Apprentice Engineer
ARLA FOODS UK PLC
London (N13 6BU)
Closes on Monday 6 April 2026
Posted on 17 February 2026
Contents
Summary
Are you ready to earn while you learn and become a multiskilled engineer at a cutting-edge dairy site?
Across four years, you’ll combine hands-on experience with classroom learning, keeping our technology running and helping deliver household-favourite products, while building a career‑defining skill set.
- Wage
-
£21,000 a year
Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
– Year 1 £21,000 p/a (£24,300 London)
– Year 2 £25,484.71 p/a (£28,784.71 London)
– Year 3 £26,500 p/a (£29.800 London)
– Year 4 £27,500 p/a (£30,800 London) - Training course
- Food and drink maintenance engineer (level 3)
- Hours
-
Shifts to be confirmed.
37 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 7 September 2026
- Duration
-
3 years 6 months
- 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
Embark on a four-year engineering apprenticeship at Arla’s Taw Valley site, working alongside a team of skilled engineers to maintain, repair and install machinery that powers our production.
When issues arise, you’ll be the problem-solver who keeps lines running and our products flowing, from Cravendale milk to Skyr yoghurt and Anchor butter. Your learning is delivered in structured blocks with Kirklees College , blending practical and classroom training.
- Carry out maintenance, repairs and installations across automated production equipment
- Support root-cause problem solving and continuous improvement to reduce downtime
- Apply safety-first practices while developing hands-on technical capability
- Build knowledge across processing, packaging and utilities systems
- Progress through structured college blocks and on-site training to achieve qualifications
Where you'll work
Oakthorpe Estate
London
N13 6BU
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
KIRKLEES COLLEGE
Training course
Food and drink maintenance engineer (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Read and interpret task related information and data. For example, work instructions, SOPs, quality control documentation, Service Level Agreements, specifications, engineering representations, drawings, and graphical information, work instructions, and operation manuals.
- Plan work. Identify and organise resources to complete tasks.
- Identify hazards 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: safe disposal of waste, re-cycling or re-use of materials and efficient use of resources.
- Select, check the condition, and safely use maintenance tools and equipment. Store tools and equipment. Complete or arrange maintenance of tools and equipment including calibration where required.
- Follow standard operating procedures and quality procedures.
- Follow site isolation and lock off procedures (lockout, tagout) and re-instatement of equipment with system checks and handover.
- Apply mechanical and fluid power system maintenance practices and techniques. For example, check levels, parts wear, pressure, and sensors, grease and lubricate parts, replace, fit components, and calibrate equipment.
- Apply electrical and control maintenance practices and techniques including use of electrical testing equipment and instruments. For example, panel risk assessment, fixed wire installation testing, fault finding, thermographic surveys, and checking protection settings.
- Apply reliability engineering techniques to prevent or reduce the likelihood or frequency of failures. For example, condition monitoring, oil sampling, thermography, vibration analysis, and ultrasound.
- Install and configure instrumentation or process control systems.
- Install and configure electrical systems. For example, add distribution boards to circuits, single and three phase motors (AC and DC).
- Assemble, position and fix equipment or components. Complete commissioning checks.
- Disconnect and remove equipment or components. Complete storage measures to prevent deterioration.
- Read and interpret equipment performance data.
- Fabricate, drill, and join to produce basic parts, spares or components to measurement and tolerance specification.
- Apply down-hand (flat) TIG welding techniques: butt and tee.
- Apply mathematical techniques to solve engineering problems.
- Produce and amend electrical and mechanical engineering representations, drawings, and graphical information. For example, for new component parts or change in circuit diagram or panel.
- Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques for example, using PLC data to diagnose issues and locate faults on industrial network.
- Apply continuous improvement techniques to understand current performance; collect and record data. Devise suggestions for improvement.
- Restore the work area on completion of activity.
- Resolve or escalate issues.
- Use information technology. For example, for document creation, communication, and information management. Comply with GDPR. Comply with cyber security.
- Record work activity. For example, asset management records, work sheets, checklists, waste environmental records, and any business or legal reporting requirements.
- Communicate verbal and written. For example, with colleagues and stakeholders. Use engineering terminology where appropriate.
- Produce reports for example, equipment performance reports.
- Provide guidance or training to colleagues or stakeholders.
- Read and interpret task related information and data. For example, work instructions, SOPs, quality control documentation, Service Level Agreements, specifications, engineering representations, drawings, and graphical information, work instructions, and operation manuals.
- Plan work. Identify and organise resources to complete tasks.
- Identify hazards 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: safe disposal of waste, re-cycling or re-use of materials and efficient use of resources.
- Select, check the condition, and safely use maintenance tools and equipment. Store tools and equipment. Complete or arrange maintenance of tools and equipment including calibration where required.
- Follow standard operating procedures and quality procedures.
- Follow site isolation and lock off procedures (lockout, tagout) and re-instatement of equipment with system checks and handover.
- Apply mechanical and fluid power system maintenance practices and techniques. For example, check levels, parts wear, pressure, and sensors, grease and lubricate parts, replace, fit components, and calibrate equipment.
- Apply electrical and control maintenance practices and techniques including use of electrical testing equipment and instruments. For example, panel risk assessment, fixed wire installation testing, fault finding, thermographic surveys, and checking protection settings.
- Apply reliability engineering techniques to prevent or reduce the likelihood or frequency of failures. For example, condition monitoring, oil sampling, thermography, vibration analysis, and ultrasound.
- Install and configure instrumentation or process control systems.
- Install and configure electrical systems. For example, add distribution boards to circuits, single and three phase motors (AC and DC).
- Assemble, position and fix equipment or components. Complete commissioning checks.
- Disconnect and remove equipment or components. Complete storage measures to prevent deterioration.
- Read and interpret equipment performance data.
- Fabricate, drill, and join to produce basic parts, spares or components to measurement and tolerance specification.
- Apply down-hand (flat) TIG welding techniques: butt and tee.
- Apply mathematical techniques to solve engineering problems.
- Produce and amend electrical and mechanical engineering representations, drawings, and graphical information. For example, for new component parts or change in circuit diagram or panel.
- Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques for example, using PLC data to diagnose issues and locate faults on industrial network.
- Apply continuous improvement techniques to understand current performance; collect and record data. Devise suggestions for improvement.
- Restore the work area on completion of activity.
- Resolve or escalate issues.
- Use information technology. For example, for document creation, communication, and information management. Comply with GDPR. Comply with cyber security.
- Record work activity. For example, asset management records, work sheets, checklists, waste environmental records, and any business or legal reporting requirements.
- Communicate verbal and written. For example, with colleagues and stakeholders. Use engineering terminology where appropriate.
- Produce reports for example, equipment performance reports.
- Provide guidance or training to colleagues or stakeholders.
Training schedule
Kirklees College:
- Year 1: 19 weeks at college
- Year 2: 10 weeks at college
- Year 3: 15 weeks at college
- Year 4: Fully based at site
Qualifications: OAL Level 3 in Food & Drink Engineering Maintenance; Level 3 Health & Safety Award; 18th Edition Wiring Regulations Certificate.
More training information
During study blocks with our education partners accommodation and expenses for food and travel are provided
What Will Make You Successful:
- You’re 18 or over by September 2026 and ready for a hands-on role, bringing a solid educational foundation with at least five GCSEs at grades 9–4 (A*-C), including maths and English (or the Scottish equivalent). You’re motivated to learn whether that’s picking up new skills on the job or sharpening your knowledge in the classroom
- A curious problem-solver at heart, you love figuring out how things work and fixing issues fast. You’re safety-conscious, a clear communicator, and a true team player who collaborates well. Organised and resilient, you can balance structured learning blocks with on-site responsibilities. When you apply, please list your qualifications clearly and include scanned copies of your certificates
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
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Team working
- Safety-conscious
- Resilient
About this employer
Arla is a global leader in the dairy industry, committed to enabling good food choices that make life better, providing people with natural, sustainable nourishment, while taking care at every step to ensure Arla is a choice they can feel good about. If you are looking to shape the future with an ambitious global cooperative that truly cares about your growth, where everyone feels valued and empowered, and collaboration is the core of culture, Arla is a choice you can feel good about.
Company benefits
You’ll enjoy a comprehensive rewards package, including 26 days’ holiday plus bank holidays, a pension with matched contributions up to 6%, and life assurance at four times your annual salary.
After this apprenticeship
Strong career development & training (internal and external training).
Once our apprentices have completed their apprenticeship standard, subject to vacancies at the time, there will be an opportunity to apply for further employment.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
KIRKLEES COLLEGE
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000016354.
Apply now
Closes on Monday 6 April 2026
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.