Confectionery Apprentice

Nestle; York and North Yorkshire; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Potential relocation support (£2,000)

Employee Assistance Programme

Prayer rooms

Job summary

Nestlé in York is launching a four-year confectionery apprenticeship scheme starting 2nd September 2027. You’ll gain hands-on experience developing iconic brands like KitKat, Aero, and more, with factory rotations and mentorship.

The programme runs full-time in the office, offering £26,000 per year plus excellent benefits, relocation support (£2,000), and a strong focus on training in HACCP, product development, and QA.

Qualifications

• GCSE Maths and English Language at grades 9–4 (A*-C if before 2017).
• 104 UCAS points or 260 points (2017 or earlier).
• Be 18+ by 1 September 2027 and eligible to work in the UK.

Responsibilities

• Develop new confectionery products and recipes.
• Support factory trials and potentially rotate across sites.
• Receive mentorship to maximise learning during the scheme.
• Assist in ensuring product quality and safety throughout development.
• Contribute to process optimization in manufacturing such as mixing and cooking.

Skills

Food safety & HACCP

Product development

Quality assurance

Data analysis

Process optimisation

Education

Integrated degree in food industry technical professional

Job description

Start date: 2nd September 2027

Scheme duration : 4 years

Salary : £26,000 per annum + excellent benefits

Location : York

Work Pattern : Full time, 5 days per week in the office

What will you do?

Whether you've recently finished school or are considering a career change, our Confectionery Apprenticeship scheme offers the perfect opportunity to gain the skills, experience, and the support you need to succeed in the exciting world of confectionery. Over the course of this four‑year scheme, you will work with some of the world’s most iconic confectionery brands, think KitKat, Aero and more.

You will be developing new products and recipes all whilst supporting factory trials, which may include rotations across our confectionery sites where the likes of KitKat, Quality Street and Aero come to life. Throughout the scheme, you’ll have the guidance from an experienced mentor to help you maximise your learning and prepare you for an exciting career. Join us and kickstart your career in confectionery today!

What makes this scheme exciting?

• Food safety and compliance: Understand and implement Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems, ensuring adherence to legal, industry and customer standards.
• Product development: Assist in developing product specifications and managing new product development projects, ensuring alignment with customer requirements and working through the risk factors.
• Quality assurance: Manage internal audit schedules and conduct compliance checks to maintain consistent product quality and a food safety culture.
• Data analysis and problem solving: Analyse complex information and data to identify root causes of issues and implement corrective actions.
• Process optimisation: Establish and control process parameters for manufacturing, ensuring efficiency in operations such as mixing, cooking and cooling.

What will you learn?

• Team leadership and development: Lead and develop small technical teams, fostering a collaborative environment and driving personal and team growth.
• Supplier management: Conduct supplier audits and performance reviews, ensuring compliance with quality standards and maintaining strong supplier relationships.
• Effective communication: Demonstrate integrity and respect in communication, influencing and building relationships with key stakeholders.
• Innovation and adaptability: Show curiosity and a proactive approach to drive change and improvements within the confectionery production process.

Food industry technical professional (integrated degree) / Skills England

This is the current apprenticeship programme but could be subject to change by Skills England ahead of your 2027 start date.

Our commitment to you…

We will support you every step of the way, the following are just some of our offerings to enable you to thrive with us-

• Inclusive culture, join our variety of employee run networks!
• Comprehensive benefits
• Pastoral support
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Potential relocation support (£2,000)
• Prayer rooms
• Various rewards and recognition opportunities

Eligibility requirements

• You will have the right to work in the UK that is not time-limited and does not require sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route either at the start of the scheme or on completion.
• You will be required to meet the Government's apprenticeship funding eligibility criteria, including the relevant residency requirements.
• You will have obtained or be predicted to obtain your:
• Maths and English Language GCSEs (or equivalent) at grades 9-4 (A*-C if taken before 2017). Original certificates will need to be provided.
• 104 UCAS points or more (or 260 points from 2017 or previous).
• You will need to be 18 by 1st September 2027.

The recruitment journey

Once you have completed this stage, we will notify you if you are selected to attend an assessment day which will be in February or March 2027. If successful at the assessment day, you’ll be invited back to our York campus for a final practical assessment in our kitchens. This is a great opportunity to experience the environment first‑hand and get a real flavour of what the role could look like. It may take a little bit of time between assessment stages to get back to you, we really appreciate your patience.

Adjustments

We recognise that each candidate has unique needs, and we are committed to ensuring an inclusive application process. You will have the opportunity to discuss any specific requirements or adjustments you may need as you navigate through our recruitment process.

At Nestlé, our values are rooted in respect – for our employees, our customers and our consumers. That’s why championing diversity and inclusion is so important to us; when we embrace different perspectives and give everyone the chance to be the best they can be, we can think in new, creative ways that grow and enhance our business. We are committed to equal opportunity for all and we may collect relevant data for monitoring purposes during our candidate registration process.