Start date: Wednesday 2nd September 2026 

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? 

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, including rotations across our Halifax and York factory sites where KitKat, Aero and Yorkie 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. 

You’ll experience student life at Nottingham Trent University with week-long learning blocks, and you can understand more about 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 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 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 1st September 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.