Operations Apprenticeship

KEPAK KIRKHAM LIMITED

Preston (PR4 2DZ)

Closes in 14 days (Friday 27 February 2026)

Posted on 27 January 2026

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Contents

Summary

For Apprentices, this programme is the perfect entry point into Operations, and the wider Food Industry, through a structured apprenticeship programme. As an apprentice, you earn while you learn – Kepak pays you while you are being trained and you will complete a Level 3 Team Leader apprenticeship standard

Wage

£18,000 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

The salary will increase to £20,000 at the start of Year 2

Training course
Team leader (level 3)
Hours
Monday - Friday, 8.30am - 5.00pm

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Monday 7 September 2026

Duration

2 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

Responsibility:

  • Apply site Health & Safety policies (PPE, Lock‑Out/Tag‑Out, guarding) and escalate non‑conformance
  • Follow food‑safety, allergen, hygiene, segregation and GMP requirements at all times
  • Complete documentation accurately, including checklists, traceability records and stock rotation checks
  • Operate machinery safely (e.g. bread slicer, UV Tunnel)
  • Participate in risk assessments, incident investigations, and internal audits with attention to detail
  • Maintain excellent punctuality, reliability, and personal accountability
  • Escalate issues promptly to the appropriate team (e.g. Engineering, QA, Supervisor)

Ambition:

  • Use Excel and KPI dashboards to analyse production data, identify trends, and suggest opportunities for improving efficiency
  • Translate KPIs into daily shift goals and support team performance by reviewing yesterday’s results and updating today’s plan
  • Support continuous‑improvement activity using problem‑solving tools (e.g., 5 Whys) to reduce waste, downtime, or inefficiencies
  • Take ownership of personal development by maintaining an OTJ log, seeking feedback, and completing required qualifications
  • Train across Production, Packaging and Dispatch roles to build broad operational capability and progress toward multiskilling
  • Contribute to the rollout of improvements (e.g. new checklists or processes) and gather feedback data

Passion for Food:

  • Learn strong awareness of food safety, allergens, segregation and HACCP principles through consistent practical application
  • Support audit readiness by ensuring traceability, hygiene, and documentation standards are met
  • Maintain high product‑quality standards by completing checks accurately and reporting risks immediately
  • Coordinate materials readiness, verifying batch codes, allergen information, stock rotation, and storage requirements
  • Show genuine interest in the production process; learning how factory efficiency links to product quality and customer satisfaction

Teamwork:

  • Build positive, respectful relationships within both their own and other team
  • Support cross‑functional meetings and contribute clear, relevant updates
  • Participate in start‑of‑shift briefings, sharing key information and checking understanding
  • Assist in task allocation and buddying/training activities, promoting a supportive and inclusive team culture
  • Stay calm under pressure and support colleagues to resolve issues together

Where you'll work

The Snackhouse St. Georges Park
Kirkham
Preston
PR4 2DZ

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

BLACKPOOL AND THE FYLDE COLLEGE

Training course

Team leader (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Use resources to implement operational and team plans.
  • Use tools to organise, prioritise and allocate daily and weekly work activities.
  • Able to collate and interpret data and information and create reports.
  • Identify and support the development of the team through informal coaching and continuous professional development.
  • Use information and problem-solving techniques to provide solutions and influence the decision-making process.
  • Use digital tools for planning and project management to monitor project progress, taking corrective action to deliver against the project plan.
  • Review work processes to identify opportunities to improve performance and for continuous improvement.
  • Use technology and software to produce documentation, such as spreadsheets and presentation packages to communicate information.
  • Manage individual or team performance by setting objectives, monitoring progress, and providing clear guidance and feedback.
  • Manage others through change by identifying challenges and the activities to resolve them.
  • Interpret organisational strategy and communicate how this impacts others.
  • Interpret and apply regulation and legislation, share best practices, and advise stakeholders on their application.
  • Communicate information through different media, such as face-to-face meetings, emails, reports, and presentations to enable key stakeholders to understand what is required.
  • Collaborate with stakeholders in the organisation to ensure the delivery of operational goals.
  • Manage and maintain relationships with a diverse workforce and stakeholders.
  • Negotiate with and challenge stakeholders to manage change and reduce conflict.
  • Interpret policy and support the delivery of equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace and monitor their impact on their team.
  • Identify future changes in the sector such as technology advances that may impact their organisation.
  • Monitor the use of technology and the potential to reduce energy consumption through their optimisation in day-to-day tasks, such as reducing the use of paper and switching off items when not in use.
  • Use resources to implement operational and team plans.
  • Use tools to organise, prioritise and allocate daily and weekly work activities.
  • Able to collate and interpret data and information and create reports.
  • Identify and support the development of the team through informal coaching and continuous professional development.
  • Use information and problem-solving techniques to provide solutions and influence the decision-making process.
  • Use digital tools for planning and project management to monitor project progress, taking corrective action to deliver against the project plan.
  • Review work processes to identify opportunities to improve performance and for continuous improvement.
  • Use technology and software to produce documentation, such as spreadsheets and presentation packages to communicate information.
  • Manage individual or team performance by setting objectives, monitoring progress, and providing clear guidance and feedback.
  • Manage others through change by identifying challenges and the activities to resolve them.
  • Interpret organisational strategy and communicate how this impacts others.
  • Interpret and apply regulation and legislation, share best practices, and advise stakeholders on their application.
  • Communicate information through different media, such as face-to-face meetings, emails, reports, and presentations to enable key stakeholders to understand what is required.
  • Collaborate with stakeholders in the organisation to ensure the delivery of operational goals.
  • Manage and maintain relationships with a diverse workforce and stakeholders.
  • Negotiate with and challenge stakeholders to manage change and reduce conflict.
  • Interpret policy and support the delivery of equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace and monitor their impact on their team.
  • Identify future changes in the sector such as technology advances that may impact their organisation.
  • Monitor the use of technology and the potential to reduce energy consumption through their optimisation in day-to-day tasks, such as reducing the use of paper and switching off items when not in use.

Training schedule

This training schedule has not been finalised. Check with this employer if you’ll need to travel to a college or training location for this apprenticeship.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 9-4 or A*-C)
  • Maths (grade 9-4 or A*-C)

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
  • Problem solving skills
  • Presentation skills
  • Administrative skills
  • Analytical skills
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Patience

About this employer

Kepak is one of Europe’s leading food companies with manufacturing sites across Ireland and the UK. Kepak’s vision is to be a successful, sustainable, future ready Food Business with differentiation at its core, that is a great place to work. This vision is underpinned by our values of Responsibility, Ambition, Passion for Food & Teamwork.

http://www.kepak.com (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Employee Discount Scheme. Service-Related Annual Leave. Educational Assistance/ L&D. Discounted Meat Products. Cycle to work scheme. Employee assistance programme.

After this apprenticeship

  • This apprenticeship will prepare you for multiple operational roles within the business, you can decide on your desired role towards the end of your programme

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

BLACKPOOL AND THE FYLDE COLLEGE

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000010428.

Apply now

Closes in 14 days (Friday 27 February 2026)

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.