Apprenticeship Β· earn while you train Β· live UK standard from the careers engine
Apprenticeship

Surface finisher

Level
3
Advanced Β· like A-levels
Length
3.5 yrs
typical
Sector
Engineering and manufacturing
Pay
Paid
you earn while training

In a nutshell

Surface finishing is a broad range of industrial processes that alter the surface of a manufactured item to achieve a certain property.

What you'd do

Prepare component surfaces by cleaning, sanding, or blasting
Apply liquid paint or powder coatings using spray equipment
Mask areas of components that must not be coated
Operate curing ovens and process equipment safely
Inspect finished coatings for defects, thickness, and adhesion
Follow COSHH controls and wear appropriate PPE
Complete quality records and production documentation

What you'd learn

Properties of different surface finishing materials and coatings
Surface preparation techniques including blasting, cleaning, and masking
Spray painting and liquid coating application methods
Powder coating, electroplating, and anodising processes
Quality inspection and measuring coating thickness and adhesion
Health and safety including COSHH regulations for hazardous substances
Reading technical specifications and work orders for finishing jobs
Ready to look for a place?
See live Surface finisher apprenticeship vacancies on the official government service.
Find vacancies
A Careermash concept Β· apprenticeship standard from our careers engine Β· vacancies via gov.uk.

Career data: role, pay and progression profiles built for Careermash's careers engine; AI-impact estimates from Anthropic's observed AI-usage telemetry and OpenAI's AI Jobs Transition Framework. Course data: HESA / Discover Uni, including Graduate Outcomes, LEO and the National Student Survey. Apprenticeships: IfATE-published standards, approved only.

Β© 2026 Careermash. A concept for secondary schools.