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How a Print Technician makes a difference

Even though communications are increasingly digital, there are still many different items that are printed. That’s everything from leaflets, birthday cards and wrapping paper, to product packaging, billboard advertising and money.

The printing industry is technologically advanced and as well as printing designs and colours, some printers also produce textures and even print different smells. You could be the technician who helps to bring creative design ideas to life, with accurate printing that achieves exactly the right standard on every printed item.

The type of work a Print Technician will do

  • Understanding customers’ print specifications
  • Preparing printing presses for new projects
  • Making sure colours match the required standards
  • Carrying out quality checks as presses are running
  • Maintaining machinery
  • Working to strict delivery deadlines
Useful skills
Logical thinking
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Instructing others
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Decisive
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Precise
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Attention to detail
Skills & attributes

What can you bring to the Print Technician role

An interest in the graphic design and communication industry.

The confidence to learn about and operate new machinery.

Skill at considering problems logically and identifying solutions or improvements.

What can you bring to the Print Technician role

The natural ability to supervise and instruct other people effectively.

A consistently careful approach to producing written reports and records.

The ability to make sound, accurate judgements in pressurised situations.

What can you bring to the Print Technician role

This role could also be right for you if you have any of the following interests:

- art, film, fashion and design

- exploring problems and finding answers

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Data powered by LMI for all
*according to ONS

Future career opportunities for a Print Technician

You can choose to focus on one of three areas in the early stages of your printing career, making sure everything is technically correct either before you print, as you print, or afterwards.

With experience, you could become a production manager or take on a sales and management role in a major UK or worldwide printer. Alternatively you could become involved in print innovation, helping to push the industry forward and solve new creative challenges.

How to become a Print Technician

There’s no perfect career path or ideal way into your dream job.

But if you’re interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:

Options available after GCSEs:

Schools and colleges each have their own career guidance plan and can provide detailed information, advice, and guidance on options and next steps.

A little more about the role

Exciting features...

You’ll see the items you help to print all around you, in marketing and advertising campaigns, in shops, or even – if you print money – in people’s wallets! You’ll get to know different print materials and inks, how to programme large printing presses and how digital design files become a printed item.

Other job titles...

This role can also be known by some other job titles including:

Pre-Press Technician
Press Technician
Post-Press Technician

How a Plumbing and Heating Technician makes a difference

Every household across Britain is served by safe running water and most have a central heating system to warm water and heat rooms during the colder months. We depend on our plumbing and heating systems to make life comfortable and easier and all sorts of problems are created when systems break down.

Energy and water efficiency have also become extremely important in protecting our planet’s resources and keeping living costs down. Technicians install, service, and maintain plumbing and heating systems and play a big role in making sure water and energy use is controlled. You could be the technician who helps to ensure people have the water and heat they need and are able to use it efficiently.

The type of work a Plumbing and Heating Technician will do

  • Planning and carrying out installations
  • Completing regular maintenance work
  • Testing systems and finding out the cause of problems
  • Repairing faults
  • Explaining issues and new appliances to customers
  • Replacing components
  • Completing safety checks
  • Disposing of old appliances and equipment correctly
  • Maintaining stock levels of regularly used parts
Useful skills
Problem solving
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Technologically minded
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Instructing others
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Attention to detail
Skills & attributes

What you can bring to the Plumbing and Heating Technician role

A fascination with how things work.

An interest in different sources of energy and how to be energy efficient.

The natural ability to look at a problem logically and consider all possibilities before choosing which option to follow.

What you can bring to the Plumbing and Heating Technician role

The confidence to work with new tools and equipment and learn how to use them properly.

A friendly and polite approach to dealing with people of all kinds.

The ability to work independently and within a team.

What you can bring to the Plumbing and Heating Technician role

Good communication skills and the ability to instruct others on how things work.

Great attention to detail when you plan, implement and record your work.

What you can bring to the Plumbing and Heating Technician role

This role could also be right for you if you have any of the following interests:

- building, making and fixing things

- exploring problems and finding answers

- sustainability

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Data powered by LMI for all
*according to ONS

Future career opportunities for a Plumbing and Heating Technician

With experience you have the option to set up your own business and become an independent plumbing and heating technician. Or alternatively you could join a big national team that serves a large number of domestic properties. There you could progress through local, regional, and director level roles.

You could also decide you want to specialise in a particular area of plumbing or heating. This could mean you transfer to commercial work, where teams often specialise in different sectors such as leisure or hospitality.

How to become a Plumbing and Heating Technician

There’s no perfect career path or ideal way into your dream job.

But if you’re interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:

Options available after GCSEs:

Schools and colleges each have their own career guidance plan and can provide detailed information, advice, and guidance on options and next steps.

A little more about the role

Exciting features...

In this role you can work inside and outside of domestic properties or you could be part of a team that installs the latest energy efficient systems into new houses. You will work on the piping, drainage and water systems that serve homes, as well as appliances and equipment. You will also be at the forefront of installing new and exciting environmental technologies, like heat pumps, solar thermal systems, biomass boilers and water recycling systems.

Other job titles...

This role can also be known by some other job titles including:

Plumber
Domestic Heating Engineer
Domestic Heating Installer
Plumbing and Domestic Heating Installer
Plumbing and Domestic Heating Engineer

How a Nuclear Technician makes a difference

The main role of the nuclear industry is producing electricity. The heat that’s produced during nuclear fission is used to heat water and the steam that results is used to spin large turbines that generate electricity. However, nuclear processes and reactors are used in several other industries as well.

Reactive material is used in consumer products such as fire detectors, watches and clocks. Gamma rays are used to kill bacteria on food. Radioactive tracers are used in medical diagnosis machines that help to save lives. You could be the technician who delivers essential electricity or supports other innovative uses of nuclear.

The type of work a Nuclear Technician will do

  • Operating systems and equipment safely
  • Solving technical problems
  • Preparation of technical reports to assist decision-making
  • Carrying out routine tasks following strict procedures
  • Mathematical tasks and preparing data for analysis
  • Recording and drawing conclusions from data
  • Supporting other engineers and technicians so they can function effectively
Useful skills
Critical thinking
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Problem solving
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Logical thinking
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Communicating complex ideas
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Attention to detail
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Precise
Skills & attributes

What you can bring to the Nuclear Technician role

Some understanding of engineering and scientific principles.

Good discipline when it comes to organising your time and resources.

The ability to think carefully about a subject or idea, ask questions and implement what you’ve learned.

What you can bring to the Nuclear Technician role

An enjoyment of problem solving and a logical approach to understanding and tackling problems.

The ability to understand and communicate complex ideas.

A responsible attitude to following procedures accurately, with good attention to detail.

What you can bring to the Nuclear Technician role

You could also be right for this role if you have any of the following interests:

- science

- building, making and fixing things

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Average salary per month *

Data powered by LMI for all
*according to ONS

Future career opportunities for a Nuclear Technician

You could become a team leader in a specialist area of the nuclear industry, supporting innovative applications of nuclear processes and reactors.

Alternatively, your skills could lead you to a risk management or health and safety role, or you could help to promote the work of the industry and why it is needed.

How to become a Nuclear Technician

There’s no perfect career path or ideal way into your dream job.

But if you’re interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:

Options available after GCSEs:

More options available after that:

  • An apprenticeship as a Nuclear Technician.

Schools and colleges each have their own career guidance plan and can provide detailed information, advice, and guidance on options and next steps.

A little more about the role

Exciting features...

Nuclear facilities are managed with stringent procedures to make sure the people working in them and living in the surrounding environment are safe. You’ll be involved in making sure procedures are followed. You'll also help inform the general public on the benefits of nuclear power and how systems are managed safely.

How an Electric Vehicle Technician makes a difference

As we learn more about the impact of vehicle emissions on the environment, more people are choosing to buy electric cars. Businesses are also starting to make the transition, by making sure their fleets of vans are either hybrid or pure electric. In the UK, from 2030, no new petrol or diesel cars can be sold.

With many more electric vehicles coming onto the roads, electric vehicle technicians are in demand. They work on the inspection, maintenance and repair of electric vehicles to ensure they are safe to drive. You could be the technician who specialises in electric vehicles, helping more people to understand them and minimising the impact of vehicles on our environment.

The type of work an Electric Vehicle Technician will do

  • Carrying out vehicle checks
  • Replacing simple parts
  • Defining and repairing complex faults
  • Using diagnostic methods and equipment
  • Construction and operation of electrical, braking and suspension systems
  • Recording mileage and vehicle emissions
  • Producing reports and estimates for repairs
Useful skills
Problem solving
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Attention to detail
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Instructing others
Skills & attributes

What you can bring to the Electric Vehicle Technician role

A passion for cars and understanding how they work.

An interest in electric vehicles and how they control emissions.

A willingness to contribute to problem solving discussions and consider all possible solutions.

The ability to work independently and focus on your work, with great attention to detail.

What you can bring to the Electric Vehicle Technician role

An enthusiasm for learning and putting forward your ideas.

Excellent communication skills and a knack for building positive connections with people.

The ability to explain technical problems to other people.

What you can bring to the Electric Vehicle Technician role

This role could also be right for you if you have any of the following interests:

- cars, trains or planes

- building, making and fixing things

- exploring problems and finding answers

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Average salary per month *

Data powered by LMI for all
*according to ONS

Future career opportunities for an Electric Vehicle Technician

You could start your career in an independent garage or a manufacturer’s dealership, and as you develop your technical skills progress towards leading a team.

You might decide to set up your own garage or work for a manufacturer where you can get closer to where new electric vehicles are made.

How to become an Electric Vehicle Technician

There’s no perfect career path or ideal way into your dream job.

But if you’re interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:

Options available after GCSEs:

Schools and colleges each have their own career guidance plan and can provide detailed information, advice, and guidance on options and next steps.

A little more about the role

Exciting features...

The range of electric vehicles is expanding as new battery technology develops and automotive brands create new models of electric vans and cars. You could work at the forefront of these exciting developments, getting involved in the maintenance of vehicles in a garage or at a car dealership for a specific brand.

How a Mechanical Engineering Technician makes a difference

There are many industries, including the aerospace, aviation, automotive, maritime and defence sectors, that use highly complex machinery to make and manoeuvre their products. The leisure industry uses machinery such as Ferris wheels and rollercoasters to provide entertainment.

All these machines need to be built and maintained, which involves assembling multiple devices and components and checking that all the mechanical systems are in reliable and safe working order. You could be the technician who puts all the machine parts together to help various industries perform at their best.

The type of work a Mechanical Engineering Technician will do

  • Following the instructions in design, safety and quality control documentation
  • Completing regular checks on machines and equipment
  • Responding to engineering problems
  • Diagnosing issues and fixing faults
  • Stripping machines back to their parts to clean and maintain them
  • Recording information about machine performance and maintenance
  • Looking after tools and equipment
Useful skills
Attention to detail
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Logical thinking
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Technologically minded
Skills & attributes

What you can bring to the Mechanical Engineering Technican role

A passion for understanding how things work.

A natural ability to look at a problem logically and consider all possibilities before deciding on the right way forward.

Strong organisational skills with the ability to break complex challenges down into component parts.

What you can bring to the Mechanical Engineering Technican role

The confidence to try new tools and equipment and a knack for understanding how they work.

A responsible approach to working independently and seeing through detailed tasks.

What you can bring to the Mechanical Engineering Technican role

This role could also be right for you if you have any of the following interests:

- building, making and fixing things

- cars, trains or planes

- exploring problems and finding answers

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Average salary per month *

Data powered by LMI for all
*according to ONS

Future career opportunities for a Mechanical Engineering Technician

As your training and career develop, you could decide to specialise in a specific area of mechanical engineering, for example fitting and turning, pipefitting, or maintenance fitting.

You can also progress to becoming a senior fitter with responsibility for higher level challenges, as well as supporting and training other team members. Another option is becoming a consultant and getting involved in the design of machines.

How to become a Mechanical Engineering Technician

There’s no perfect career path or ideal way into your dream job.

But if you’re interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:

Options available after GCSEs:

Schools and colleges each have their own career guidance plan and can provide detailed information, advice, and guidance on options and next steps.

A little more about the role

Exciting features...

You will work with detailed drawings that contain intricate measurements and specifications you need to follow. To put parts together you’ll use a range of tools and techniques including thermal healing, welding, cutting equipment and drilling machines. When machines break down, you’ll be the problem solver people call on to make sure they are quickly working again.

Other job titles...

This role can also be known by some other job titles including:

Engineering Technician
Aerospace Technician
Aviation Engineer
Maritime Engineer
Machinist
Mechatronics Engineer
Mechanical Fitter
Toolmaker

How a Marine Engineering Technician makes a difference

Just like vehicles on the road, boats at sea need to be properly maintained to make sure they are in a good condition and safe to sail. This includes all kinds of boats, from yachts to passenger ferries, cargo ships to superyachts.

Their engines and other technical equipment need to be thoroughly checked and any issues repaired. You could be the technician who makes sure boats are seaworthy and goods and people are transported safely.

The type of work a Marine Engineering Technician will do

  • Understanding technical drawings and engineering data
  • Selecting, storing, and looking after tools and materials
  • Taking precise measurements
  • Cutting, drilling, and finishing components
  • Carrying out planned maintenance
  • Assembling and refining engineering systems
  • Completing service documentation
Useful skills
Decisive
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Precise
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Technologically minded
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Problem solving
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Instructing others
Skills & attributes

What you can bring to the Marine Engineering Technician role

An interest in boats and working in a marine environment.

The confidence to work independently and prioritise your tasks.

Great attention to detail when you’re measuring and recording information.

What you can bring to the Marine Engineering Technician role

A natural instinct to learn about new tools, technology and approaches.

The ability to look at a problem from different angles and make a choice about the best way forward.

A knack for teaching others how to do something and putting what you’ve learnt into practice.

What you can bring to the Marine Engineering Technician role

You could also be right for this role if you have any of the following interests:

- Building, making and fixing things

- cars, trains or planes

- exploring problems and finding answers

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Average salary per month *

Data powered by LMI for all
*according to ONS

Future career opportunities for a Marine Engineering Technician

You could work for a commercial shipping company, helping to maintain a big fleet of ships. Alternatively you could choose to work on smaller boats in a specialist repairs and maintenance business.

If you get involved in engineering on superyachts, you could find yourself travelling all over the world.

How to become a Marine Engineering Technician

There’s no perfect career path or ideal way into your dream job.

But if you’re interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:

Options available after GCSEs:

Schools and colleges each have their own career guidance plan and can provide detailed information, advice, and guidance on options and next steps.

A little more about the role

Exciting features...

Some engines are incredibly large and need cranes to lift them out to be worked on. You’ll help to strip the engines, repair and rebuild them using specialist measuring equipment, machines, and tools. You’ll also be involved in sea trials, when new and repaired boats are tested.

How a Lift and Escalator Technician makes a difference

Lifts, escalators and moving walkways come in a wide variety of types and sizes. They are used for moving both goods and people and support journeys across buildings, as well as up and down them. You’ll find them in warehouses, high rise flats and offices, hotels, airports, railway stations, and within people’s homes.

While most of us use lifts and escalators, some people really rely on them because they’re unable to walk or take the stairs. In very tall buildings broken lifts or escalators could mean the building needs to shut down. You could be the technician who services and repairs lifts and escalators, enabling reliable, safe and fast journeys and ensuring everyone can get to where they need to go.

The type of work a Lift and Escalator Technician will do

  • Installing new systems in new or existing buildings
  • Servicing and repairing existing lifts and escalators
  • Testing and inspecting products in commercial and domestic environments
  • Following technical manufacturers’ instructions
  • Advising customers on the safe operation of installed systems
  • Using tools, measuring instruments and fault-finding processes to diagnose issues
  • Interpreting and implementing wiring diagrams
Useful skills
Attention to detail
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Logical thinking
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Problem solving
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Instructing others
Skills & attributes

What you can bring to the Lift and Escalator Technician role

A fascination with engineering and how moving things operate.

The ability to look at issues from all angles and apply a logical approach to solving a problem.

The ability to focus and make accurate decisions.

What you can bring to the Lift and Escalator Technician role

An enjoyment of learning about technical things and putting what you’ve learnt into practice.

A knack for understanding complex designs and diagrams and explaining them to other people.

The natural ability to work in different environments, engaging with a wide variety of people.

What you can bring to the Lift and Escalator Technician role

This role could also be right for you if you have any of the following interests:

- building, making and fixing things

- science

- exploring problems and finding answers

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Average salary per month *

Data powered by LMI for all
*according to ONS

Future career opportunities for a Lift and Escalator Technician

Your level of engineering knowledge will grow and grow, enabling you to specialise in different kinds of lifts, escalators and moving walkways and potentially be involved in some very high profile buildings.

With experience, you could progress to leading a team and training others, or become involved in safety and quality inspections.

How to become a Lift and Escalator Technician

There’s no perfect career path or ideal way into your dream job.

But if you’re interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:

Options available after GCSEs:

Schools and colleges each have their own career guidance plan and can provide detailed information, advice, and guidance on options and next steps.

A little more about the role

Exciting features...

The mechanical, electric and hydraulic engineering used in lifts and escalators is continuously evolving, so you will learn how to repair and maintain older equipment and discover new, high-tech solutions. You might get involved in replacing a whole system, taking out old mechanical, hydraulic, electric and electronic parts, and leaving an up to date, modern machine in its place.

Other job titles...

This role can also be known by some other job titles including:

Lift and Escalator Electromechanic

How an Electrician makes a difference

Homes, transport systems, leisure facilities, manufacturing, and offices all rely on electricity to keep them operating. The electrical systems that supply them are complex and continuously changing, as innovations help to make them more energy efficient.

While new housing developments and business premises need electrical systems to be installed, older buildings need system upgrades and regular maintenance. In both situations strict safety regulations need to be followed. You could be the technician who powers up environments of all kinds and makes sure they work safely without a glitch.

The type of work an Electrician will do

  • Installing, maintaining, and repairing electrical systems
  • Understanding and following manufacturers’ instructions
  • Checking and maintaining electrical safety
  • Listening to customers’ requirements and electrical fault issues
  • Deciding on materials and parts required for repairs
  • Loading vehicles with supplies of materials
  • Making sure tools and equipment are in good working order
  • Helping to design electrical systems
Useful skills
Attention to detail
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Problem solving
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Instructing others
Skills & attributes

What you can bring to the Electrician role

An enthusiasm for finding out how electrical systems work.

A responsible attitude to following instructions and completing detailed work accurately.

A natural ability to engage with colleagues, customers, suppliers, the public and other trades.

What you can bring to the Electrician role

An interest in understanding how electrical works integrate with other building structures and systems.

The ability to look at an issue from different angles and find a solution.

The skills to communicate complex ideas or tasks to other people.

What you can bring to the Electrician role

This role could also be right for you if you have any of the following interests:

- building, making or fixing things

- exploring problems and finding answers

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£ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 , 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Average salary per month *

Data powered by LMI for all
*according to ONS

Future career opportunities for an Electrician

You might begin your career with a small company but progress to working for a large electrical contractor or construction business that serves a region or the whole of the UK.

After gaining experience, you will probably specialise in a particular area, which could be heating, lighting or air conditioning in commercial or domestic environments.

Alternatively, you could focus on electrical compliance, which means completing checks to ensure electrical systems meet regulatory standards. Another option is setting up your own business, working independently or employing other electricians.

How to become an Electrician

There’s no perfect career path or ideal way into your dream job.

But if you’re interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:

Options available after GCSEs:

Schools and colleges each have their own career guidance plan and can provide detailed information, advice, and guidance on options and next steps.

A little more about the role

Exciting features...

The range of environments you can work in as an electrician is vast – you could become an expert in wiring up department stores, office blocks, hospitals, factories, or even yachts. Every environment is slightly different, with different operational needs that need to be met. Your working day can also be very varied, as you move between fixing everything from air conditioning to security systems, lighting to heating.

Other job titles...

This role can also be known by some other job titles including:

Installation Electrician
Maintenance Electrician

How a Food Science Technician makes a difference

Every day, millions of fresh, creative and tasty food products are made, packed, and sold for the enjoyment of consumers in the UK and around the world. Every product needs to meet the safety standards of the country it’s made in and the countries where it’s sold.

People can have allergies to some ingredients, so measures are taken to stop the wrong ingredients being mixed in by mistake and to make sure packaging is labelled properly. A lot of time is also spent improving and creating new products. You could be the technician who helps to ensure food and drink products are great-tasting, labelled correctly and safe to eat and drink.

The type of work a Food Science Technician will do

  • Collecting, interpreting, and analysing data
  • Specifying ingredients and organising their storage, handling and quality checks
  • Meeting with suppliers of raw materials and assessing taste and quality
  • Costing and comparing the costs of different products
  • Contributing to new product ideas
  • Overseeing and auditing processes to make sure safety standards are met
  • Liaising with manufacturing and production teams
  • Helping to improve systems and processes
Useful skills
Attention to detail
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Communicating complex ideas
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Precise
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Instructing others
Skills & attributes

What you can bring to the Food Science Technician role

A strong interest in food and drink.

An aptitude for following recipes in detail and trying out new recipe ideas.

A thorough approach to your work and recording information.

What you can bring to the Food Science Technician role

Natural ability to communicate ideas and complex processes to other people.

A knack for putting what you’ve learned into practice and teaching others what you’ve learned.

Maturity about following procedures.

What you can bring to the Food Science Technician role

This role could also be right for you if you have any of the following interests:

- food and drinks

- science

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Average salary per month *

Data powered by LMI for all
*according to ONS

Future career opportunities for a Food Science Technician

You could be employed by a grower, a large or small food manufacturer, or by a retailer, such as a major UK supermarket.

Once you have experience, possible roles include technical manager, quality assurance, process development, new product development or auditor.

There may be the opportunity to travel as part of your role, either to discover new foods and ingredients internationally or to promote products to other countries.

How to become a Food Science Technician

There’s no perfect career path or ideal way into your dream job.

But if you’re interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:

Options available after GCSEs:

  • A T-level in Science.
  • An apprenticeship as a Food Industry Technologist.

Schools and colleges each have their own career guidance plan and can provide detailed information, advice, and guidance on options and next steps.

A little more about the role

Exciting features...

You will develop an understanding of the complete food journey, from field to fork, and can help drive a manufacturing process that protects the nutritious ingredients in food for the benefit of people’s health. The ingredients you choose and where you source them from can also have a positive impact on the environment and communities. More local sourcing can reduce transportation time and carbon emissions, while sourcing internationally can provide vital work opportunities to people in developing countries.

Other job titles...

This role can also be known by some other job titles including:

Food Technologist

How a Food Production Technician makes a difference

The packaged food we consume is made using heavy duty machinery – large scale mixers, blenders, friers, ovens, dispensers, and freezers. These machines are very carefully designed and programmed to make sure they produce food that is safe to eat and tastes good.

If any of the machines stops working, it blocks the whole production line. Regular tests and maintenance are required to stop breakdowns from happening. You could be the technician who takes care of this oversized kitchen equipment and keeps food production going.

The type of work a Food Production Technician will do

  • Monitoring the settings of machines to ensure food safety
  • Fixing and using high tech machinery
  • Supporting audits on health and safety standards
  • Helping to train others on the operation of machines
  • Controlling and moving stock
  • Supporting the development of new products
  • Integrating food production with packaging systems
Useful skills
Precise
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Instructing others
Skills & attributes

What you can bring to the Food Production Technician role

An interest in food and drink production.

The ability to work independently.

A responsible approach to following procedures carefully and accurately.

What you can bring to the Food Production Technician role

A natural ability to explain processes and show people how to do things.

A curiosity for discovering how things work and finding better solutions.

The confidence to try different tools and machinery.

What you can bring to the Food Production Technician role

You could also be right for this role if you have any of the following interests:

- food and drinks

- building, making, and fixing things

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Average salary per year *
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*according to ONS

Future career opportunities for a Food Production Technician

If you’re most interested in the machinery part of the role, you could become a senior engineer who leads a team. If you’re more interested in how the ingredients in the machines behave, you could get involved in food innovation.

You’ll have the opportunity to work with big food manufacturers who send products all over the world, and may choose to specialise in a particular category of food or drink.

How to become a Food Production Technician

There’s no perfect career path or ideal way into your dream job.

But if you’re interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:

Options available after GCSEs:

More options available after that:

  • An apprenticeship as a Food and Drink Engineer.

Schools and colleges each have their own career guidance plan and can provide detailed information, advice, and guidance on options and next steps.

A little more about the role

Exciting features...

You’ll probably work for a large food or drink manufacturer, supporting the production of brands you see on the supermarket shelves every day and enjoy at home. You might get involved in taste testing of different products, particularly when new or improved recipes are being trialled.

Other job titles...

This role can also be known by some other job titles including:

Advanced Operators
Maintenance Technician
Manufacturing Technician
Process Development Technician
Process Technician
Technical Operator