Deliver efficient, effective and high performance food and drink production processes and systems.
Apprentices gain engineering knowledge specific to food and drink production, covering hygienic design, food safety legislation, asset reliability, and environmental sustainability. The programme builds skills in designing and commissioning production systems, managing project budgets and timelines, and evaluating new technologies for use in a food and drink context. Apprentices also develop financial and commercial awareness, so they can justify capital investment and align engineering decisions with broader business strategy. Three specialist pathways are available: mechanical, automation, or production engineering.
Working across sites or within a single facility, apprentices support or lead engineering projects from concept through to commissioning. Week-to-week work typically involves reviewing maintenance regimes and asset life cycle plans, specifying or evaluating equipment with external suppliers, contributing to food safety and hygiene assessments, and producing technical reports or business cases. Apprentices work alongside production managers, quality teams, and contractors, and are expected to take ownership of discrete project workstreams as their confidence grows.
Completion leads to a degree-level qualification and positions graduates for senior engineering roles in food and drink manufacturing. Typical job titles include process engineering manager, factory engineering manager, reliability manager, and project engineering manager. Employers span the full range of food and drink producers, from large retail-supply manufacturers to drinks producers, ingredient processors, and contract packers. With experience, progression into group-level engineering leadership or technical director roles is a natural next step for those who build a strong track record in project delivery and team leadership.
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Graduates typically step into engineering management positions within food and drink manufacturing. Common job titles at this level include Food and Drink Process Engineering Manager, Manufacturing Engineering Manager, and Project Engineering Manager. Some move directly into Reliability Manager roles, taking ownership of asset care and maintenance strategy across a site. Others enter production management, bridging operational and engineering responsibilities within large food and drink facilities.
Within three to five years, many engineers progress to Group Engineering Manager level, overseeing multiple sites or product categories. The leadership track leads toward Head of Engineering, Site Director, or Operations Director roles in larger organisations. The specialist track runs toward deep expertise in process development, automation, or hygienic design, often with involvement in capital investment programmes and new facility commissioning. At senior levels, some move into consultancy or technology provider roles serving the wider industry.
The food and drink sector is the UK's largest manufacturing industry by turnover, and hiring spans a wide range of employer types. Large-scale producers of ambient, chilled, and frozen products are the primary employers, alongside drinks manufacturers covering soft drinks, brewing, and dairy. Retailers with own-label production, contract manufacturers, and ingredient processors also recruit at this level. Roles exist in both private and publicly listed businesses, ranging from single-site operations to multinational manufacturers with UK production sites.
Learning takes place alongside full-time employment across a programme that typically runs for five years, reflecting the depth of engineering and degree-level knowledge required. Throughout that time, the apprentice builds competence across core engineering disciplines and a chosen specialism: mechanical, automation, or production engineering. Before final assessment, a gateway review confirms that the apprentice and their employer are satisfied the required knowledge and behaviours have been developed. Final assessment then confirms that the apprentice can perform at the level expected of an advanced engineer in a food and drink environment. Assessment models for many Level 6 standards are currently being updated, so check the standard's gov.uk page for the current specification.
Because the programme is long and covers both engineering depth and food-specific knowledge, keeping well-organised records of real workplace activity from the start makes a significant difference. Apprentices should document project work, technical decisions, and leadership contributions as they happen rather than reconstructing evidence later. Regular review meetings with the employer and training provider help track progress against readiness criteria and identify any gaps early. The degree element and the workplace role need to be treated as connected, not separate, so aligning project work across both is worthwhile throughout.
Providers worth serious consideration will hold a strong achievement rate, ideally above 65% for a degree-level programme of this length and complexity. Because this standard requires specialist knowledge across food safety legislation, hygienic design, and one of three engineering disciplines (mechanical, automation or production), look for providers who can demonstrate they deliver all three pathways, not just one. University partners should have food science or food engineering departments with relevant academic staff, not generic engineering faculties repackaging existing BEng content. Employer satisfaction scores and learner reviews mentioning real plant-based project work are a useful signal that off-the-job learning connects to actual production environments.
Be cautious of providers with high enrolment numbers but a falling or opaque achievement rate over 60-month programmes; long duration means dropout risk compounds. If a provider cannot explain how degree-level content is integrated with workplace projects rather than running in parallel, that is a structural problem. Vague answers about how they cover hygienic design standards, food safety legislation, or capital project financial justification suggest the curriculum leans on generic engineering content. Providers who cannot point to alumni in engineering manager or project manager roles within food and drink businesses warrant scrutiny.
Applicants typically need A-levels or equivalent qualifications at a level that meets university entry requirements, since this is a degree-level programme delivered in partnership with a higher education institution. Some employers also consider candidates with strong BTEC or HNC backgrounds plus relevant work experience. There are no fixed national entry requirements set by the standard itself, so check directly with your chosen training provider, as entry criteria vary between universities and employers.
The typical duration is 60 months. Throughout that period, the apprentice remains employed full-time and splits their time between work-based learning and study, usually through a blended or day-release model with a university partner. A proportion of working hours must be dedicated to off-the-job training, but the exact percentage is subject to ongoing policy changes. Check the current specification on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education page on gov.uk for the latest requirement.
Before the end-point assessment, the apprentice must pass through a gateway, where the employer, training provider and apprentice confirm that the required knowledge, skills and behaviours have been demonstrated to the standard needed. Assessment models for many standards are being updated under current reforms, so the specific end-point assessment methods, such as a project report, professional discussion or presentation, may differ from earlier versions of this standard. Always check the current specification on gov.uk for the definitive assessment plan.
The funding band for this standard is £24,000, which is the maximum government contribution. Levy-paying employers draw training costs from their digital apprenticeship service account. Employers who do not pay the levy co-invest with the government, currently contributing 5% of the training cost, with the government covering the remaining 95%. Employers with fewer than 50 staff taking on an apprentice aged 16 to 18 pay nothing; the government covers the full cost. Costs are paid directly to the training provider, not as a lump sum.
Day-to-day work sits across areas such as process development, asset care, production management and capital project delivery. The apprentice applies engineering principles within food safety and hygiene constraints, contributes to designing and commissioning new production systems, manages or supports project budgets and timelines, and works alongside other engineers, technical teams and external suppliers. They also begin taking on leadership responsibilities, leading small teams or workstreams, and contributing to decisions that affect plant performance and sustainability.
Completing a level 6 integrated degree apprenticeship typically leads to a BEng or BEng (Hons) in a relevant engineering discipline, providing a foundation for Incorporated or Chartered Engineer status with a professional body such as the Institution of Mechanical Engineers or the Institute of Food Science and Technology. From there, progression routes include senior engineering management, group-level engineering roles, technical director positions, or postgraduate study. The qualification is recognised by universities and professional bodies, so further academic or professional development remains accessible.
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Curated by Alex Lockey, FATP founder and editor. Last reviewed: .
Sources include the apprenticeship's official specification on apprenticeships.gov.uk, Skills England guidance, IfATE archive records, DWP funding bands, and provider data sourced directly from the public Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). Standard reference: 245.
Some sections on this page were drafted with AI assistance from published source data and reviewed by a human editor before publication. See our editorial methodology for how we maintain this content. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.