Special Skills (Paint) Apprentice

Accelerate your career to a specialist paint manufacturing operative

Our Paint function provides the key operations within our vehicle manufacturing process to complete the overall look of the vehicle body. Delivered by a mix of cutting-edge automation and our expert workforce, it’s an exciting place to be, with a wide range of sections and machinery with which to build your skills.

You’ll get the best of both worlds on our 2-year scheme, with a blend of first-rate college learning combined with hands-on, real-world experience working within the plant. In this specialist apprenticeship, you will develop the skills you need to become a key member of our plant Paint function, where we carry out key work including application of sealant and anti-corrosion coatings, vehicle and bumper paint spraying, programming of advanced robots, quality checking and refinishing & repairing.

This isn’t just an apprenticeship - it’s your pathway to becoming a vital part of our team.

You’ll be working shoulder-to-shoulder with our experts in production, engineering, and maintenance, each ready to share their knowledge and support you as you grow. From the moment you step onto our shop floor, you’re treated as an equal - making real contributions to the manufacturing process and gaining life skills to take forward into your career.

It’s a hands-on and challenging scheme, designed to help you develop as far as you want to go. Shift work is part of the deal, but the rewards are exceptional – we invest in our apprentices because we believe in your potential to be part of our future. You will be rewarded by earning over £16,000 a year, with a host of perks including pension scheme, private healthcare, discounts, monthly prize draws and access to our employee discounted car scheme*.

So, are you ready to help shape the future of mobility? Join us, and let’s drive the future of sustainable automotive manufacturing together. Apply now and accelerate your career with a Nissan Manufacturing apprenticeship.

*Eligible after 6 months’ employment and 1+ year of driving

Starting Salary: £16,402

Hours: 39

Location: Nissan Sunderland plant SR5 3NS

Date Listed: 3 December 2024

Closing: 27 February 2025

Duration: 2 Years

Minimum Requirements

4 GCSE grades or equivalent (achieved or predicted):

• Mathematics (Grade A-D or 3+)
• English Language (Grade A-D or 3+)
• Two other subjects (Grade A-D or 3+)

OR

• Functional Skills Level 2
• A can-do attitude, motivated to achieve in your daily work and learning
• 16 or over at the start of your apprenticeship
• The ability to commute to and from the Nissan Sunderland plant
• Eligibility to work in the UK. You must have ordinarily resided in the UK & Islands for at least 3 years by Sept 2025 (proof will be requested during the selection process)
• Please note, we operate a zero-tolerance approach to drugs and alcohol and pre-employment testing is part of our recruitment process. Any failure will result in the withdrawal of any offer and non-progression of your application.

What you’ll be doing

• You will split your time between college learning and working as part of the specialist panel team at our world-class manufacturing plant.
• At college, you will learn the skills and theory you need for your role and onward specialist career in manufacturing, including correct use of tooling and equipment and tooling, usage of machinery and lean methodology such as 5s and Kaizen tools.
• Working in our technically-advanced and innovative environment, you will develop into a specialist skills vehicle repair operator, able to perform specialist manufacturing operations in accordance with standard operating procedures (SOPs) and adhering to our safe working policies and procedures.

Through this blended approach, you will have the chance to achieve the following qualifications by the end of your apprenticeship:

• Level 2 Team Leading or Level 3 Improvement Technician

*Performance-dependent. All qualifications may be subject to change.

Benefits at a glance...

• Competitive salary (increased every six months based on performance) and pension
• Paid overtime and shift allowance (if applicable)
• 26 days' holiday per year (plus bank holidays)
• Residential team building trip to Derwent Hill
• Social and celebration events, monthly draws and employee discount scheme
• Opportunities to take part in CSR activities
• Progressive training and development
• Access to our on-site fitness centre, sports and social complex
• Private healthcare and Employee Assistance Programme
• Uniform and PPE provided
• Parental leave policy
• Discounted employee car scheme after 6 months (+1yr driving)

Apply for this job…

Before you apply for this role, we just need to know that you are eligible to apply. Please answer these questions before proceeding to application.

• Do you have the right to live and work in the UK? Yes No
• Can you commute to/from the Nissan Sunderland plant? Yes No
• Will you be aged 16+ on 1st September 2025? Yes No

Sorry, you don’t meet the necessary criteria to apply for this role at this time. Why not take a look at some of our other job openings?

Nissan is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to diversity, equality and inclusion across our workforce. Our ambition is that our workforce is wholly representative of all the communities in which we operate, with every employee feeling respected and able to contribute to the best of their ability.

We’re committed to treating everybody with fairness and respect. If you have a condition that you think may impact your ability to perform during the recruitment process you will have the opportunity to inform us, and we will ensure to make reasonable adjustments to our processes for you.