Operations Apprentice
MARS PETCARE UK
Castle Cary (BA7 7PH)
Closes on Friday 30 January 2026
Posted on 24 October 2025
Contents
Summary
Are you ready to kickstart your career with an exciting 3 - year Apprenticeship at Mars? Dive into the world of food and drink as you work towards L3 Food & Drink Technical Operator. This isn't just any Apprenticeship, it's your ticket to real-world experience, fantastic training, and a chance to make a difference!
- Wage
-
£20,000 a year
Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Salary £20,000 + annual bonus + benefits.
- Training course
- Food and drink technical operator (level 3)
- Hours
-
Shifts TBC.
37 hours 30 minutes a week
- Start date
-
Monday 7 September 2026
- Duration
-
3 years
- 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
As an Operations Apprentice, you will gain an understanding of machinery and manufacturing whilst taking ownership of your designated work areas. This helps to work towards becoming a Lead Operator of a team which teaches many skills beneficial to your progression and rewarding career.
Your key responsibilities will be:
- Technical Development: Learn to identify and solve machine and process issues, drive efficiency, reliability, and continuous improvement across operations.
- Leadership Development: Gain experience coordinating small teams of operators and temporary staff, learning how to motivate and manage people to meet production goals.
- Safety & Quality First: Apply Mars' high standards to protect colleagues, ensure compliance, and deliver safe, high-quality products.
- Future Growth: Rotational exposure across operations provides insight into supply chain.
Where you'll work
Oak Tree Meadow
Blackworthy Road
Castle Cary
BA7 7PH
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
BRIDGWATER AND TAUNTON COLLEGE
Training course
Food and drink technical operator (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Interpret, follow and implement food and drink production SOPs.
- Interpret, follow and implement quality assurance procedures.
- Monitor production performance, stock usage and rotation.
- Operate or use food and drink production tools and equipment.
- Identify hazards (Critical Control Points) and control measures to mitigate risks.
- Comply with food safety regulations and procedures.
- Comply with health and safety regulations and procedures.
- Comply with environment and sustainability regulations and procedures. Segregate, recycle and dispose of waste.
- Monitor and inspect production machinery.
- Apply basic maintenance practices. For example, check levels, parts wear, pressure, and sensors, and grease and lubricate.
- Select and use maintenance hand tools.
- Follow food safe engineering standards and practices. For example, use of food safe chemicals, check out and in of components.
- Follow site isolation and lock off procedures (lockout, tagout).
- Diagnose and resolve issues. Escalate issues.
- Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques.
- Apply continuous improvement techniques. Devise suggestions for improvement.
- Collect and interpret information. Use data to apply changes
- Record information - paper based or electronic.
- Use information technology. Comply with GDPR.
- Plan and organise self, others and resources.
- Communicate with colleagues and stakeholders visually and verbally.
- Communicate in writing.
- Identify training needs. Train and buddy team members in the workplace.
- Interpret, follow and implement food and drink production SOPs.
- Interpret, follow and implement quality assurance procedures.
- Monitor production performance, stock usage and rotation.
- Operate or use food and drink production tools and equipment.
- Identify hazards (Critical Control Points) and control measures to mitigate risks.
- Comply with food safety regulations and procedures.
- Comply with health and safety regulations and procedures.
- Comply with environment and sustainability regulations and procedures. Segregate, recycle and dispose of waste.
- Monitor and inspect production machinery.
- Apply basic maintenance practices. For example, check levels, parts wear, pressure, and sensors, and grease and lubricate.
- Select and use maintenance hand tools.
- Follow food safe engineering standards and practices. For example, use of food safe chemicals, check out and in of components.
- Follow site isolation and lock off procedures (lockout, tagout).
- Diagnose and resolve issues. Escalate issues.
- Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques.
- Apply continuous improvement techniques. Devise suggestions for improvement.
- Collect and interpret information. Use data to apply changes
- Record information - paper based or electronic.
- Use information technology. Comply with GDPR.
- Plan and organise self, others and resources.
- Communicate with colleagues and stakeholders visually and verbally.
- Communicate in writing.
- Identify training needs. Train and buddy team members in the workplace.
Training schedule
Food and Drink Technical Operator Apprenticeship Standard (Level 3)
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
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
- Patience
- Desire to learn
- Develop leadership skills
- Maintain team motivation
- Passion for Leadership
- Collaboration
- Eager to Learn
Other requirements
You’ll need to be a great team player and communicator, with the motivation to get results and a positive mindset. A demonstrable interest in leadership and being hands on. The ability to work as part of a team. The desire to learn. Willing and able to travel to our Castle Cary site. We require you to be 16+ by 7 September 2026.
About this employer
Our Mars Petcare division has more than 100,000 Petcare Associates spending their days thinking about the 400 million pets of the world and how to improve their lives through our nutrition, health and services businesses. This includes famous nutrition brands like PEDIGREE® and WHISKAS®. At Mars Petcare, we believe that pets make the world a better place. We work towards our Purpose: A Better World for Pets.
https://careers.mars.com/uk/en/home (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
Large company benefits, including private healthcare and retail discounts.
After this apprenticeship
- On successful completion of the Operations Apprenticeship, you will have demonstrated leadership skills and the ability to take ownership and accountability for a number of machines, processes or pieces of equipment and carry out complex operational tasks, enabling you to coordinate a team of operational Associates to achieve line KPIs and take the lead in repairing mechanical breakdowns
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
BRIDGWATER AND TAUNTON COLLEGE
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000348314.
Apply now
Closes on Friday 30 January 2026
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