Apprentice Ceramic Printer and Decorator

Susan Rose China

Stoke-On-Trent (ST3 5QL)

Closes in 27 days (Friday 10 April 2026)

Posted on 13 March 2026

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Summary

At Susan Rose China, we pride ourselves on creating bespoke, hand-finished English bone china. As an apprentice, you will be trained in the technical and artistic processes that bring our designs to life.  Susan Rose China is looking for a dedicated apprentice to join our workshop.

Wage

£13,741 to £22,222.20, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Craft technician (level 3)
Hours
Shifts to be confirmed between the hours of 7.30am - 2.30pm

35 hours a week

Start date

Sunday 24 May 2026

Duration

1 year 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

At Susan Rose China, we pride ourselves on creating bespoke, hand-finished English bone china. As an apprentice, you won’t just be "watching from the sidelines" - you will be trained in the technical and artistic processes that bring our designs to life.

What you’ll learn:

  • Learning the process from preparing films for use, making screens and printing up transfers
  • Kiln Management: Learning the firing process to ensure designs are permanently fused to the glaze
  • Being involved with other decorating processes as required
  • Quality Control: Developing a "keen eye" to ensure every piece meets our high standards
  • Workshop Operations: Maintaining equipment and managing stock for bespoke orders

Where you'll work

Unit 3, Newtown Square
248 Uttoxeter Road
Stoke-On-Trent
ST3 5QL

Training

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

Training provider

THE WEST MIDLANDS CREATIVE ALLIANCE LIMITED

Training course

Craft technician (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Select and use tools and equipment.
  • Use technology as an enabler to make hand-crafted items, models or prototypes.
  • Identify sustainable techniques to make handmade or hand- produced items.
  • Store tools and materials, ensuring they are protected from damage when not in use.
  • Follow health and safety procedures.
  • Clean, maintain and prepare the craft workspace or workshop.
  • The roles, responsibilities and interdependencies of different parties in a project and your role within this.
  • Identify costs. Deploy controls to enable effective budget management.
  • Manage projects on time and budget. Maintain reputational standards and mitigate legal risks.
  • Conduct stock control and liaise with suppliers.
  • Communicate with stakeholders, colleagues or customers.
  • Follow quality assurance procedures.
  • Apply design principles to the making or production of items, in line with the brief such as shape, size, proportion, colour and finish.
  • Select packaging for craft items to protect them whilst in transit. Present items as per the organisation’s or client or customer needs.
  • Use specialist tools and equipment required for specific purposes.
  • Make ceramic items, prototypes or models in line with the brief. Consider: purpose, end user, market, and budget.
  • Select and use clay or material for the ceramic item being made.
  • Use making skills for example hand building, sculpting, throwing, casting, moulding, and tool crafting or equivalent.
  • Select and use finishing techniques or glazes to be applied to the final ceramic product.
  • Assess the finished ceramic item against the brief and the production schedule including efficiency and wastage, quality, budget.
  • Use drawn plans (hand or digital), prototypes or models to aid the making of a hand-made ceramic product.
  • Mix dyes, paints and pigments to colour match to a sample.
  • Dye selected fabric swatches, to produce colour samples matched to a design brief.
  • Manage the dye baths in an efficient and sustainable way.
  • Plan and work through a schedule of items to be dyed.
  • Select and apply the dye method required to create the effect in the design brief.
  • Select and use the dye type according to the fibre content and, composition of chosen fabric.
  • Apply techniques such as hand painting, spraying, block printing, screen printing and textile effects.
  • Use image editing technology to create artwork for printing.
  • Use finishing and fixing techniques to complete the dye process.
  • Apply special effects techniques such as distressing, breakdown, ageing, wounds or blood effects.
  • Paint, print or dye a textile design on flat pattern pieces.
  • Record dye recipes and log information related to the dyeing process such as the order of processes.
  • Select and use tools and equipment.
  • Use technology as an enabler to make hand-crafted items, models or prototypes.
  • Identify sustainable techniques to make handmade or hand- produced items.
  • Store tools and materials, ensuring they are protected from damage when not in use.
  • Follow health and safety procedures.
  • Clean, maintain and prepare the craft workspace or workshop.
  • The roles, responsibilities and interdependencies of different parties in a project and your role within this.
  • Identify costs. Deploy controls to enable effective budget management.
  • Manage projects on time and budget. Maintain reputational standards and mitigate legal risks.
  • Conduct stock control and liaise with suppliers.
  • Communicate with stakeholders, colleagues or customers.
  • Follow quality assurance procedures.
  • Apply design principles to the making or production of items, in line with the brief such as shape, size, proportion, colour and finish.
  • Select packaging for craft items to protect them whilst in transit. Present items as per the organisation’s or client or customer needs.
  • Use specialist tools and equipment required for specific purposes.

Training schedule

Level 3 Craft Technician Apprenticeship – Ceramics

See full standard here

https://skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0919-v1-1

Craft technicians provide technical support to ensure new or existing items, are made or restored by hand. They are designed, developed, and created in line with company and client requirements. Increasingly, the integration of digital technologies across this sector will support production processes. While still retaining unique craft or skill qualities through hybrid manufactured and hand produced or handmade production.

Craft technicians must adhere to the organisation’s confidentiality requirements and understand basic copyrighting and intellectual property arrangements. Working with discretion, taking positive action in response to feedback, being solution focused, and maintaining awareness of the bigger picture. Including budget and broader resource constraints and environmental impacts and ways to reduce these, are essential to a craft technician approach.

Core Training:

  • Make products or component parts of products by hand in line with the settings quality standards, confidentiality policies and intellectual property requirements
  • Utilise technology as an enabler to handmake or hand produce items within social, cultural, economic, technological and environmental contexts impacting your chosen specialism
  • Follow agreed plans, designs or brief to aid the successful creation of a specified handmade or hand produced products within time and cost constraints
  • Maintain equipment and the workspace, and store tools in line with the settings standards and health and safety requirements
  • Research and develop sustainable production techniques, processes and the use of recycled and sustainable materials
  • Manage expectations by maintaining regular communication and delivering effective project management, budget tracking, troubleshooting, project delivery and timekeeping
  • Order or recommend materials and tools in line with the settings procurement policies and processes. Following stock management procedures as needed to achieve value for money
  • Record and control materials, items, stock, products and suitably store these to maintain their fitness for use
  • Duty 9 Utilise technology to communicate, market and sell handmade or hand produced items effectively.
  • Provide excellent and inclusive service and relationship management to a diverse range of customers, creative teams, clients and colleagues
  • Package present or handover products in line with the settings standards, procedures an customer, client or colleague requirements

Ceramicist Training:

  • Make, service, restore, and or conserve ceramic items for customers, clients public or private collections
  • Manage the planning or design process for hand-made ceramic products
  • Work with customers and clients to understand their requirements
  • Creating technical or other drawings and plans (by hand or digital) for the product as needed
  • Create samples or prototypes to assist in the creation of hand-made ceramic products

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade C/4)
  • Maths (grade C/4)

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
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Patience

About this employer

At Susan Rose China, we pride ourselves on creating bespoke, hand-finished English bone china. As an apprentice, you won’t just be "watching from the sidelines"—you will be trained in the technical and artistic processes that bring our designs to life.

https://www.susanrosechina.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

  • Susan Rose China is looking for a dedicated apprentice to join our workshop and learn the specialised art of ceramic printing and decorating. And is considering expanding the team beyond the apprenticeship

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

THE WEST MIDLANDS CREATIVE ALLIANCE LIMITED

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000021139.

Apply now

Closes in 27 days (Friday 10 April 2026)

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