Yard Operative Apprentice EMR
EMR GROUP LTD
Blaydon-On-Tyne, Hartlepool
Closes in 5 days (Friday 5 June 2026)
Posted on 31 March 2026
Contents
Summary
Kickstart your career in sustainability and help build a fairer, greener future. Join our team to support safe, efficient yard operations at our Blaydon site and across the North East, managing materials from receipt and processing through to onward movement.
- Wage
-
£21,365 a year
- Training course
- Lean manufacturing operative (level 2)
- Hours
-
Monday - Friday, 7.00am - 4.30pm.
45 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 13 July 2026
- Duration
-
1 year
- Positions available
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2
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
In this development role, you will work closely with other yard colleagues, mentors and managers to achieve the Lean Manufacturing Operative Level 2 apprenticeship (Material Handler pathway) in partnership with Sunderland College. Candidates must be a minimum of 18 years old and have a valid UK driving licence to apply for this opportunity.
You will be a true hero in the eyes of future generations to come- playing a key part in our bold commitment to transform our business into a provider of net-zero carbon sustainable materials by 2040. You truly will be making the world a better place to live for the next generation.
This role is bursting with opportunity for the right person. As a General Yard Operative, you will develop fundamental knowledge, skills and expertise throughout your career. We will support you with all the training you need to be successful, such as upskilling you to operate our plant machinery. So, with the right attitude this will give you the opportunity to progress your career.
Assessment Day - Wednesday 10th June 2026 at our Blaydon site
Salary: £21,364.20 per annum
What You Will Be Doing:
This role has a variety of responsibilities to keep you busy throughout the day.
- Receipt, loading, unloading, processing, stocking, retrieval and dispatch of material using mobile plant.
- Ensuring that material value is preserved through quality control and careful handling to avoid damage.
- Assisting customers and colleagues at the Weighbridge and across the depot.
- Learning the operation of various items of plant machinery in a safe manner.
- Conducting regular checks on machinery and work areas, including the reporting of any problems.
- Ensuring strict adherence to the company's health & safety and environmental policies.
- Recognising and understanding the grading of ferrous and non-ferrous material.
- Developing your commercial awareness, maintaining customers and bringing new customers into the depot.
About You:
If you’ve got a ‘can do’ attitude, you’re a good team player, you enjoy being ‘hands-on’, you have great customer service skills, and you enjoy working outdoors in all conditions in an industrial environment- then this role could be right up your street!
Where you'll work
You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship.
This apprenticeship is available in these locations:
- Tynedale Works, Factory Road, Blaydon-On-Tyne, NE21 5RZ
- EMR Hartlepool, Longhill Industrial Estate Thomlinson Road, Hartlepool, TS25 1NS
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
CITY OF SUNDERLAND COLLEGE
Training course
Lean manufacturing operative (level 2)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Work safely at all times, complying with health and safety legislation, regulations, and other relevant guidelines. Identifying risks within their processes and support/carry out countermeasure activities to improve safe working. Manage tooling, equipment and materials daily in-line with supplier standards e.g. COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health)
- Comply with environmental procedures and systems and contribute to the achievement of specific standards e.g. ISO 14001 or other relevant environmental standards and use the 4R’s (Reduce, Re-use, Recycle, Recover) where possible
- Demonstrate their ability to carry out their role effectively, efficiently and flexibly maintaining lean manufacturing principles to meet customer’s demands e.g. JIT
- Demonstrate their skill and knowledge following SOPs and building their versatility across a number of processes and process areas. Select and use appropriate tools, equipment and materials to carry out the manufacturing operation
- Demonstrate appropriate process documentation control. Accurately completing check sheets, monitoring process and equipment data efficiently and legibly using the correct terminology required to meet the quality standard e.g. ISO 9002
- Demonstrate their ability to identify and resolve problems within the lean manufacturing environment using effective problem solving tools and techniques. Manage problems that may occur during the manufacturing process within the limits of their responsibility and escalate as appropriate
- Generate ideas and contribute to process improvement activities individually or as part of a team through fact finding and analysis to improve the safety, environment, quality, cost or production process. Identifying and eliminating the 7 wastes (defects, over production, transportation, waiting, inventory, motion and processing)
- Demonstrate communication skills which include oral, written, electronic (PC), information boards or visual displays to effectively share information
- Maintains and monitors the work site efficiently and effectively at all times using the elements of sifting, sorting, sweeping, spick & span (5’s) within the lean manufacturing environment
- Check components for damage and that they are in a usable condition
- Correctly position, align and secure the components
- Secure the components in position using the specified fastening device/method
- Obtain and follow the correct Job instructions/Standard operating procedures production/assembly specifications in accordance with time constraints and the roles and responsibilities identified for the production/assembly activity
- Produce components which comply with the specification and quality requirements
- Carryout quality checks on component parts and completed assemblies and deal with quality concerns and defects in line with their responsibility
- Obtain and follow the correct Job instructions, inspection/quality procedures and product specifications in accordance with time constraints and the roles and responsibilities identified for the inspection/quality assurance activity
- Collect production samples at the required frequency in accordance with inspection specification and operating procedures
- Carryout inspection and testing activities using the specified methods and equipment
- Prepare, Handle, transfer and store samples safely and correctly in accordance with quality control procedures
- Accurately interpret the data/results gained from the inspection and testing procedures being used
- Record and report inspection findings to relevant person
- Safely move materials to the correct location using the relevant equipment
- Obtain and follow the correct Job instructions, specification details and specific transfer/handling procedures in accordance with time constraints and the roles and responsibilities identified for the logistic/material handling activity
- Move materials using the appropriate procedures, ensuring the materials are correct, safely loaded and secure.
- Check materials selected to be moved are in line with job requirements
- Carryout quality checks on materials that are to be moved and deal with quality concerns and damage in line with their responsibility
- Return equipment to its correct location on completion of the activities and leave it in a safe and usable condition
- Perform one processing/finishing operation method e.g. hand processing, manually operated machine processing, fully automated machine processing, combined processing
- Obtain and follow the correct Job instructions, processing/finishing procedures and equipment operating procedures in accordance with time constraints and the roles and responsibilities identified for the processing/finishing activity
- Perform the processing/finishing operation according to instructions and safe operating procedures
- Monitor and control the processing/finishing operation
- Produce processed/finished products which comply with processing specification
Training schedule
Level 2 Lean Manufacturing Operative.
Requirements
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
- Team working
- Initiative
Other requirements
Attend an Assessment Day on Wednesday 10th June 2026 9.30am - 2.00pm at our EMR Blaydon site.
About this employer
EMR GROUP LTD is a global leader in sustainable materials with physical operations in the UK, USA, Germany and the Netherlands. Our core business is the recycling of metal and plastics from a range of public, commercial and industrial waste streams. Our recycling activities generate around 10 million tonnes of sustainable materials every year, saving over 10 million tonnes of CO2. Our mission is to have great people serving our customers with dependable recycling solutions. EMR is still privately owned, with family values at its core. It’s a place where we care about our people, our customers, our workplace and our communities. We offer diverse and exciting career opportunities where individuals can make a difference and are recognised and rewarded for their hard work.
After this apprenticeship
Excellent opportunities for progression once the apprenticeship is complete, via higher level apprenticeships or into different roles within the Yard Operative teams.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
EMR GROUP LTD
Chloe Yeadon
chloe.yeadon@emrgroup.com
07483656476
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000024212.
Apply now
Closes in 5 days (Friday 5 June 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.