Apprentice Design Engineer

Warburtons; Bolton; On-site; GBP 19,000 - 24,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary from day one

Tuition fees paid

First-year accommodation paid

Structured four-year programme

Mentor support

Pension scheme

Job summary

Warburtons in Bolton is offering a four-year Engineering Apprenticeship that starts your career with hands-on design work and formal training. You’ll earn salary from day one, while studying for a BTEC Diploma and gaining practical skills under a dedicated mentor.

You'll complete a residential first year with MGTS in Coventry before returning to Bolton to continue development, with tuition and accommodation funded and a clear path to becoming a design engineer.

Qualifications

• Must be 18+ by 1 September 2027
• Five GCSEs including Maths, English and Science or ICT
• Be flexible, with shifts, weekends and evenings from year three
• Earn while you learn with hands-on engineering experience

Skills

Curiosity

Commitment

Passion for engineering

Education

GCSEs including Maths English Science/ICT

Job description

Ready to engineer your future?

Great engineers aren't just born. They're built.

That's why we're looking for our next generation of Engineering Apprentices to join our family atour Bolton Head Office.

If you're curious about how things work, enjoy solving problems and want to build a proper career in engineering, this could be just the start you're looking for.

Our four-year Engineering Apprenticeship gives you the training, qualifications and hands-on experience you need to become a Design Engineer, while earning a salary from day one.

And because we'll cover your tuition and first-year accommodation, you can concentrate on learning your craft.

Your apprenticeship journey /The Recipe

Your first year will be spent on a full-time residential programme with our national training provider, Midland Group Training Services (MGTS) in Coventry.

You'll stay in student accommodation close to the training facility, with the cost covered as part of your apprenticeship.

After that, you'll continue developing your skills back at Warburtons, combining hands-on experience with further training and support from your own mentor.

Over the four years, you'll gain:

• Hands-on experience in engineering design and health & safety.
• The skills to support business goals through effective engineering solutions.
• Knowledge of industry standards for safe, efficient, and hygienic design.
• Experience ensuring designs meet quality, food safety, and legal requirements.

What you'll come away with

Successfully complete your apprenticeship and you'll achieve a BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, with the skills and experience to begin your career as a qualified Design Engineer with us.

And that's only the beginning. Engineering can open up opportunities across areas such as Engineering Management, Project Engineering and continuous improvement.

The direction you take from there is up to you.

The Perks We’ve Baked In

Now for the extra dough… because you’ll want to know what your bread’s worth:

• £21,500 starting salary, increasing each year of your apprenticeship
• Your tuition fees paid
• First-year accommodation paid
• 25 days' paid holiday
• A structured four-year development programme
• Your own dedicated Warburtons mentor
• Development and 1-to-1 training designed around you
• The chance to learn alongside a national group of Warburtons apprentices
• Hands-on experience with automation and modern engineering technology
• Life assurance
• Award-winning contributory pension scheme
• Discounted gym membership
• Retail vouchers and online shopping offers, including discounts on Warburtons products
• Site social events, charity days and wellbeing initiatives
• 24/7 confidential wellbeing support and occupational health services
• A new starter goodie box to welcome you to the family

Essential Ingredients

We don't expect you to arrive knowing everything. That's what the apprenticeship is for.

What we're looking for is curiosity, commitment and a genuine passion for engineering.

You'll need to:

• Be 18 or over by 1 September 2027, due to the residential requirement in your first year
• Have achieved five GCSEs or equivalent, including Level 5 or above in Maths, Level 4 or above in English and Level 4 or above in either Science or ICT
• Be comfortable working flexibly, including shifts, weekends and evenings from year three onwards
• Enjoy solving problems and approaching them logically
• Be committed to completing the full four-year programme
• Communicate confidently and work well with others

Most importantly, bring your enthusiasm and willingness to learn. We'll help with the rest.

A bit about us

Bolton is right at the heart of Warburtons. It’s home to not one, but two bakery sites, Bolton and Variety, alongside our distribution hub, Innovation Centre, Test Bakery and Head Office.

Across our Bolton and Variety manufacturing and distribution teams, around 480 colleagues help keep things rolling. And with five automated production lines producing 1.5 million units every week, there’s plenty to keep us busy.

From fresh bread and crumpets to bagels, morning goods and muffins, our teams bake some of the nation’s favourites before getting them on their way to customers across the UK.

And there’s plenty more in the oven.

With new initiatives and projects happening across our sites and the wider business, it’s an exciting time to join us. Whatever your role, you’ll have the chance to get stuck in, make an impact and play your part in delivering Unbeatable Quality as we work towards our ambition of being Britain’s Best Food Business.

Ready to get your career rolling?

If you’re ready to learn, get stuck in and build a career in engineering with a family business that’s been doing things differently for 150 years, your journey starts here.

What happens next?

Applications close: December 2026

Shortlisted candidates contacted: January 2027

Assessment Day: March 2027

Offers made: March/April 2027

Your Warburtons journey begins: Mid to late August 2027