Production Apprentice (36458)

Summary

Plastube is looking for a motivated and reliable Lean Manufacturing Operative Apprentice to join our busy plastic injection moulding manufacturing team in Stalybridge. This is an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience.

Wage

£14,560 to £23,132.20, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

Training course

Lean manufacturing operative (level 2)

Hours

Monday - Friday, 8.00am - 4.00pm.

35 hours a week

Start date

Monday 21 September 2026

Duration

1 year 2 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

Key Responsibilities:

• Operating and monitoring plastic injection moulding machinery.
• Conducting quality checks to ensure products meet required specifications
• Packing, labelling and preparing products for dispatch
• Following manufacturing procedures, work instructions and quality standards
• Maintaining a safe, clean and organised work area in line with Health & Safety requirements
• Supporting continuous improvement and lean manufacturing activities
• Identifying and reporting quality, safety or production issues
• Assisting with machine set-up and basic maintenance activities under supervision
• Working effectively as part of a manufacturing team to achieve production targets

What You'll Learn:

• Lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement techniques
• Quality control and inspection processes
• Safe working practices within a manufacturing environment
• Production planning and workflow management
• Effective communication and teamwork skills
• Manufacturing processes used within plastic injection moulding

How you will be supported:

Full training and support will be provided by The Growth Company to help you achieve your apprenticeship and reach your full potential in your role.

What will happen next:

New applicants to The Growth Company who meet any basic entry requirements of the role will be contacted within two working days to be invited to meet a member of our team. You will then have the opportunity to find out:

• More about this vacancy and any others you are suitable for
• Any training you need to complete
• What the next steps will be

How you could get there:

If you would be catching public transport for this role, visit the Journey Planner on to see how you would get there and how long it would take.

Where you'll work

THE OLD FOUNDRY
LEECH STREET
STALYBRIDGE
SK15 1SD

Training

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

Training provider

THE GROWTH COMPANY LIMITED

Training course

Lean manufacturing operative (level 2)

What you'll learn

• 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

This training schedule has not been finalised. Check with this employer if you’ll need to travel to a college or training location for this apprenticeship.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade A*-C/9-4)
• Maths (grade A*-C/9-4)

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
• Organisation skills
• Team working
• Physical fitness
• Able to follow instructions
• Concentration
• Good practical skills
• Keen to learn
• Enthusiastic
• Self motivated
• Interested in manufacturing
• Presentable
• Good interpersonal skills
• Dependable
• Good time keeping
• Flexible
• Positive attitude