Laboratory Apprentice
HOWCO GROUP PLC
Sheffield (S9 2JN)
Closes on Saturday 28 February 2026
Posted on 23 January 2026
Contents
Summary
Join Howco Group as a Laboratory Technician Apprentice! Support day-to-day lab tasks, carry out mechanical & metallurgical testing, prepare samples, record results, and assist with reports. Gain hands-on experience, develop engineering skills, and achieve a Level 3 qualification.
- Wage
-
£15,704 a year
- Training course
- Process industry manufacturing technician (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday - Friday, 07:00 - 15:30
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Wednesday 4 March 2026
- Duration
-
3 years
- 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
- Supporting day-to-day business requirements for the laboratory processing work and testing
- Carry out mechanical testing, metallurgy and routine laboratory sample preparation in an accurate and professional manner to tight timescales, with full and accurate recording of results on worksheets
- Verify compliance with specifications and requirements and to immediately report any deviations
- Assist with producing material test certificates and producing technical reports as required
- Provide support for in-house testing procedures
- To work in accordance with Internal Procedures
- Performing metallurgical and mechanical tasks
- Deliver testing within agreed timescales, with right first-time aptitude
- Accurate working and recording of results
- Good laboratory housekeeping, including keeping equipment, clean and functional
- Support continuous improvement activities & projects
- Flexibility to meet customer requirements at all times, adopt safe behaviour by exercising due regard for the health and safety of yourself, colleagues, and clients, in line with the Company's policies and procedures
Where you'll work
211 Carbrook Street
Sheffield
S9 2JN
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
TRAIN'D UP RAILWAY RESOURCING LIMITED
Training course
Process industry manufacturing technician (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Review instructions or information to understand the task.
- Plan tasks. Identify and organise resources with consideration for safety, environmental impact, quality, and cost.
- Identify hazards and risks in the workplace and personal safety and mitigation measures.
- Apply health, safety, and environmental procedures in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidance.
- Follow environment emergency procedures. For example, make area safe, evacuate.
- Apply sustainability principles for example, minimising waste.
- Apply standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- Check equipment.
- Select, check, and prepare raw materials for process for example, weighing, measuring, control and blending, conditioning, dissolving, and sanitisation.
- Set and adjust processing parameters such as temperature, pressure, speed or time, distance.
- Monitor process for example, take readings and conduct walk-arounds.
- Conduct the control of product streams to maintain specifics.
- Apply quality assurance procedures. For example, density checks, contaminant check, and take samples for laboratory testing.
- Apply intermediate or post-manufacturing procedure for example, labelling, packing, storage, visual inspection, discharge.
- Manage waste streams.
- Clean equipment for example, boil-outs, steam-outs, bake-outs, steam in place SIP, clean in place (CIP).
- Conduct calculations for example, conversations, tare weight, charge weights, yield calculations.
- Store tools and equipment.
- Identify equipment for handover.
- Apply signage and access restriction measures.
- Shut down the process and equipment.
- Isolate process and systems.
- Complete isolation checks.
- Empty equipment for example, drain, purge, vent, and de-pressure.
- Purge, fill, pressurise and leak test.
- Complete post maintenance equipment checks.
- Line-up equipment.
- Connect service connections such as water, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic for chemical or petrochemical processing.
- De-isolate process, mechanical and electrical systems.
- Complete pre-start up checks.
- Start-up plant and equipment.
- Re-start process.
- Record or enter information - paper based or electronic.
- Interpret data for example, process data, quality control and test procedure data.
- Interpret drawings and graphs.
- Identify issues for example, defects, deviations, process variance, and maintenance requirements.
- Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
- Apply problem solving and fault-finding techniques.
- Apply continuous improvement techniques. Make a suggestion for improvement.
- Use information and digital technology for example, management information systems, human machine interfaces, word processing, spreadsheet, email, virtual learning platforms, document sharing platforms. Comply with cyber security requirements.
- Produce written documents for example, handover notes or emails, non-conformances, design change requests.
- Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
- Apply team working principles.
- Plan how to meet personal development needs. Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development (CPD) activities.
- Review instructions or information to understand the task.
- Plan tasks. Identify and organise resources with consideration for safety, environmental impact, quality, and cost.
- Identify hazards and risks in the workplace and personal safety and mitigation measures.
- Apply health, safety, and environmental procedures in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidance.
- Follow environment emergency procedures. For example, make area safe, evacuate.
- Apply sustainability principles for example, minimising waste.
- Apply standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- Check equipment.
- Select, check, and prepare raw materials for process for example, weighing, measuring, control and blending, conditioning, dissolving, and sanitisation.
- Set and adjust processing parameters such as temperature, pressure, speed or time, distance.
- Monitor process for example, take readings and conduct walk-arounds.
- Conduct the control of product streams to maintain specifics.
- Apply quality assurance procedures. For example, density checks, contaminant check, and take samples for laboratory testing.
- Apply intermediate or post-manufacturing procedure for example, labelling, packing, storage, visual inspection, discharge.
- Manage waste streams.
- Clean equipment for example, boil-outs, steam-outs, bake-outs, steam in place SIP, clean in place (CIP).
- Conduct calculations for example, conversations, tare weight, charge weights, yield calculations.
- Store tools and equipment.
- Identify equipment for handover.
- Apply signage and access restriction measures.
- Shut down the process and equipment.
- Isolate process and systems.
- Complete isolation checks.
- Empty equipment for example, drain, purge, vent, and de-pressure.
- Purge, fill, pressurise and leak test.
- Complete post maintenance equipment checks.
- Line-up equipment.
- Connect service connections such as water, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic for chemical or petrochemical processing.
- De-isolate process, mechanical and electrical systems.
- Complete pre-start up checks.
- Start-up plant and equipment.
- Re-start process.
- Record or enter information - paper based or electronic.
- Interpret data for example, process data, quality control and test procedure data.
- Interpret drawings and graphs.
- Identify issues for example, defects, deviations, process variance, and maintenance requirements.
- Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
- Apply problem solving and fault-finding techniques.
- Apply continuous improvement techniques. Make a suggestion for improvement.
- Use information and digital technology for example, management information systems, human machine interfaces, word processing, spreadsheet, email, virtual learning platforms, document sharing platforms. Comply with cyber security requirements.
- Produce written documents for example, handover notes or emails, non-conformances, design change requests.
- Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
- Apply team working principles.
- Plan how to meet personal development needs. Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development (CPD) activities.
Training schedule
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 4-9)
- Mathamatics (grade 5-9)
- Science (grade 5-9)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Team working
- Initiative
- Highly Motivated
- Willingness to learn
- written communication
- good verbal communication
About this employer
Howco Group is a leading provider of high‑quality engineered solutions, specialising in precision metal processing and manufacturing. With a strong commitment to quality, safety, and continuous improvement, Howco supports a wide range of industries by delivering reliable products and exceptional service. The company fosters a collaborative, people‑focused culture, offering opportunities for skill development and career growth.
After this apprenticeship
- Fulfilling career within out Test Laboratory facility
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
TRAIN'D UP RAILWAY RESOURCING LIMITED
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000010285.
Apply now
Closes on Saturday 28 February 2026