Food and Drink Maintenance Engineer Apprenticeship - Level 3
-
Company: AJ & RG Barber Ltd
-
Location: Somerset, BA4 6PR
-
Type: Apprenticeship
-
Salary: Apprenticeship Minimum Wage
-
Sector: Engineering and manufacturing
-
Ref: NAS-1000267540
-
Application Deadline Date: 19/06/2026
-
Start Date: 01/09/2026
-
Positions Available: 1
-
Working Week: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. The shift pattern to commence after the 1st year of Apprenticeship and once they have reached age 18.
Brief Description
Barber’s Cheesemakers is the oldest and largest family-owned cheddar makers in the world. Start an engineering career within a supportive, skilled, and talented maintenance department, which has lots of knowledge about our operations and operations within the dairy industry.
Training to be Provided
The Food and Drink Maintenance Engineer Apprenticeship – Level 3, is an Apprenticeship over 3–4 years with the University Centre Somerset (Bridgwater College).
In the first year, the majority of time will be spent attending college (up to 130 days) and the remainder in the workplace. This will give a broad basis of new skills to take back to the workplace in years 2 and 3 when college attendance is one day per week.
The current study/workplace structure is (UCS are currently reviewing this method):
Years 1–3 attending college in year 1 – 3 days per week, year 2 – 2 days per week, year 3 – 1 day per week; the remaining hours will be based at our sites.
Year 4 is the End Point Assessment year, and you will be assessed on our sites.
Locations:
Based between the Maintenance Department and Prepack Engineering at Maryland Farm, Ditcheat BA4 6PR.
&
The Maintenance Department at Ashley Chase Estate, Dorset DT2 9AZ.
Future Prospects
Subject to successful completion of the Apprenticeship and position availability, the successful apprentice may be absorbed into the Maintenance Team.
Vacancy Detail
Key Responsibilities/Accountabilities:
- Performing maintenance tasks alongside a fully skilled engineer, as an assistant in a learning capacity.
- As your skills improve, jobs will be undertaken with the fully skilled engineer being your assistant and mentor.
- Work proactively as part of a multidisciplinary team. Communicate clearly and concisely with employees across all business functions to meet the needs of the business.
- On qualifying, you will have knowledge of the manufacturing and packing operations at Ditcheat and of the Ashley Chase Estate sites.
- To carry out any other work or task determined to be within your level of competence, to meet the needs of the business.
- Working within all company policies and procedures, including Health and Safety, Food Safety, Authenticity, Legality and Quality Standards.
On completion, the successful apprentice will be able to:
- Plan and prepare for maintenance of engineered systems in the food and drink industry.
- Perform first line routine mechanical maintenance, including removing and replacing components, cleaning, lubrication, inspection, and fault-finding.
- Apply ‘best practice’ techniques, including condition monitoring and proactive maintenance.
- Produce replacement components, using manual and machine processes.
- Maintain fluid power systems.
- Weld stainless steel and other materials used in food production equipment.
- Perform first line electrical maintenance, including testing, fault-finding, repairing, and replacing components.
- Apply mathematical techniques to solve engineering problems.
- Understand the principles of electrical machines, testing electrical equipment and circuits.
- Understand the operation of process controllers within an engineered system.
- Commission and perform maintenance of instrumentation/process control systems.
- Perform maintenance of programmable control systems.
- Understand the requirements of electrical installations.
- Attendance at Bridgewater college on a day release basis to study towards NVQ3 Course reference ST0195 Multi Skilled Food & Drink maintenance Engineering.
- Carrying out such tasks and duties as directed by the Maintenance Team that are calculated to contribute to the requisite levels of performance and competence.
Other Information
Being Comfortable Working at height.
Ability to climb a ladder.