Apprentice Toolmaker
PETFORD TOOLS LIMITED
West Midlands (DY2 0QU)
Closes in 13 days (Thursday 16 October 2025 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 3 October 2025
Contents
Summary
As an Apprentice Toolmaker, you will be trained to manufacture, maintain, and repair precision tooling components, with a focus on injection mould tools and ceramic core dies. This is a hands-on, workshop-based role suitable for individuals who are mechanically minded and keen to develop skills in high-precision engineering.
- Wage
-
£15,704 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Machining technician (level 3)
- Hours
-
Basic Hours:
• 7:00am – 3:30 Monday to Thursday.
• 7am – 2:30 Friday.
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 20 October 2025
- Duration
-
3 years 6 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
Key responsibilities, but not limited to the following:
- Support and maintain Health and Safety Procedures to a high standard.
- Housekeeping has to be kept to a high standard and take responsibility for your own area.
- To offer flexibility within the role to ensure internal and external requirements are met.
- Working to company's quality system.
- Working as part of a team.
- Undertake development training to improve skills where required.
- To undergo any other duties if the company requires.
- Learn to use measurement and inspection tools (micrometres, gauges, CMMs) to ensure component accuracy.
Personal qualities:
- Strong interest in mechanical or precision engineering.
- Excellent attention to detail and a methodical approach to work.
- Good hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity.
- Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
- Willingness to learn and take direction from experienced toolmakers.
- Basic understanding of maths and engineering principles.
- Punctual, reliable, and a team player.
Training Provided:
- Structured training in-house.
- Exposure to both traditional and modern tooling techniques, including CNC, EDM, CAD/CAM, and tool design principles.
Where you'll work
Peartree Lane
Dudley
West Midlands
DY2 0QU
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
SANDWELL COLLEGE
Training course
Machining technician (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Comply with statutory health and safety regulations and procedures.
- Comply with environmental, ethical and sustainability regulations and procedures: safe disposal of waste, re-cycling or re-use of materials and efficient use of resources.
- Prepare and set up conventional or CNC machines.
- Operate and adjust conventional or CNC machines.
- Apply risk assessment and hazard identification processes and procedures in the work area.
- Monitor, obtain and check stock and supplies, and complete stock returns.
- Record information - paper based or electronic. For example, energy usage, job sheets, risk assessments, equipment service records, test results, handover documents and manufacturers' documentation, asset management records, work sheets, checklists, waste environmental records and any legal reporting requirements.
- Read and interpret information. For example, data and documentation used to produce machined components.
- Apply engineering, mathematical and scientific principles.
- Plan and organise own work and resources.
- Follow and apply inspection, quality assurance procedures and processes.
- Select machining process.
- Select and setup tooling and work holding devices.
- Set and adjust machine operating parameters. For example, setting feeds and speeds for roughing and finishing operations, loading, proving and validating programs when using a CNC machine tool.
- Apply machining operations and techniques to produce complex components with features. For example, parallel; stepped; angular diameters and faces; grooves; slots; recesses and undercuts; radii and chamfers; internal and external forms and profiles; reamed; bored; drilled and electro eroded holes; internal and external screw threads.
- Measure and check components.
- Select and check condition of tools and equipment. Identify issues, resolve and take action as needed.
- Identify and action issues in the manufacturing process.
- Apply fault-finding and diagnostic testing procedures to identify faults. Diagnose and resolve issues. Escalate issues.
- Maintain the work area and return any resources and consumables.
- Communicate with others verbally. For example, colleagues and stakeholders.
- Follow machine shut down, safe isolation, handover, start up or warm up procedures. Escalate issues.
- Apply continuous improvement techniques. Devise suggestions for improvement.
- Apply ethical principles.
- Apply team working principles.
- Comply with statutory health and safety regulations and procedures.
- Comply with environmental, ethical and sustainability regulations and procedures: safe disposal of waste, re-cycling or re-use of materials and efficient use of resources.
- Prepare and set up conventional or CNC machines.
- Operate and adjust conventional or CNC machines.
- Apply risk assessment and hazard identification processes and procedures in the work area.
- Monitor, obtain and check stock and supplies, and complete stock returns.
- Record information - paper based or electronic. For example, energy usage, job sheets, risk assessments, equipment service records, test results, handover documents and manufacturers' documentation, asset management records, work sheets, checklists, waste environmental records and any legal reporting requirements.
- Read and interpret information. For example, data and documentation used to produce machined components.
- Apply engineering, mathematical and scientific principles.
- Plan and organise own work and resources.
- Follow and apply inspection, quality assurance procedures and processes.
- Select machining process.
- Select and setup tooling and work holding devices.
- Set and adjust machine operating parameters. For example, setting feeds and speeds for roughing and finishing operations, loading, proving and validating programs when using a CNC machine tool.
- Apply machining operations and techniques to produce complex components with features. For example, parallel; stepped; angular diameters and faces; grooves; slots; recesses and undercuts; radii and chamfers; internal and external forms and profiles; reamed; bored; drilled and electro eroded holes; internal and external screw threads.
- Measure and check components.
- Select and check condition of tools and equipment. Identify issues, resolve and take action as needed.
- Identify and action issues in the manufacturing process.
- Apply fault-finding and diagnostic testing procedures to identify faults. Diagnose and resolve issues. Escalate issues.
- Maintain the work area and return any resources and consumables.
- Communicate with others verbally. For example, colleagues and stakeholders.
- Follow machine shut down, safe isolation, handover, start up or warm up procedures. Escalate issues.
- Apply continuous improvement techniques. Devise suggestions for improvement.
- Apply ethical principles.
- Apply team working principles.
Training schedule
Course contents:
- Comply with statutory health and safety regulations and procedures.
- Comply with environmental, ethical and sustainability regulations and procedures: safe disposal of waste, re-cycling or re-use of materials and efficient use of resources.
- Prepare and set up conventional or CNC machines.
- Operate and adjust conventional or CNC machines.
- Apply risk assessment and hazard identification processes and procedures in the work area.
- Monitor, obtain and check stock and supplies, and complete stock returns.
- Record information – paper-based or electronic. For example, energy usage, job sheets, risk assessments, equipment service records, test results, handover documents and manufacturers' documentation, asset management records, work sheets, checklists, waste environmental records and any legal reporting requirements.
- Read and interpret information. For example, data and documentation used to produce machined components.
- Apply engineering, mathematical and scientific principles.
- Plan and organise your own work and resources.
- Follow and apply inspection, quality assurance procedures and processes.
- 4 days per week on-the-job at Petford Group.
- 1 day per week off-the-job training at Sandwell College Engineering Centre, West Bromwich.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Administrative skills
- Number skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
- Physical fitness
About this employer
We are one of the Black Country’s most enterprising manufacturers. Since our formation in 1971 we have developed to become one of the country’s leading mould toolmakers.
https://petfordgroup.co.uk/about/ (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
• 33 days holiday in total. • Workplace pension. • Great Environment.
After this apprenticeship
- Successful completion of the apprenticeship may lead to a full-time permanent position within the company, with opportunities for further development and progression.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
SANDWELL COLLEGE
apprentice@sandwell.ac.uk
0121 667 5018
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000345112.
Apply now
Closes in 13 days (Thursday 16 October 2025 at 11:59pm)
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