Process industry manufacturing technician apprenticeship - Alpek Polyester UK
Cogent Ssc Limited
Wilton International (TS10 4XZ)
Closes in 21 days (Friday 3 July 2026)
Posted on 11 June 2026
Contents
Summary
This is a fantastic opportunity to join the Alpek Polyester UK Ltd. manufacturing shift team at Wilton as a process industry manufacturing technician apprentice. The role involves working alongside experienced technicians, performing various operational duties to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the plant.
- Wage
-
£16,640 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Process industry manufacturing technician (level 3)
- Hours
-
During Year 1 the hours will vary but on average will be Monday – Friday, 9 am–5pm.
On site 40 hours per week; annualised over a 12-hour shift pattern, covering 365 days Some overtime may be required at certain times.
1 hour unpaid lunch break.
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 7 September 2026
- Duration
-
3 years
- Positions available
-
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
This is very much a ‘hands-on’ role and, under supervision, your responsibilities will include:
- Working safely in a high-hazard environment, under highly regulated conditions, wearing safety equipment, as directed, and complying with all health, safety and environmental policies and procedures at all times
- Working in varied conditions, inside and outside, on two process plants or in associated process control rooms
- assisting in the start-up, operation and shut-down of plant systems
- Monitoring, inspecting and controlling plant conditions to ensure plant systems and processes are operating within operational parameters, making adjustments to maximise plant efficiency, minimise cost, meet environmental compliance and ensure product specification
- Inspecting, cleaning, and maintaining the equipment in accordance with operational instructions
- Resolving and reporting, or escalating, process, quality, health and safety, environment, and operating environment issues when operating out of normal parameters
- Working alongside the plant engineering and maintenance personnel to conduct first-line routine maintenance and testing of process and plant equipment
- Conducting handover responsibilities - receiving information from or providing information to other shifts or maintenance teams
- Completing process documentation
You will be required to work 12-hour shifts on plants running 365-day operations (after a period of foundation training and where working time regulations allow).
This is an exciting time, and a fantastic opportunity, to embark on a hands-on career with Alpek Polyester UK Ltd, a leading global company within the industrial sciences sector.
Where you'll work
Alpek Polyester UK Ltd
Wilton International
TS10 4XZ
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
HARTLEPOOL COLLEGE OF FURTHER EDUCATION
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
Block release - : The first 12 months of the apprenticeship will be spent full time at Hartlepool College of Further Education (HCFE) to complete the foundation training and qualification, with a minimum 2 weeks of site placements. This will be followed by 24 months of hands-on, onsite training at Alpek Polyester, with regular support and guidance visits from your HCFE assessor, and an end-point assessment. Any further agreed study in years two and three will be through day release.
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
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Administrative skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Creative
About this employer
As the specialists in skills for science and technology, our purpose is to make sure your business; your people and our industry are future ready. We are a not-for-profit charitable organisation with a family of commercially focused companies committed to supporting the skills, needs and ambitions across the UK science and technology sector.
https://cogentskills.com/vacancies/ (opens in new tab)
Disability Confident
A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.
You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.
After this apprenticeship
This role is part of our talent planning for the future, and, for the right people, we are looking to continue to develop the apprentices upon successful completion of the apprenticeship. Subject to satisfactory completion of the apprenticeship, candidates may be considered for any available permanent positions.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
Cogent Ssc Limited
Tom Bretherton
thomas.bretherton@cogentskills.com
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000036735.
Apply now
Closes in 21 days (Friday 3 July 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.