Glass Industry Occupations

This Apprenticeship deals with the manufacture and process of glass and related products. Glass processing can involve window, door and conservatory fabrication; the manufacture of mirrors and curved glass; architectural stain glass; glass blowing and more. There are also Apprenticeships that deal with the use of processed glass, for example conservatory installation or automotive glazing.

Glass takes many more forms than just windows – it can be stretched into threads for broadband cables, strengthened to stop bullets or shaped to magnify objects. The glass industry is quite technical, and since it also deals with recycling and energy efficiency, it’s one of the most environmentally important industries in the UK.

The glass sector is broken down into eight industrial areas:

• Automotive (windscreen, lights)
• Container glass production (bottles, jars)
• Conservatory, window and door installation
• Crystal glass and tableware
• Fibre glass production (optical cables)
• Flat glass production
• Scientific glass (microscope lenses, spectacles)
• Glass processing (toughening, laminating or curving glass, engraving, etching, etc).

As an apprentice, you’ll either work on the manufacturing side of things or focus on installation by fitting glass windows and doors. Depending on your employer, you could be working on a large industrial scale in a factory setting, or in a small craft workshop.