Confectionery Apprentice

Nestlé; York and North Yorkshire; On-site; GBP 26,000; Full time

Job summary

A global food manufacturer in the UK is seeking candidates for a 4-year Confectionery Apprenticeship that includes hands-on experience with iconic brands. Candidates will develop skills in product development, quality assurance, and more while receiving support from experienced mentors. Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits are provided, alongside a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits

Potential relocation support (£2,000)

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Must be 18 by 1st September 2026.
• Right to work in the UK without sponsorship.
• 3 years residency in the UK prior to the start date.

Responsibilities

• Develop new products and recipes while supporting factory trials.
• Understand and implement HACCP systems.
• Assist in managing new product development projects.

Skills

Team leadership

Data analysis

Effective communication

Process optimization

Education

Maths GCSE

English GCSE

104 UCAS points

Job description

Start date:Wednesday2ndSeptember2026

Scheme duration:4 years

Salary: £25,125 per annum + excellent benefits

Location:York or Halifax

Work Pattern:Factory based, full time

What will you do?

Whetheryou'verecently finished school or are considering a career change, ourConfectionery Apprenticeshipschemeoffers the perfect opportunity to gain the skills, experience, andthesupport you need tosucceedin the exciting world of confectionery. Over the course of this four-yearscheme,youwill workwith some of the world’s most iconic confectionery brands, think KitKat,Aeroand more.

Youwillbedeveloping new products and recipesallwhilstsupporting factory trials, including rotationsacrossour Halifax and York factory siteswhere KitKat,Aeroand Yorkie come to life. Throughout thescheme,you’llhave the guidancefrom an experienced mentorto help you maximiseyourlearningand prepareyoufor an exciting career. Join us and kickstart your career in confectionery today!

Whatmakesthisschemeexciting?

• Foodsafety andcompliance: Understand and implementHazardAnalysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems, ensuring adherence to legal, industry and customer standards.

• Productdevelopment: Assist in developing product specifications and managingnewproductdevelopment projects, ensuring alignment with customerrequirementsandworking through therisk factors.

• Qualityassurance: Manage internal audit schedules and conduct compliance checks tomaintainconsistent product quality andafood safety culture.

• Dataanalysis andproblemsolving: Analyse complex information and data toidentifyroot causes of issues and implement correctiveactions.

• Processoptimisation:Establishand control process parameters for manufacturing, ensuring efficiency in operations such as mixing,cookingand cooling.

Whatwillyoulearn?

• Teamleadership anddevelopment: Lead and develop small technical teams, fostering a collaborative environment and driving personal and team growth.

• Suppliermanagement: Conduct supplier audits and performance reviews, ensuring compliance with quality standards andmaintainingstrong supplier relationships.

• Effectivecommunication:Demonstrateintegrity and respect in communication, influencing and building relationships with key stakeholders.

• Innovation andadaptability: Show curiosity and a proactive approach to drive change and improvements within the confectionery production process.

You’llexperience student life at Nottingham Trent University with week-long learningblocks,and you can understand moreabout what you will learn on your apprenticeship journey by clicking on the link below to look at the apprenticeship standard:

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 2026 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 ourvariety of employee runnetworks!

• 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 have lived in the UK for 3 years prior to the start date of this apprenticeship scheme.

• 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 1stSeptember 2026.

The recruitment journey

After you click “apply” you’ll be prompted to answer a few questions to determine your eligibility for the scheme. If you qualify, we will invite you to complete an online assessment, which you can practice here. Please do not upload a CV, instead we ask you to upload any relevant qualifications to support your application.

Once you have completed this stage, we will notify you if you are selected to attend an assessment day which will be in February, March or April 2026. 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.

We may occasionally close job advertisements early in the event we receive sufficient applicants, so pleasedon’tdelay insubmittingyour application.

At Nestlé, our values are rooted in respect – for our employees, ourcustomersand our consumers.That’swhy 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 foralland we may collect relevant data for monitoring purposes during our candidate registration process.