Food Industry Technologist Apprenticeship - Level 3
Food Industry Technologist Level 3
Our Level 3 Food Industry Technologist Apprenticeship provides learners with the hands-on skills and industry-specific techniques needed to drive sustainable growth in food and drink manufacturing.
Delegates will:
- Cover a broad range of food technology and science topics
- Implement real business improvements and benefit from practical days at state-of-the-art facilities
- Gain an industry-recognised qualification and progress their career
Businesses will:
- Receive a guaranteed return on investment benefiting from greater innovation in new product development
- Maximise profitability and meet customer requirements
- Ensure food regulations and standards, including Food Safety and HACCP, are adhered to
Please see below our upcoming starts for Food Industry Technologist Level 3 Apprenticeship
You can download our 2025/26 open cohort schedule for full breakdown of the key dates including all workshops below.
Key Points
Route: Apprenticeship
Typical Duration: 18 Months
Level of Delivery: Level 3
Funding Band: £18,000
Delivery: Blended onsite and online, instructor-led
Assessment: Multiple choice test, workplace project, presentation and professional discussion
Food Technologist Apprenticeship Course Overview
Our Level 3 Food Industry Technologist Apprenticeship has been developed with industry leaders in food and drink manufacturing to upskill employees with effective competencies, address skills gaps, and maintain high standards across the sector. This food apprenticeship programme covers a wide range of essential topics, including:
- Food technolgy and science
- Technical quality management
- New and existing product development
- Business process improvement
- Food and drink regulations including food safety and HACCP compliance
This apprenticeship is targeted at people involved at all stages of the food and drink production life cycle. Delegates will develop their food science knowledge to ensure the smooth transition of food and drink products from farm to fork. This apprenticeship focuses on ensuring that technical and quality standards are achieved throughout the food and drink manufacturing process, whilst maximising profitability to meet customer requirements.
The programme will be delivered through online workshops and coaching sessions, and supported by practical days at the state-of-the-art Harper Adams University. Check out our video below showcasing how CQM bring the course to life during these practical sessions
Who Is The Food Technologist Apprenticeship For?
The Level 3 Food Technologist Apprenticeship has been designed to upskill new and existing staff, giving them the essential knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs) needed to excel in food and drink manufacturing, particularly within a technical or quality based role. Common career progression opportunities involve broader roles across these functions, but also gateways into health and safety, auditing, continuous improvement, technical managers, quality managers and so on.
This food apprenticeship is ideal for employees currently working in a food technologist, technical, quality, audit, NPD type role or those looking to develop skills in this area.
This programme is suitable for:
- Food technologists aiming to enhance their technical and leadership skills
- Employees seeking a food science apprenticeship pathway
- Those wanting to gain formal qualifications while applying learning directly to their current role
Future Career paths include:
- Food and drink technologist
- Senior Food technologist
- Technical manager
- New product development specialist
- Technical quality auditor
- CI specialist
- Quality assurance supervisor
Entry requirements:
No previous formal qualifications are needed for this apprenticeship, however delegates must be in a relevant technical role to be able to apply the knowledge, skills and behaviours developed on this programme.
English and Maths Functional Skills Level 2 can be worked towards as part of the apprenticeship programme. This apprenticeship is also suitable for employees who have English as a second language (ESL).
Benefits of Food Industry Technologist Level 3 for Businesses
Our Food Industry Technologist Level 3 apprenticeship is funded by the Apprenticeship Levy, so businesses and organisations of all sizes can benefit from funding to access apprenticeships that have been built by industry for industry.
Investing in this Food Industry Technologist Level 3 apprenticeship for your employees means you will:
- Equip them with effective knowledge and practical skills to fulfil their potential and perform at their best
- Empower them to be able to solve problems and communicate across different departments
- Develop important awareness of the latest industry trends, food technology best practices, and food safety regulations
- Stay competitive by producing innovative products and maximising customer value
- Drive growth by better serving consumer demand and improving production processes
- Contribute to a culture of creativity and efficiency within your organisation
- Prepare them to take on more responsibility and possible career progression and promotions
The Food Technologist apprenticeship is a funded vocational training programme that has been designed by industry stakeholders to provide apprentices with a thorough understanding of food technology best practices. Delegates will gain practical real-world skills and knowledge that can be applied to their roles.
Below are some of the key benefits of participating in this apprenticeship scheme. Delegates will:
- Gain hands-on experience in food safety, quality control, sensory evaluation, and product formulation, supported by a dedicated mentor
- Acquire up-to-date industry knowledge in food technology, including the latest trends, techniques, and regulations such as HACCP, VACCP, and TACCP
- Understand quality assurance at every stage of manufacturing, including raw material selection, process optimisation, and thorough quality checks
- Develop creative skills to design new products that meet consumer needs while improving problem-solving and project management capabilities
- Collaborate with stakeholders across the business to enhance teamwork, communication, and networking skills
- Complete a work-based project that delivers measurable improvements, supported by Maths and English Functional Skills Level 2 training where required
The Food Technologist Apprenticeship Delivery Team
At CQM Training & Consultancy, our food technology development coaches are not just highly qualified to teach and coach, they have significant and relevant industry experience. They are expertly positioned to understand what delegates are going through and the issues they might be facing. Our development coaches can offer specific insights into overcoming industry-specific challenges and will use relevant real-life examples in every aspect of their programme delivery.
“The Food Technologist programme has been truly amazing, I can’t speak highly enough of the support I have been given by CQM T&C and my development coach, Richard Everitt. The way Richard has delivered the course has been exceptional, he has been very understanding, he spoke ‘my language’ which helped me understand the topics much more clearly with real-life examples.”
Speak to an Expert About Our Food Technologist Apprenticeship Today
Ready to upskill your team? Our Level 3 Food Technologist Apprenticeship will equip your employees with the knowledge, skills, and qualifications they need to improve product quality, ensure compliance, and enhance efficiency across your operations.
Get in touch with our team to speak to our apprenticeship experts and discover if this programme is the right fit for your business.
Download Our Open Programme Schedule 2025/26
Food Technologist Apprenticeship Level 3 FAQs
What is an Apprenticeship?
Apprenticeship standards have been created by industry for industry, to reduce the skills gap and provide the relevant Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours (KSBs) to support organisational challenges and goals. They are designed to develop talent and industry-specific skills that businesses need to grow and develop.
What Do Food Technologists Do?
Millions of food products are produced and sold each and every day, representing a huge and dynamic industry not just in the UK but around the world. Food Technologists play a vital role in the field-to-fork journey, ensuring that produce is safe, high-quality, and consistent for the end consumer, whether that’s human or animal. They combine food science knowledge with technical skills to maintain safety standards and support innovation in food production.
Can this apprenticeship be tailored to my company’s needs?
Yes, CQM works closely with employers to align the apprenticeship content with your organisation’s specific requirements.
How is the Food Industry Technologist Apprenticeship Funded?
Apprenticeship funding in England primarily comes from the Apprenticeship Levy, paid by employers with a payroll of over £3 million annually. These funds can be used to train apprentices, making it a cost-effective way to upskill staff and address skill gaps. This includes the Food Industry Technologist Level 3, representing a fantastic opportunity to invest in your teams with £18,000 worth of training and assessment per delegate.
Smaller organisations can also benefit from apprenticeship funding, with a minimum of 95% funding available for your chosen programme, including the Food Industry Technologist Level 3 apprenticeship. The Food Tech L3 programme, which has a value of £18,000 worth of training, requires £1,000 of investment over 18 months, or just £55.56 per month. There may also be additional funding that SMEs can access, the team at CQM are happy to advise you on all the opportunities available and help with funding applications.
Other Training & Development We Provide
Lean Manufacturing Operative Level 2
This Apprenticeship Programme is ideal for those who will be expected to carry out work safely and meet the exacting quality standards demanded in a fast paced and efficient processing environment and are interested in developing themselves into a multi-skilled operator through process ownership.
Process Leader Level 4
This Apprenticeship Programme is ideal for those directing production activities and operations. Process Leaders effectively lead and manage large teams as well as providing technical/specialist input and direction to their own team and to others. Process Leader are responsible for determining and managing budgets and resources.
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