Multi Skilled Food Factory Apprentice

Company:

Sofina Foods

Owned by Sofina Foods, Karro Food Group is one of the United Kingdom’s leading meat processors with pork processing plants across the country. Karro is a leading producer of bacon, gammon, fresh pork, fresh and frozen sausages, ham and cooked meats. We supply our high quality meat products to retail, foodservice and manufacturing customers across the UK.

Karro process circa 50,000 pigs each week for delivery to the UK’s major supermarkets and wholesale food supplier markets, all with full supply chain visibility. Our pork is eaten by millions of consumers every year, and is stocked across the country by leading retailers.

Karro Food Group headquarters’ are located in Malton, North Yorkshire, and employ circa 4,000 people across our national food production locations. All applicants must be aged 18+.

Your Future at Sofina

At Sofina, there is no limit to what you can achieve. Our apprenticeship programme is just the beginning of a journey that can take you as far as your ambition, commitment, and passion will allow. Many of our leaders began their careers as apprentices—and the path to senior roles, including Director level, is open to those who continually learn, grow, and contribute to our success.

About the Malton Site

The Malton factory is a fully operational abattoir and processing facility, where pigs are slaughtered, butchered, and further processed into a range of finished products.

Working Environment

The site operates under varying environmental conditions, with both hot and cold working areas, depending on the stage of production.
The facility utilises a wide range of heavy machinery, requiring care, attention, and adherence to safety protocols at all times.
Heavy lifting is an essential part of the role, and appropriate manual handling training and equipment will be provided to support safe working practices.

Website: https://www.karro.co.uk/

Job Description:

Apprenticeship Programme Overview

Years 1–4 Development Pathway

Year 1 Apprentices

Your first year will focus on foundational learning and developing core engineering skills, both in college and on-site.

Typical Activities:

Attend college in accordance with your programme schedule:
During college holidays:
- You are expected to attend the site unless pre-arranged leave is approved by your manager.

Subjects Typically Covered:

Basics of mechanical and electrical maintenance
Fabrication and welding
Electrical wiring, installation, and testing
Bench fitting
CAD (Computer-Aided Design)
Advanced maths and science (as required)

On-Site Supervised Activities:

Observe breakdown responses and learn how problems are diagnosed and resolved to maintain production flow.
Observe daily maintenance of:
- Slicing machines
- Packaging machines
- Retail machines, including labellers, pneumatics, nitrogen equipment, air blasts, and steam cookers
- Vacuum packing machines, vacuum pumps, and film over-wrapping machines
Support the hygienic strip-down and supervised rebuild of machinery.
Learn the basics of maintaining and servicing temperature control equipment.

Professional Conduct:

Always act as a site ambassador, behaving professionally and courteously with both internal and external stakeholders.

Recognition:

Achievements such as “Apprentice of the Year” will be acknowledged and rewarded by the company.

Years 2–4 Apprentices

As you gain experience and qualifications, you will take on increasing levels of responsibility and independence.

Year 2 Apprentices

Developing Confidence and Technical Understanding

Support breakdown responses under supervision; begin taking an active role in problem resolution.
Assist in daily maintenance (under supervision) of:
- Packaging machines
- Retail machines (labellers, pneumatics)
Observe maintenance of:
- Slicing machines
- Retail equipment (nitrogen systems, air blasts, steam cookers)
Involvement with vacuum packing machines, vac pumps, and film over-wrapping machines.
Support machine strip-downs and take responsibility for supervised rebuilds after cleaning.
Assist in maintenance/servicing of temperature control equipment.
Begin working with multiple operational teams, learning how engineering supports business operations.
Learn to monitor performance using team and individual KPIs.
Shadow the Site Services Engineer to understand broader factory engineering systems.
Gain familiarity with engineering inventory systems and workshop/store management.
Always maintain a professional and courteous attitude.

Year 3 Apprentices

Gaining Independence and Broadening Scope

Attend all mechanical breakdowns independently; if unresolved within 15 minutes, escalate to Supervisor.
Carry out daily maintenance independently on:
- Packaging, retail, and slicing machines
- Air blast and steam cooker equipment
- Vacuum packing systems, vac pumps, and film over-wrapping machines
Under supervision, assist with breakdowns on:
- Slaughter line equipment
- Chain-driven monorails
- Nitrogen systems
- Electrical systems, including PLCs, inverters, and control circuits
Perform hygiene-based machine strip-down and rebuilds.
Maintain and service temperature control equipment independently.
Continue collaborating with operational teams and tracking performance via KPIs.

Year 4 Apprentices

Working Autonomously and Driving Improvements

Attend to all breakdowns independently to ensure continued production.
Perform full maintenance activities on:
- Slicing and packaging equipment
- Slaughter line systems and chain-driven monorails
- Full range of retail machinery (labellers, pneumatics, nitrogen, air blast, steam)
- Vacuum packers, pumps, and film wrappers
- Electrical systems (PLC’s, inverters, stop/start circuits)
Maintain and service all temperature control systems.
Proactively identify and propose departmental improvements.
Undertake other reasonable tasks to support the smooth running of the engineering department.
Be a role model for professional and courteous behaviour with all internal and external stakeholders.

Qualifications Required:

All applicants must have achieved a minimum of 4 GCSEs (9-4 / A*-C) including English and Maths.

Personal Qualities:

Customer focused – recognise that all functions are connected and the need to deliver a service to each other
Knowledgeable and practical- being part of a team responsible for keeping our business running means thinking on your feet and being able to work both independently, collaboratively. and safely
A determination to succeed - knowing that obstacles are going to arise and being resilient enough to overcome them using problem solving and teamwork.
A keen interest to learn more about yourself, our business and the food industry.
Must be driven and enthusiastic with a passion for engineering and keen to learn or improve personal goals

All applicants must be aged 18+

Skills Required:

Strong communication skills, with the ability to build excellent working relationships whilst diplomatic in their approach.
A team player – someone who can truly work with the different business areas, functions and people at Karro.
Flexible and adaptable – we work in an industry that must change very quickly in response to the demands of the consumers of our products.
Commitment and passion - with the right mindset and support, your apprenticeship is not just a job—it's the foundation for a long, rewarding, and dynamic career.

Qualifications Gained(upon completion):

Level 3 Mechatronics Maintenance Technician Standard (Which contains the Level 3 Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering)

Important Details:

Reference:

SOFINAFOODSMSFFA

Sector:

Manufacturing Maintenance

Location:

Malton, North Yorkshire, YO17 9HG

Wage:

TBC after interview

Weekly Hours:

40 Hours ( 08:00am-16:00pm Monday to Friday)

Closing Dates:

30/06/2025

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SOFINAFOODSMSFFA

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