Production Worker (manufacturing)

Typical Salary

£14,000 To £20,000

Typical Hours

37 to 42 a week

evenings / weekends / bank holidays on shifts

How To Become a Production Worker (manufacturing)

You can get into this job through:

an apprenticeship
applying directly

College / University

Apprenticeship

You could take an intermediate apprenticeship in lean manufacturing.

some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

Routes into this Career are not listed for this job.

You could apply for production jobs directly. Some employers may expect you to have GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent qualifications. Experience of production line work would be useful.

You may have to take a test at interview to assess your practical skills.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

to be thorough and pay attention to detail
the ability to work well with others
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
to be flexible and open to change
physical skills like movement, coordination, dexterity and grace
the ability to work well with your hands
excellent verbal communication skills
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day tasks may include:

measuring, grading and feeding batches of raw materials into production machinery
operating production line equipment, like a conveyor line in a canning factory
assembling goods on a production line, like fitting circuit boards into computers
reporting equipment faults to maintenance staff
finishing products, for example applying protective coatings
monitoring the production process and carrying out basic testing and quality checks
storing goods and raw materials in the factory or warehouse
using lifting equipment and forklift trucks
packing goods ready for shipment
cleaning and maintaining work areas and machinery

Working Environment

You could work in a factory.

You may need to wear protective clothing.

Career Path & Progression

With experience, you could be promoted to shift supervisor or move into quality control.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Career tips

A forklift truck training certificate could be useful for some jobs.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.