Apprentice Engineer

Warburtons Limited; Bolton; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading bakery company based in Bolton is inviting applications for its 2026 Engineering Apprenticeship. Over 4 years, apprentices will gain hands-on experience as Multi-Skilled Maintenance Engineers, attending a residential course. The company covers tuition and accommodation fees with an annual starting salary of £21,500. Ideal candidates will be passionate about engineering and possess strong analytical skills. Join us in shaping the future together!

Benefits

Discretionary profit share

Award-winning pension scheme

Life assurance

Employee discounts

Access to free physiotherapy

Health and wellbeing support

Qualifications

• Must be 18 years or over by 1st September 2026.
• Achieved 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) at required levels.
• Able to work flexible patterns including shifts from year 3.

Responsibilities

• Perform plant maintenance and conduct failure diagnosis.
• Maintenance, repair, and replacement of control systems.
• Learning about food and safety legislation.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Communication skills

Flexibility

Passion for engineering

Education

5 GCSEs including Maths, English, and Science/ICT

Job description

Starting Salary of £21,500 per annum, increasing each year, tuition and accommodation fees paid.

Engineers aren’t born, they’re bread, and we’re gearing up to welcome applications for our 2026 Engineering Apprentices to join our family based in our Bolton Bakery. We are looking for our new Apprentices to have a passion for engineering and to be available to join the family in August 2026.

Your first year will be spent attending a full-time residential course with our national training provider, Midland Group Training Services, based in Coventry. Accommodation will be provided in newly built Student accommodation, which is only a short walk from the training facility and will be funded as part of the course. For more information on MGTS click: www.mgts.co.uk , to view the accommodation, click: Gulson gardens student accommodation .

Our Engineering Apprenticeship will take you on a journey of learning and development over the next 4 years. We will take care of your tuition fees as well as pay you for your hard work. There\'s no reason to worry about student debt, we\'ve got your bread & butter sorted, all we knead is for you to use your loaf and apply!

As ‘the UK’s No. 1 Bakery Brand’, we have been baking bread since 1876. Today, we are proudly a fifth-generation family, with the introduction of the sixth generation, supplying over 18,000 retail customers from 11 bakeries and 16 depots, producing a range of over 70 products, including gluten and wheat-free. Family and values are what make us different, and we are a proud bunch. Join us and you too could be proud to be Warburtons.

The Apprenticeship programme gives YOU the development and skill set you need for us to shape our future together.

We are inviting Apprenticeship applications NOW in readiness for our selection events in March 2026.

Key Accountabilities and Measures

Our Apprenticeship provides the knowledge, skills, and experience needed for the role of a multi-skilled Maintenance Engineer. These include performing plant maintenance and conducting failure diagnosis, maintenance, repair, and replacement of our highly automated control systems, mechanical, electrical, and production systems, along with learning about food and safety legislation.

Typical things you can expect are:

• A structured 4-year Apprenticeship Programme
• Varied learning through a mixture of on-the-job training with your own Warburtons mentor and working with our training provider (MGTS)
• An apprenticeship that equips you to become a Multi-Skilled Maintenance Engineer
• A varied programme that involves, electrical, mechanical and control engineering
• Learning to fault find and fix mechanical and electrical components, including making and suggesting improvements.

At the successful completion of your Apprenticeship, you\'ll have achieved your BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, and you’ll be ready to start your career as a qualified Multi Skilled Engineer with us. This route is just the start of your career and can open the door to many more opportunities, such as Engineering Management and Project Engineering positions at the site or being involved with continuous improvement projects in the head office.

To join our Apprenticeship programme, you\'ll need the following:

• You’ll be 18years or over by the 1st September 2026 due to the residential requirement of the first year of study
• Achieved 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) to include a Level 5 or above in Maths, a Level 4 or above in English, and a Level 4 or above in either science or ICT.
• Able to be flexible around work patterns, including shifts, weekends, and evenings (from year 3 onwards)
• You\'ll have excellent analytical skills and enjoy problem-solving with a logical and structured approach
• Passion, drive, and commitment to complete a 4-year apprenticeship with a genuine interest in Engineering
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Extra Dough

At last and by no means least you will want to know what your breads worth.

• A slice of the annual profits (discretionary profit share)
• Award winning pension scheme with company contributions
• Life assurance
• Products you will love along with deals and discounts for you and the family through our Extra Dough website
• Continued investment in your personal development
• Fully stocked kitchens filled with our delicious products for you to enjoy with your daily brew!
• Support for your health and wellbeing, including access to free physiotherapy, 24/7 access to a confidential helpline for practical advice and a comprehensive occupational health service