Apprentice General Hand / Manufacturing Operative
WINWARD ENGINEERING LIMITED
West Midlands (WS9 8EP)
Closes in 13 days (Thursday 1 October 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 17 September 2026
Contents
Summary
You will receive hands-on training across a range of manufacturing processes at Winward Engineering.
Working with experienced members of our team, you will support them with a variety of day-to-day tasks to help ensure components move through the factory within agreed timescales and meet the required quality standards.
- Wage
-
£19,500 a year
- Training course
- Engineering operative (level 2)
- Hours
-
Monday- Thursday 7.00am - 3.30pm
Friday 12.30pm finish.
37 hours 30 minutes a week
- Start date
-
Monday 12 October 2026
- Duration
-
1 year
- 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
Please note you must be 18 and over due to age restrictions within the business.
As a General Hand, you will be trained to operate presses, CNC machines, and other production machinery.
You will also assist with processes including guillotining, drilling, deburring, degreasing, circling, quality inspection, and packing.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Following work instructions, engineering drawings, and manufacturing procedures
- Learning to operate workshop machinery, hand tools, and measuring equipment
- Producing work safely and to the required quality standards
- Inspecting components and reporting any problems or defects
- Handling materials, equipment, and tooling carefully and safely
- Keeping your work area clean, tidy, and organised
- Working effectively with colleagues across the business
- Taking a positive approach to training and learning new skills
- Taking pride in the quality of the work you produce
Where you'll work
Anglian Works Anglian Road
Aldridge
Walsall
West Midlands
WS9 8EP
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
IN-COMM TRAINING AND BUSINESS SERVICES LIMITED
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
This is a Level 2 Engineering Operative Apprenticeship, Mechanical pathway, delivered over a period of 15 months
The apprentice will attend the training centre, In-Comm Training Services in Aldridge, WS9 8UG, 1 day per week for the first year, and the company for the rest of the time accompanied by assessor visits.
Requirements
Desirable qualifications
GCSE in:
- Design Technology (grade 4)
- English and Maths (grade 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
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Team working
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Physical fitness
- Interest in engineering
Other requirements
Live within a reasonable commuting distance, particularly if relying on public transport.
About this employer
At Winward Engineering, we are UK’s leaders in Metal Spinning and Metal Pressing. In our 38,000 sq ft facility we also provide Fabrication, Metal Finishing, Welding, Flat Bed Cutting and Tool Making.
We produce thousands of parts each week, ranging from complex multi-process assemblies to simple stamped components. We draw on over 80 years of expertise to deliver competitively priced, top-quality British made products. In that time, we have remained an independent, family-owned business who remain dedicated to clear communication and outstanding service.
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
Apprentice will remain at Level 2.
They would progress to a General Hand Role and then a Skilled General Hand Role with enough skills, and then a Senior General Hand Role with enough experience. But there would also be progression opportunities into a specialist role if desirable.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
IN-COMM TRAINING AND BUSINESS SERVICES LIMITED
Alex Jones
AlexJ@in-comm.co.uk
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000053978.
Apply now
Closes in 13 days (Thursday 1 October 2026 at 11:59pm)