Apprentice

Apprentice Miller Program

Path to learning milling excellence

A unique 2-year Apprentice Miller Program paving the way to more profitability and success in today’s competitive milling industry.

Our 2-year Apprentice Miller Program is designed to nurture the next generation of millers. It combines practical experience in our state-of-the-art flour mill with comprehensive theoretical training, structured into 4 modules of 4 weeks per year. Graduates emerge as certified millers, fully equipped to excel in their careers.


This program enables participants to understand and operate state-of-the-art production plants and processes, covering:

  • Process from grain intake to finished product handling
  • Types of equipment and their functions and operation
  • Quality parameters of raw material and finished products
  • Operation of plant to optimize raw material usage
  • Ideal for shift millers, head millers, and mill owners with some grain milling experience, but no strong theoretical background.

Enrollment Requirements

  • Minimum age: 20 years
  • Proficient in English
  • Basic education (primary/secondary school, Grade C)
  • At least one year of milling experience
  • Hands-on experience in all plant sections (intake and storage, cleaning, milling, finished product section, packing, and quality control)
  • Employer manages enrollment and expenses, and appoints a mentor for each apprentice

Fees

The employer covers all participant costs, including salary, travel expenses, boarding, and lodging. Upon request, we can recommend suitable accommodation. Annual school fees cover 2 modules of 4 weeks each per year, including training, mill access, educational materials, and complimentary lunch, tea, and coffee during breaks. The annual fee is $7,000, exempt from VAT.


How are you evaluated?

Regular exams are held for each topic and module, graded on a scale of 0 to 100 points. To progress to the second year, an average score of at least 60 points is required, with no single topic scoring below 50 points. Upon successful completion, the participant graduates as a certified Miller.

Detailed Program

  • Raw Material Sourcing, Quality and Analysis
  • Best practices for grain reception and storage
  • Monitoring grain respiration and raw material losses
  • Cereal science
  • Intake, precleaning and storage flowsheets and machines
  • Grain transfer and blending flowsheets and machines
  • Mechanical engineering basics
  • Conveying elements fundamental
  • Aspiration technology and machines
  • Fire and Dust Explosion Prevention
  • Operational health and safety
  • Pest control and fumigation in Silos
  • Practical work in the laboratory (falling number, hl weight etc.)
  • Practical work in the school mill (cleaning machines etc.)
  • Practical maintenance and operation of all conveyors
  • Cereal Science
  • Wheat cleaning and conditioning sections
  • Cleaning and conditioning machines
  • Rules for correct wheat tempering
  • Electrical engineering basics
  • Magnetism and motors
  • Practical work in the laboratory (gas production, gas retention etc)
  • Practical work in the school mill (operating cleaning and conditioning) 
  • Machine design, operation and maintenance of mill section machines (Roller Mill, Plansifter, Purifier, Bran finisher, Detacher, etc.)
  • Technology of flour milling flowsheets
  • Granulation systems in a flour mill
  • Guidelines for grinding soft vs hard wheat
  • Correcting Starch Damage and reading SD Matic
  • Fluting Tables fundamentals
  • Nutrition and food components
  • Postharvest quality of cereal grains
  • Practical work in the laboratory (granulation analytics, ash etc)
  • Practical work in the laboratory (rheology, farinograph, extensograph etc.)
  • Practical work in the school mill (operating 24T/D mill section)
  • Practical work in the school mill (sampling table, break release, etc)
  • Maintenance work (roll gap, roll change, re-fluting workshop etc.)
  • Finished Product Section technology and machines
  • Control Sifter, Flour Sterilator, etc.
  • Pest control and finished product management
  • Flour bagging and packing machines
  • Guidelines for Ash Curve
  • Atta flour milling
  • Maize cleaning and degermination
  • Overview on hammer mill and bran-pelleting
  • Electrical sensors, safety elements, level control
  • Motor efficiency, power distribution and earthing
  • Control switches, motor circuit breakers, relays, fuses etc.
  • Read and analyze electrical diagrams
  • Plant automation and PLC systems
  • Preventative maintenance planning and management
  • Role and use of improvers for flour baking quality
  • Baking process and shelf life
  • Feeders and scales calibration

  • Practical work in the school mill (Ash curve)
  • Practical work in the school mill (Maize Cleaning and Milling)
  • Practical work in the school mill (Pneumatic systems etc)
  • Practical work in the laboratory (Baking trials etc)

How to find us

korir

Contact our course coordinator

Kipyegon Korir

African Milling School


ams.nairobi@buhlergroup.com

+254793262506

Corner of Thika Road & Eastern Bypass
Ruiru
Nairobi County
Kenya