Ceramics Manufacturing

This Apprenticeship deals with the manufacture of ceramics and associated products.

Long before it arrives on the shelves of Marks & Spencer, a bowl begins its life as clay in the ground. The clay is extracted and processed, moulded into shape, glazed and decorated, and heated to a high temperature to harden it.

But there’s more to ceramics than just bowls, plates and decorative vases. Ceramics make up many home items such as tiles, washbasins and toilets, lamps, water filters – even hair straighteners!

Ceramic material is also found in cars, and in moulds for manufacturing everything from rubber gloves to balloons. Another major area for ceramics is in hi-tech industry, where the particular properties of ceramics – most obviously their resistance to heat – make them superior to metals and polymers for certain tasks. Ceramic manufacture is constantly experiencing its own technological advances to make the material stronger and more versatile.

As a ceramics apprentice, you’ll learn about different ceramic manufacturing processes and quality assurance. You’ll also be learning customer care skills, so you know exactly how to meet a customer’s needs.