Apprenticeship Programmes
Proud to earn while you learn
As the leading provider of fresh prepared food in the UK, we believe in investing in the future by bringing new talent into our organisation. Our apprentices are key to that talent pipeline!
As a Bakkavor apprentice, you will get access to a wide range of career pathways in different areas of our business. From Engineering and Manufacturing Operations to Business, HR, Finance, Supply Chain or Health and Safety, you’ll get your future off to a flying start. We will invest in your future with us, by supporting you to gain a recognised qualification and earn a competitive salary for doing a real job from day one, with great on and off the job training. At the end of your programme, if you have successfully completed your apprenticeship and achieved the performance targets that we’ve set for you then you are guaranteed a permanent role with us. So, what are you waiting for? Come and start your career journey with us!
Opportunities Available
Our applications for our next intake of apprentices are now Live! Please find more information in our opportunities below and click through to apply online
ENGINEERING
Do you like problem solving? As an organisation that uses highly automated equipment and technology to produce a wide range of the UK’s best loved food products, you will learn how to maintain that machinery and equipment, finding and resolving faults to optimise production levels and ensure that our practices comply with food safety, health, and safety, environmental, sustainability, and engineering regulations and standards. You’ll work alongside other technicians and engineers, as well as with operational and site teams, and colleagues from Technical, Development, Finance & Planning. This is a 4-year Advanced Apprenticeship, during which you’ll complete a Level 3 Food & Drink Maintenance Engineer apprenticeship standard. Our Engineering Apprentices do their off the job training, all together, in 6 week blocks with our training partner, Birmingham Metropolitan College, (BMet).
NB: Our Scottish apprentices will undertake an equivalent Scottish Apprenticeship Framework, studying at Forth Valley College.
MANUFACTURING
Are you organised, with good planning, analytical and communication skills? Do you think you could be a future Operations Manager? A Manufacturing Apprenticeship is an ideal opportunity if you are interested in all the different stages involved in efficient food production and the distribution of quality products. It will give you a clear understanding of our key manufacturing processes including resource and people management, planning and production, and safe machinery operation.
Apprentices will undertake the Level 4 Process Leader standard, delivered for us by our training partner, the National Centre for Food Manufacturing, (NCFM) at the University of Lincoln.
NB: Our Scottish apprentices will undertake an equivalent Scottish Apprenticeship Framework
FINANCE
Do you have a good eye for detail? Do you have an analytical mind and like to work with numbers?
Finance underpins everything we do at Bakkavor. As a Finance Apprentice you’ll receive hands-on training in management accounting, accounts, transactional processing, and other key areas. Working closely with all business areas, you’ll support with budgeting, project financing, governance, and overheads.
If you do the Level 3 Assistant Accountant apprenticeship standard, you will be trained to assist in day-to-day financial activities such as data entry to month end management accounts and/or year-end financial statements. In addition, you may be involved in regulatory financial requirements such as the completion of VAT returns or assisting in the preparation of tax computations. You will provide support to internal and external customers
If you do the Level 4 Professional Accounting Technician apprenticeship standard you will have responsibility for creating, and/or verifying and reviewing, accurate and timely financial information, to meet relevant ethical, professional, and legal standards, and will utilise your knowledge of our business systems and processes, as well as standard accounting and tax practices.
FOOD TECHNOLOGY
Are you passionate about food? As a Food Technologist you’ll make sure the food on consumers’ plates is safe to eat. You’ll receive hands-on training in process design and food science focused on food safety legislation and quality standards. Working alongside other business areas, you’ll learn how a kitchen concept is made ‘real’ and manage the process through to see a product hit retailers’ shelves. By the end of your programme, you will be able to utilise your food science knowledge to ensure the smooth transition of food products from factory to fork ensuring that technical and quality standards are achieving whilst maximising profitability to meet customer requirements.
Advanced Apprentices will complete a Level 3 Food Industry Technologist apprenticeship standard. Higher apprentices will complete a Level 4 Quality Practitioner Apprenticeship standard.
NB: Scottish apprentices will undertake an equivalent Scottish Apprenticeship Framework.
SUPPLY CHAIN
Do you have a passion for data analysis and an eye for detail? Do you want to support us to develop and innovate our supply chain process? At Bakkavor, production never stops. We need to plan, manufacture, and deliver onto shelves as quickly as possible so our customers are never disappointed. Our Supply Chain apprentices play a crucial role in this. Working as part of a team, you’ll receive hands on training in our end-to-end supply chain processes.
Advanced Apprentices will complete a Level 3 Supply Chain Practitioner Apprenticeship standard. We will give you an in depth understanding of our entire supply chain, supporting you to develop strong relationship building, influencing, stakeholder management and communication skills, and the ability to analyse information quickly. More experienced applicants will complete a Level 4 Process Leader Apprenticeship standard, learning how to undertake and direct production activities and operations and deliver against core production Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). You will learn how to effectively lead and manage large teams as well as providing technical/specialist input and direction to your own team and to others.
NB: Scottish apprentices will undertake an equivalent Scottish Apprenticeship Framework
OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE - CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Do you have an inquisitive mindset? Do you enjoy finding new and better ways of doing things, using information from a variety of sources? Bakkavor is continually looking to improve its manufacturing systems and processes. This exciting opportunity will expose you to all areas of the business where you will learn about Continuous Improvement tools and techniques, including Root Cause Analysis, Lean Methodologies, as well as various methods of data analysis. You will work as part of an operational team to resolve problems and you will initiate and facilitate improvements, providing advice to colleagues on business improvement methods and the basic tools that they can use. This continuous improvement programme is a great opportunity to develop skills that are highly sought after, by Bakkavor, in today’s competitive environment.
Apprentices will undertake the Level 4 Improvement Practitioner apprenticeship standard
NB: Scottish apprentices will undertake an equivalent Scottish Apprenticeship Framework
PROCESS
As a Process Apprentice you will play a crucial role in delivering successful product validations in accordance with Bakkavor and Customer principles in a fast-paced challenging environment. The role of the Process function is to develop manufacturing capability to enable the business to deliver volume from product concepts. Once a product concept has been signed off, Process will work across all functions and the customer to produce product in line with food safety and technical standards, H&S, Financial and Commercial expectations. Full support and training will be provided to help you progress quickly. Depending on the site, the scheme may offer placements within a factory-based role with responsibility for a team, running production lines, quality and output costs.
In this role you will undertake a Level 4 Process Leader Apprenticeship Standard with further progression encouraged up to Degree Level.
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
We have Business Administrators across the organisation who develop, implement, maintain, and improve administrative services. Our administrators contribute to the efficiency of our organisation, through support of functional areas, working across teams and resolving issues as requested. The flexibility and responsiveness required by the role will allow the apprentice to develop a wide range of skills. Essentially, the responsibilities of the role are to support and engage with specific parts of the organisation and interact with internal and/ or external customers, with a focus on adding value, but the real flavour of the role will come from the team you are working with. You will work within our HR Function and will learn all about recruitment and people related policies and procedures.
Apprentices will complete a Level 3 Business Administrator standard
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
IT plays a vital role in the Bakkavor infrastructure. Keeping our systems operating enables our factories to run and our colleagues to stay connected. As an IT Apprentice you will develop a comprehensive understanding of IT operations by rotating through various functions within the IT department. You will gain practical experience and build knowledge aligned with the Level 6 Digital Solutions and Technology Degree Apprenticeship and the Skills for the Information Age (SFIA) 8 framework, including, but not limited to, technical support, cyber security, and IT project management.
DATA TECHNICIAN
This apprenticeship is an excellent opportunity for candidates who are interested in developing their skills in Data Analysis and HR. The successful candidate will receive on-the-job training and support to develop their technical and soft skills. As a Data Technician you will be responsible for assisting our HR People Services team with the analysis and maintenance of key people data to support organisational decision making. You will collect, clean and manage HR data in a timely and accurate manner including data relating to recruitment, employee onboarding, performance evaluations, compensation, and benefits. You will also analyse HR data to identify trends, patterns and insights that can inform HR decision-making.
You will complete a Level 3 Data Technician Apprenticeship Standard
PAYROLL ADMINSTRATOR
If you have a passion for numbers and want to see how Payroll operates in one of the fastest growing sectors of the food industry, then this is the place for you! Our Payroll Administrator Apprenticeship provides a great opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a real job, alongside supportive training and mentoring from a professional team. This role requires you to be well organised and to be able to manage priorities and deadlines. A commitment to learning is essential as is the ability to think on your feet and use your initiative.
You will complete a Level 3 Payroll Administrator Apprenticeship Standard
More Information
Proud to know your stuff
Available Apprenticeships:
Advanced (Level 3) Apprenticeships:
Qualifications Required:
- 5 GCSEs at grade 4/C or above, including Maths & English. (For Engineering, a minimum grade 5/C in Maths is required)
Pay Scale:
- Start at £19,000, rising to £22,000 in year 2.
- Engineering Advanced Apprentices: 4-year pay scale:
- Year 1: £22,000. Year 2: £28,000. Year 3: £34,000. Year 4: £40,000
Higher (Level 4 or 5) Apprenticeships:
Qualifications Required:
- 3 A levels at grade A* - C.
- Maths and English GCSEs at A* - C/9 - 5.
Pay Scale:
- Start at £20,670, rising to £23,670 in year 2.
For our Scottish based Apprenticeships (SCQF level 6 or 7)
- 5x National 5s grade A-C including English and Maths for Advanced Apprenticeships
- 3x National Highers grade A-C for Higher Apprenticeships
Due to the Government’s apprenticeship funding requirements, you will need to provide relevant documentation to prove that you have the right to work in the UK and have been a UK resident over the past 3 years. Please make sure that you can easily get to your selected site.
Recruitment Process:
- Application: Submit an online application.
- Assessment Centre: If successful, you'll be invited to a half-day onsite assessment centre at one of Bakkavor's sites.
- Outcome Notification: You will be informed of the outcome within 5 working days via email or phone.
- Rescheduling: Assessment Centre dates are fixed and cannot be rearranged, so it’s important to keep the date available if you are invited.
Application Tips:
- Highlight Your Motivation: Clearly express why you’re interested in a career in the food industry and how this placement aligns with your career goals.
- Show Flexibility: Emphasize your willingness to relocate and adapt to different work locations.
- Demonstrate Business Acumen: Showcase any relevant experience or skills that highlight your understanding of the commercial aspects of the industry.
Additional FAQs:
College/Training Provider: Determined by the apprenticeship programme and location. Bakkavor will select the most suitable training provider for you.
Off-the-Job Training: Varies depending on the apprenticeship and provider. Options include:
- One day per week
- One week per month
- Block release.
Training Costs: Fully covered by Bakkavor; no cost to the apprentice.
Job Guarantee: Yes, provided you successfully complete your qualification and perform well in your role.
Site Location:
- You will remain at one site during your apprenticeship.
- After completion, you may apply to move to a different site.
Qualifications Awarded:
- The apprenticeship itself is a qualification.
- Some programs include additional certifications like CIPD, CIMA, AAT, or HEC’s.
If you need more specific details or have any other questions, feel free to ask! Contact us via email: EarlyCareers@bakkavor.com
OUR PEOPLE
Meet the people behind the products and learn why they’re the secret to our success.
OUR PEOPLE
Meet the people behind the products and learn why they’re the secret to our success.
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