Apprenticeships
An apprenticeship combines paid work with structured training, leading to a nationally recognised qualification. It runs from 12 months to four years depending on the level. You can put existing staff through an apprenticeship or recruit someone new.
If you pay the apprenticeship levy, the cost comes from your levy account.
If you don’t, training is either fully funded or co-funded depending on the apprentice’s age. We handle the training, assessment and paperwork.
Print and manufacturing apprenticeships
Print Operative
Learn how a print job moves from artwork through to finished product.
Level 224 monthsEntry level
Best for: new starters coming into the printing industry with little or no prior experience.
The Print Operative apprenticeship grounds people in how a print business actually runs, from the moment a job arrives to the moment it leaves the building.
- Fundamentals of the printing industry and its processes
- Pre-press, press and post-press operations
- Quality control and checking work to specification
- Health, safety and safe working practice on the shop floor
Training is delivered in the workplace with regular tutor visits, alongside the required off-the-job training. It leads naturally on to the Print Technician programme.
Print Technician
Take full responsibility for press output, quality and technical decisions.
Level 336 monthsProgression route
Best for: people already operating equipment who are responsible for output and quality.
This programme builds the deeper technical knowledge needed to run print equipment well and to make judgement calls about quality without supervision.
- Technical knowledge across print processes and substrates
- Creative artwork and design principles
- Digital systems and workflow
- Understanding and meeting customer expectations
Apprentices can progress here from Print Operative, or join directly if they already have relevant experience on press.
Lean Operative
Broad manufacturing skills — production, logistics and waste reduction — inside a year.
Level 212 monthsShortest programme
Best for: staff who move between production areas and need broad manufacturing skills quickly.
Our shortest apprenticeship, covering the core disciplines of a lean manufacturing environment.
- Production, assembly and inspection
- Logistics and material handling
- Continuous improvement and waste reduction
At 12 months it is a practical option where you need people productive and qualified without a long commitment.
Signage Technician
Design, build and install signage, from vehicle wraps to illuminated displays.
Level 324 months
Best for: sign makers working across design, workshop fabrication and installation.
Covers the full signage journey across a wide range of materials and formats.
- Design and specification of signage
- Fabrication using multiple materials and methods
- Illuminated and non-illuminated signage
- Vehicle wraps and graphics
- On-site installation and associated health and safety
Process Leader
Step up from operating the machine to running the production team.
Level 418 monthsLeadership
Best for: technical staff stepping up to take supervisory responsibility for a production team.
A leadership programme built around the realities of running a production area day to day.
- Managing and developing a production team
- Using resources efficiently
- Providing technical direction to others
- Leading continuous improvement activity
Business skills apprenticeships
Customer Service
Handle enquiries well, from everyday questions through to escalated complaints.
Level 2 & 312–15 monthsTwo levels
Best for: anyone dealing with customers, from first-line enquiries through to complex escalated cases.
Available at two levels so you can match the programme to the role:
- Customer Service Practitioner — entry level, handling day-to-day enquiries
- Customer Service Specialist — complex, escalated and technical cases
Both cover understanding your customers, resolving problems properly, and communicating well across phone, email and face to face.
Business Administrator
The organisational skills that keep a busy office running smoothly.
Level 318 months
Best for: coordinators and support staff who work across more than one department.
Builds the organisational backbone skills that keep a business running.
- Prioritising and managing your own workload
- Record keeping and information management
- Written and verbal communication
- Supporting projects and improving processes
Supply Chain Practitioner
Plan, forecast and schedule so every job reaches the customer on time.
Level 318 months
Best for: people who sit between factory scheduling and the customer.
Covers the planning and coordination work that keeps jobs moving through the business on time.
- Demand forecasting and analysis
- Production planning and coordination
- Order processing
- Stock and materials management
Team Leader
First-line management for anyone newly responsible for a team.
Level 315 monthsEmployer funded
Best for: staff who have recently taken on supervisory responsibility for the first time.
First-line management skills for people leading a team day to day.
- Delegating effectively
- Managing performance and holding people to account
- Building and developing a team
- Understanding and adapting your own leadership style
Please note: this standard has been withdrawn from government funding and is now delivered on an employer-funded basis. Talk to us about costs and how it can work for your business.
Operations Manager
Own the performance of a department, from budgets through to change.
Level 524 monthsEmployer funded
Best for: managers who are accountable for the performance of a department or function.
- Leading teams and managers
- Aligning day-to-day delivery with business strategy
- Financial management and budgets
- Leading change
- Coaching and developing others
Please note: this standard has been withdrawn from government funding and is now delivered on an employer-funded basis.
Senior Leader
Master’s-level strategy and governance for directors and senior managers.
Level 718 monthsMaster’s levelEmployer funded
Best for: directors and senior managers shaping the direction of the business.
Master’s-level study for people operating at or near board level.
- Organisational strategy
- Board-level decision making
- Governance and risk management
- Executive presence and influence
Please note: this standard has been withdrawn from government funding and is now delivered on an employer-funded basis.
Not sure which apprenticeship fits?
Tell us about the role and we will point you to the right programme, explain the funding, and handle the training, assessment and paperwork from there.
Talk to our team
Download the full prospectus
Or call us on 01676 526060