Maintenance Apprentice

POWDERTECH (BICESTER) LTD

BICESTER (OX26 4PP)

Closes in 8 days (Wednesday 2 September 2026 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 25 August 2026

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Summary

Kick-start your engineering career with Powdertech's Maintenance Apprenticeship in Bicester. Gain hands-on experience maintaining equipment, supporting repairs and working on improvement projects. You'll receive full training, workplace mentoring and college learning. Perfect for practical and enthusiastic learners.

• Wage:

  £20,800 a year

  Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

  • Salary reviewed after 6 months
• Training course: Engineering operative (level 2)
• Hours: For the first 12 months, normal day shift (9 am-5 pm Monday to Friday), Then possible afternoon shifts mixed with days beyond that point. 40 hours per week, 37.5 hours with paid breaks.

  40 hours a week

• Start date:

  Monday 21 September 2026

• Duration:

  1 year 4 months

• Positions available:

  2

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

Maintenance support

• Assist with planned preventive maintenance across plant and equipment.
• Support reactive maintenance and breakdown response under supervision.
• Help inspect, clean, lubricate, adjust, and replace basic parts where trained.
• Support maintenance work on spray equipment, conveyors, curing ovens, compressors, pumps, pre-treatment equipment, site utilities, and facilities.
• Assist with basic fault-finding alongside experienced team members.

Health, safety, and compliance

• Follow all site health, safety, and environmental procedures.
• Work in line with safe systems of work, risk assessments, method statements, permits, and lock-off procedures.
• Use PPE correctly and maintain good safety standards.
• Report hazards, near misses, unsafe conditions, and equipment defects promptly.
• Support inspection and compliance checks where trained.
• Build awareness of PUWER, LOLER, COSHH, and environmental controls at apprentice level.

Preventive maintenance and TPM

• Support TPM and planned maintenance schedules.
• Complete basic check sheets and maintenance records accurately.
• Help identify early signs of wear, leaks, damage, contamination, or abnormal equipment behaviour.
• Assist with cleaning, inspection, lubrication, and tightening tasks.
• Support good maintenance routines across production areas.

Tools, spares, and workshop standards

• Keep the maintenance area clean, organised, and safe.
• Support control of tools, spare parts, consumables, and maintenance stores.
• Assist with stock checks and identifying missing or damaged tools.
• Learn correct tool selection, use, care, and storage.

Continuous improvement

• Support improvement work to reduce downtime, improve reliability, and make tasks safer or easier.
• Contribute practical observations from the shop floor.
• Assist with small improvement projects under supervision.
• Learn basic LEAN and problem-solving principles.

Training and development

• Attend and complete all required college, training provider, and workplace learning.
• Maintain apprenticeship records, evidence, and progress reviews.
• Learn from the Maintenance Manager, engineers, operators, and contractors.
• Ask questions when unsure and take responsibility for personal development.
• Build competence gradually across mechanical, electrical, safety, and process knowledge.

Additional duties

• Support general facilities tasks when required.
• Assist external contractors by preparing work areas, locating equipment, or observing work where appropriate.
• Help collect information for maintenance reports, downtime tracking, and equipment performance reviews.
• Maintain a professional attitude around production teams, contractors, and visitors.
• Carry out other reasonable duties in line with training level and business needs.

Apprenticeship boundaries

The apprentice must not carry out the following unless trained, authorised, and supervised as required:

• Live electrical work
• Confined space work
• Work at height
• Hot works
• Lifting operations
• Pressure systems work
• Safety-critical isolations
• Chemical handling beyond approved training
• Any task requiring a permit, licence, or formal competency sign-off

 

 

 

Where you'll work

25-27 MURDOCK ROAD
BICESTER
OX26 4PP

Training

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

Training provider

ABINGDON AND WITNEY COLLEGE

Training course

Engineering operative (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Work safely at all times, complying with health and safety legislation, regulations, environmental compliance procedures and systems and other relevant guidelines
• Identify and deal appropriately with any risks, hazards, hazardous situations and problems that may occur within the engineering environment within the limits of their responsibility
• Demonstrate effective communication skills which include oral, written, electronic
• Complete appropriate documentation accurately, efficiently and legibly using the correct terminology where required
• Obtain and follow the correct documentation, specifications and work instructions in accordance with time constraints and the roles and responsibilities identified for the engineering activities, extracting the necessary data/information from specification and related documentation
• Select and use appropriate tools, equipment and materials to carry out the engineering operation
• Deal appropriately with any problems that may occur within the manufacturing environment within the limits of their responsibility
• Work efficiently and effectively at all times maintaining workplace organisation and minimising waste
• Carryout fault location on appropriate equipment using suitable maintenance diagnostic techniques
• Carryout maintenance activities in line with work instructions
• Carryout tests on the maintained equipment in accordance with test schedule/defined test procedures
• Follow appropriate completion activities and restore equipment to service by replacing or repairing components
• Plan the mechanical manufacturing operation before they start
• Mount and set the required workholding devices
• Produce individual components, sub-assemblies or completed assemblies using mechanical manufacturing techniques
• Carryout quality checks during and after mechanical manufacturing operations
• Wire and terminate different types of cabling e.g. single core, multi core, screened, fire resistant, armoured, etc.
• Assemble and test a range of electrical components e.g. component panels, isolator switches, fuses, circuit breakers, contactors, relays, rail mounted terminal blocks, etc.
• Assemble and test a range of electronic components e.g. resistors, capacitors, diodes, transistors, etc.
• Follow appropriate completion activities and restore equipment/system to service after the assembly and testing has been completed
• Shape the materials using the appropriate methods and techniques
• Join the materials using the appropriate methods and techniques
• Produce components which meet the specification requirements
• Carryout quality checks during and after the fabrication activities
• Plan the materials, processing or finishing operation before they start
• Prepare equipment, tooling, materials, etc. and complete set up activities before carrying out the materials, processing or finishing operation
• Carry out the material, processing or finishing operation in line with specific safe working practices and specification requirements
• Carryout quality checks during and after the materials, processing or finishing operation
• Plan the technical support operation before they start
• Prepare equipment, tooling, materials, etc. and complete set up activities before carrying out the technical support
• Carry out the technical support operation in line with specific safe working practices and specification requirements
• Carryout quality checks during and after the technical support operation

Training schedule

Course summary

Engineering Operatives are predominantly involved in engineering operations which are key to the success of the manufacturing and engineering sector, allowing employers to grow their business while
developing a workforce with the relevant skills and knowledge to enhance and sustain the sector.

Course overview

The role covers a wide range of common and job-specific skill sets that can be transferred across the manufacturing engineering industry sectors during apprentices’ future careers. Dependent on the sector
that they are employed in, there may be subtle differences in terms of composition and application of the job role specific skills and knowledge they will require, however the core skills and knowledge will be the same regardless of the sector/area they work in.

Duration:

13 months practical training period, plus 3 months for End Point Assessment

Delivery model:

• Work-based training with your employer
  Day release during term time (approximately 2 days a week for 1 year) at the Abingdon Campus.
• Regular meetings with your training coordinator to monitor progress and well-being
• Apprentices will need to complete a minimum of 300 hours of off-the-job training during their apprenticeship

Qualifications included:

• Level 2 Diploma in Engineering Operations (Skills)
• Level 2 Certificate in Engineering Operations (Knowledge)
• Level 2 Engineering Operative Apprenticeship
• End Point Assessment:
  • Practical assessment
  • Professional discussion

More training information

Please apply as soon as possible for this role. Should the right candidate be found prior to the closing date, then the vacancy may be closed early. 

Apprenticeship Onboarding Session and Eligibility Checks:  

Any new person applying for apprenticeship roles where Abingdon & Witney College deliver the training will be required to complete some eligibility checks. This will consist of a series of initial assessments and an interview with the team.

There will be the opportunity to find out more about the apprenticeship process, the training included, and for any questions you might have. You may also be required to attend an Apprenticeship Onboarding Session at Witney, Abingdon or Bicester campus.  

This will consist of a series of initial assessments (required prior to any apprenticeship offer), completion of essential paperwork, the opportunity to find out more about the apprenticeship process, the training included, and a forum for your questions.  

As a new apprenticeship applicant, you will only have to undergo this process once. If you would like to talk to us about the assessments or if you would need any extra support to attend the Apprenticeship Assessment and Information Session, please call us on 01235 216216.     

Qualification checks: 

By applying for this vacancy, you are giving Abingdon and Witney College permission to undertake a Learner Record Service check on your previous qualifications. We make every effort to ensure that applicants from non-traditional academic backgrounds or those who may not have the formal GCSE entry requirements can access apprenticeships where possible.   

The National Minimum Wage (NMW) for Apprentices is £8.00 per hour from April 2026. This applies to 16 - 18 year old apprentices and those aged 19 and over during the first year of their apprenticeship. After this, the National Minimum wage appropriate to their age applies. The Wage for apprentices applies to both time spent on-the-job plus time spent training.  

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade A*-C/9-4)
• Maths (grade A*-B/9-5)

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
• Problem solving skills
• Number skills
• Logical
• Team working
• Initiative
• Reliable, punctual, and safe
• Able to work safely
• Good timekeeping/attendance
• Proactive
• Practical and hands on
• Calm under pressure
• Respectful to others

About this employer

Powdertech Surface Science is a privately owned company, established in 1984 with a clear objective - to provide high quality professional chemical pre-treatment, powder coating and bonding services to specialist and niche market sectors.

 

https://powdertechsurfacescience.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

• Full structured training with college-based learning and workplace mentoring
• Full PPE and tools training provided

After this apprenticeship

Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).

On successful completion, there may be opportunities to progress within Powdertech for the right candidate. The apprenticeship provides a strong foundation of practical skills, industry-recognised training, and real workplace experience — a solid starting point for a long-term career in maintenance and engineering, whether at Powdertech or further afield. 

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

ABINGDON AND WITNEY COLLEGE

Tess Williams

apprenticeships@abingdon-witney.ac.uk

01235 216216

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000048086.

Apply now

Closes in 8 days (Wednesday 2 September 2026 at 11:59pm)