Waste Acceptance Operative Apprentice
MVV ENVIRONMENT DEVONPORT LIMITED
Plymouth (PL5 1FL)
Closes in 24 days (Friday 6 February 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 12 January 2026
Contents
Summary
We're looking for a motivated and hands-on individual to join us as a Waste Acceptance Operative Apprentice. In this role, you’ll learn to drive a Telehandler/Loading Shovel and other machinery. You'll gain valuable and practical skills whilst working alongside experienced drivers.
- Wage
-
£27,976 a year
- Training course
- Material processing plant operator (level 2)
- Hours
-
Monday to Friday, 08:00 - 16:00.
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Tuesday 7 April 2026
- Duration
-
1 year 1 month
- 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: Due to the nature of this role, which involves working with heavy plant machinery in a high-risk environment, applicants must be aged 18 or over at the start of the apprenticeship and hold a full UK driving licence. This is to comply with health and safety regulations under the Health and Safety (Young Persons) Regulations 1997 and associated guidance for work involving hazardous conditions or machinery.
Role responsibilities:
Learn all aspects of the Waste Acceptance Operative Apprentice role including:
- Learn to operate the weighbridge system
- Learn about the operation of the tipping hall
- Learn to safely operate a range of mobile plant equipment under supervision
- Learn to safely operate site cranes
- Undertake routine compliance checks onsite
- Follow all health and safety procedures and site-specific regulations
- Keep the work area clean, tidy, and hazard-free
- Assist with daily inspections and safety checks of machinery
- Complete training logs and attend apprenticeship training sessions as required
- Communicate effectively with team members and supervisors
- Carry out tasks in accordance with environmental and company standards
- Assist and comply with the traffic management
Where you'll work
Devonport Efw Chp Facility Creek Road
Plymouth
PL5 1FL
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
TARMAC TRADING LIMITED
Training course
Material processing plant operator (level 2)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Conduct pre-start checks of plant equipment.
- Conduct post operation checks of plant equipment.
- Identify and report environmental issues of work undertaken.
- Conduct maintenance activities such as planned, preventative, predictive or reactive.
- Use materials, fluids or lubricants required for operation and maintenance.
- Monitor stock levels.
- Monitor end product quality and report issues.
- Carry out and record learning and development activities.
- Comply with health and safety procedures in compliance with regulations and standards. Comply with safe systems of work.
- Follow procedures in line with environmental and sustainability regulations, standards, and guidance.
- Lock off and isolate equipment or systems using Lockout, Tag out, Try out (LOTOTO) procedures.
- Follow equality, diversity and inclusion procedures.
- Identify, organise and use resources to complete tasks, with consideration for cost, quality, safety, security and environmental impact.
- Communicate with others verbally for example colleagues and stakeholders.
- Record or enter information - paper based or electronic. For example, energy usage, risk assessments, equipment service records, handover documents and manufacturers' documentation, checklists, pre-start and post operation check records, waste records.
- Identify and take action when observing unsafe practice.
- Carry out risk assessments.
- Applies team working principles.
- Follow handover procedures.
- Use mobile plant equipment to transport materials identified for production.
- Operate mobile plant.
- Select and checks mobile equipment or attachment.
- Identify and report issues with raw materials such as contamination.
- Process products.
- Operate static plant to produce a manufactured product.
- Complete inspection of raw materials.
- Monitor static plant processing and adjust tolerances.
- Follow emergency stop procedures.
- Calibrate equipment prior to use.
- Check and confirm raw materials into the correct location.
- Conduct pre-start checks of plant equipment.
- Conduct post operation checks of plant equipment.
- Identify and report environmental issues of work undertaken.
- Conduct maintenance activities such as planned, preventative, predictive or reactive.
- Use materials, fluids or lubricants required for operation and maintenance.
- Monitor stock levels.
- Monitor end product quality and report issues.
- Carry out and record learning and development activities.
- Comply with health and safety procedures in compliance with regulations and standards. Comply with safe systems of work.
- Follow procedures in line with environmental and sustainability regulations, standards, and guidance.
- Lock off and isolate equipment or systems using Lockout, Tag out, Try out (LOTOTO) procedures.
- Follow equality, diversity and inclusion procedures.
- Identify, organise and use resources to complete tasks, with consideration for cost, quality, safety, security and environmental impact.
- Communicate with others verbally for example colleagues and stakeholders.
- Record or enter information - paper based or electronic. For example, energy usage, risk assessments, equipment service records, handover documents and manufacturers' documentation, checklists, pre-start and post operation check records, waste records.
- Identify and take action when observing unsafe practice.
- Carry out risk assessments.
- Applies team working principles.
- Follow handover procedures.
Training schedule
- This is a full-time position based at our site at Devonport EfW Facility
- There will be additional training at National Skills and Safety Park, Nether Langwith Quarry, Wood Lane, Nether Langwith, Mansfield, NG20 9JF, once a month
- Expenses for this will be covered by MVV Environment.
More training information
- You will follow a structured Monday - Friday shift pattern between the hours of 08:00 and 16:00, and depending on operational requirements, this may include weekends
- Approximately 80% of your time will be spent gaining hands on experience through practical, on the job training, allowing you to build real world skills in a live working environment
- The remaining 20% will be dedicated to classroom based learning, where you'll complete any theoretical or technical training required to support your development
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 3)
- Maths (grade 3)
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
- Physical fitness
About this employer
With around 6,500 employees and annual sales of around Euro 4.1 billion, MVV is one of Germany’s leading energy companies. Our activities focus on providing a reliable, economical and environmentally-friendly supply of energy to our industrial, commercial and private household customers. Here, we cover all stages of the energy value chain: from energy generation, energy trading and energy distribution to operating distribution grids through to our sales activities and environmental energy and energy-related service businesses. We are also investing in our future grid capability, modernising our generation plants and innovative green technologies.
After this apprenticeship
After successfully finishing the apprenticeship, you can explore a range of opportunities, such as:
- Material Processing Technician: Operate and monitor machinery and systems that process materials such as metals, aggregates, biomass, or waste
- Process Operator/Plant Operator: Responsible for day-to-day running of processing equipment, quality checks, and maintaining safe operations
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
TARMAC TRADING LIMITED
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000008169.
Apply now
Closes in 24 days (Friday 6 February 2026 at 11:59pm)