is expected to lead to the opportunity for a permanent role, offering long-term career progression within the organisation.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

THE WEST MIDLANDS CREATIVE ALLIANCE LIMITED

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000023510.

Apply now

Closes in 14 days (Friday 10 April 2026)

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