Science industry process and plant engineer (degree)
- Level
- 6
- Typical duration
- 60 months (about 5 years)
- Max funding band
- £24,000
- Route
- Engineering and manufacturing
Helping design the manufacturing process for science-based technology and products.
About the role
A Science industry process and plant engineer will be involved in process design and manufacture of chemical, biological or science based technology industrial or consumer products using solid, liquid and gaseous media. They will apply their knowledge of underlying engineering principles to implement and develop new processes or plant and to support product development; and work autonomously and as part of a wider scientific & engineering team. They will use project management skills to develop and manufacture products on time, on cost and to the right product quality. They will be proactive in identifying and supporting engineering solutions to challenging problems, be able to identify areas for business improvement and propose innovative ideas. In all contexts working safely and ethically is paramount and many companies operate under highly regulated conditions because of the need to control the quality of products and safety of their manufacture. Process specialists are involved in conception, design and operation of processes and may also be involved in pilot plant scale-up, manufacturing and packaging operations. Plant specialists ensure the plant, equipment and manufacturing assets are monitored and optimised to support the current and future processing operation whilst offering best value to the organisation. Both process and plant roles are critical to efficient manufacturing operations and they will frequently work together and will share a common set of skills that allows them to cover common aspects of their specialist roles.
How it compares
At 60 months (about 5 years), it is longer than average for a degree-level apprenticeship (the average across all 172 Level 6+ standards is 39 months).
The funding band — the maximum an employer's levy can contribute to training costs — is £24,000, at or above the £21,500 average for degree-level standards. Apprentices never pay tuition either way.
Typical job titles
- Process engineer
- Process control engineer
- Process safety engineer
- Chemical engineer
- Project engineer
- Biochemical engineer
- Plant engineer
- Maintenance engineer
What you'll learn
The official standard defines 9 knowledge areas, 9 skills, 7 behaviours. This is the actual assessed content of the apprenticeship — worth reading before an interview, because competency questions are usually written straight from these lists.
Knowledge 9
- Core engineering principles including mathematics and science and their application to relevant area of specialism.
- The product manufacturing process within the science industry
- Principles of computer aided design; computer aided engineering and appropriate engineering informatics packages.
- Engineering project management procedures and how to incorporate these into the engineering/scientific work environment
- The internal and external regulatory environment pertinent to the science sector
- Industrial finance: capital and operating expenditure, particularly when applied to feasibility studies and comparison of competing tenders
- The business environment in which the company operates including personal role within the organisation, ethical practice and codes of conduct
- The principles of process and product safety and sustainability relevant to the sector
- The principles of quality management processes relevant to the sector e.g. Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Quality Control (QC), Quality Assurance (QA).
Skills 9
- Ensure the control, within own area of responsibility, of major accident hazards, health & safety, to statutory, mandatory and environmental standards.
- Ensure that targets are met and maintained, within own area of responsibility, whilst complying with defined company procedures and legislative requirements
- Prepare for and perform process/plant engineering tasks using the appropriate techniques, procedures and methods
- Support the evaluation, submission, planning, installation and commissioning of capital, maintenance and revenue projects to improve process performance
- Work autonomously to analyse, interpret and evaluate engineering data, presenting the results and problem solving approach clearly and concisely in written and oral form, using technology where appropriate to assist with and evaluate activies
- Apply continuous improvement techniques and support existing manufacturing principles to drive effectiveness and efficiency.
- Manage and/or support the introduction of new technologies and practices
- Use creative thinking and problem solving to challenge assumptions, innovate, make new proposals and build on existing ideas.
- Plan and prioritise process/plant tasks using project planning tools, review and evaluate progress against objectives and investigate alternative scenarios
Behaviours 7
- Have a safety and quality approach that ensures strict compliance and a disciplined, responsible attitude to mitigate and manage risk
- Communicate appropriately to a scientific and non-scientific audience
- Is reliable and shows integrity and respect for confidentiality on work related and personal matters, including appropriate use of social media and information systems.
- Work autonomously and interact effectively within a wide, multi-disciplinary team, understanding the impact of work on others, especially where related to workplace ethics, diversity and equality
- Applies a logical thought process, being able to incorporate the ideas of others and quickly process information
- Handles and responds to change, adjusting to different conditions, technologies, situations and environments
- Take responsibility for continuing personal and professional development, demonstrating commitment to learning and self-improvement and support the development of others as appropriate
Live vacancies
No live vacancies for this course as of 2026-07-24 — new adverts appear on Find an apprenticeship daily, and many degree apprenticeship employers recruit on their own careers sites instead.
Universities registered to deliver it
4 universities are on the government provider register for this standard. Registration means they can deliver it — live vacancies depend on employer partnerships each recruitment cycle.
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Official sources
- Official standard page (Skills England)
- Registered training providers (Find apprenticeship training)
Occupational summary, duties, knowledge, skills and behaviours reproduced from the ST0473 apprenticeship standard (last updated 2025-12-10) — contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Always check the official page before applying: standards get revised.