Papermaker

This Advanced papermaker apprenticeship standard will provide you with a level 3, qualification. This apprenticeship standard was approved on the 01/06/2016 and typically takes 36 months to complete. However, it is important to note that the duration of the apprenticeship standard stated does not include the End-Point Assessment period.

Papermakers understand the entire papermaking process, from raw materials to paper products. However, they tend to work either operating machinery within a team of other papermakers or as an assistant on one of the process stages such as pulping, drying, reeling, coating, essential maintenance and quality control testing. Apprentices will be expected to their allocated job with minimal supervision.

Apprentices on this course will work in a variety of manufacturing organisations, including but not limited to newspapers, office papers, packaging and board, tissue, speciality, security, medical, currency and tea bags. Throughout the apprenticeship, you will learn how to use specialist equipment such as debarkers, pulpers, de-inkers, beaters, refiners and paper machines, to convert raw materials into paper products. The most common raw materials you will be working with are natural fibres such as soft and hardwoods, abaca, bagasse, cotton and esparto.

You will learn to test the quality of the paper products you are manufacturing; there are a variety of testing methods which aim to determine whether the product meets the customer requirements. As an apprentice, you will take responsibility for the quality of your work and use any equipment necessary to improve the quality.

• papermaker

Visit the papermaker apprenticeship standard, on the Institute for Apprenticeships site, to find further information on skills and knowledge learnt, assessment methods and more.