Engineering Technician and Fitting Apprenticeship

Summary

Ready to learn a skilled trade? Join our Engineering Technician and Fitting Apprenticeship to kick-start your career in manufacturing while working on Royal Navy submarines.

Annual wage: £16,191 a year
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Training course: Engineering fitter (level 3)
Hours: Monday to Friday, shifts TBC.
35 hours a week
Possible start date: Monday 1 September
Duration: 3 years
Positions available: 8

Work

As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

What you’ll do at work

On our Engineering Technician and Fitting Apprenticeship, you will embark on a rewarding career path as a machinist, fitter, or inspector.

Throughout the programme, you will study at Weston College while working alongside our experienced team at Ashton House in Bristol to learn your trade. This comprehensive approach will equip you with essential technical knowledge and skills in manufacturing.

As you advance through the programme and refine your expertise, you'll apply what you’ve learned in real-world scenarios, contributing to the production of critical components for Royal Navy submarines.

Find out more about each of the trade routes below. You’ll be asked to indicate your preferences during the recruitment process.

Machinist
You’ll acquire the skills to produce complex, precision work by machining components. You’ll learn how to create components from metal or specialist materials using conventional or CNC machine tools.

Fitter
You’ll learn how to interpret engineering drawings, select materials, and assemble components using various tools and techniques. You'll support the manufacture, installation, testing, fault diagnosis, maintenance, overhaul, and removal of mechanical equipment on submarines.

Inspector
You’ll carry out inspection activities throughout the manufacturing process, ensuring safety and compliance.

Depending on your chosen path, the apprenticeship will take 3 or 4 years.

Where you’ll work

Bristol, GB

BS3 2HQ

Training

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

College or training organisation

WESTON COLLEGE OF FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION

Your training course

Engineering fitter (level 3)

Equal to A level

Course contents

Reading, interpreting and understanding the component or assembly specification, diagrams, drawings and work instructions.
Planning component or assembly task – materials, tools and equipment.
Preparing work area for component or assembly task; sourcing required resources, tools and equipment.
Carry out relevant planning and preparation activities before commencing work activity and know how to source required resources and interpret detailed drawings, specifications and job instructions.
Checking tools during and after task completion; identifying and reporting defects.
Measuring and testing, checking or inspecting component or assembly for example; use of micrometers, verniers, multimeters, voltmeter.
Problem solving; analysing the issue and fixing the issue where appropriate.
Applying improvement techniques; recommending or implementing solutions where appropriate.
Communicating with colleagues or customers (internal or external).
Completing component or assembly documentation for example job instructions, drawings, quality control documentation.
Reporting work outcomes or issues.
Restoring the work area on completion of the activity; returning any resources and consumables to the appropriate location and house-keeping.
Disposing of waste in accordance with waste streams; re-cycling, re-using where appropriate.
Operating within limits of responsibility.
Operating in line with quality, health and safety and environmental policy and procedures; identifying risks and hazards and identifying control measures where applicable.
Reading, interpreting and understanding the component or assembly specification, diagrams, drawings and work instructions.
Planning component or assembly task – materials, tools and equipment.
Preparing work area for component or assembly task; sourcing required resources, tools and equipment.
Carry out relevant planning and preparation activities before commencing work activity and know how to source required resources and interpret detailed drawings, specifications and job instructions.
Checking tools during and after task completion; identifying and reporting defects.
Measuring and testing, checking or inspecting component or assembly for example; use of micrometers, verniers, multimeters, voltmeter.
Problem solving; analysing the issue and fixing the issue where appropriate.
Applying improvement techniques; recommending or implementing solutions where appropriate.
Communicating with colleagues or customers (internal or external).
Completing component or assembly documentation for example job instructions, drawings, quality control documentation.
Reporting work outcomes or issues.
Restoring the work area on completion of the activity; returning any resources and consumables to the appropriate location and house-keeping.
Disposing of waste in accordance with waste streams; re-cycling, re-using where appropriate.
Operating within limits of responsibility.
Operating in line with quality, health and safety and environmental policy and procedures; identifying risks and hazards and identifying control measures where applicable.

Your training plan

Through your college studies and on-the-job training, you’ll complete one of the following Level 3 apprenticeships:

Machining Technician – ST1305
Engineering Fitter – ST0432
Engineering Technician, Technical Support Technician – ST0457

Throughout your apprenticeship, you'll gain broad expertise in engineering and insight into our operations. We'll equip you with the technical know-how and behaviours to thrive in your programme and beyond.

The culmination of the apprenticeship is passing the required End Point Assessment, which will earn you a nationally recognised apprenticeship certificate.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

Any subject (grade 4(C) and above)
Any subject (grade 4(C) and above)
English (grade 4(C) and above)
Mathematics (grade 4(C) and above)
Science (grade 4(C) and above)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Attention to detail
Problem solving skills
Team working

Other requirements

Many of our early careers roles are subject to Security Clearance and Trade Control restrictions which mean that your place of birth, nationality, citizenship, or residency you hold may impact which roles you are eligible for. You must be able to achieve BPSS (Baseline security) and many of them require you to be eligible for Security Clearance.

About this company

Babcock is an international defence, aerospace and security company operating in our focus countries of the UK, Australasia, Canada, France and South Africa, with exports to additional markets with potential to become focus countries. We meet our customers’ key requirements of affordability, availability, and capability by delivering engineering, support and critical systems to defence and civil markets.

https://earlycareers.babcockinternational.com/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Fully funded qualification, personal development, training and opportunities, minimum 28 days holiday allowance including bank holidays, competitive pension scheme, employee share scheme, flexible benefits including cycle to work scheme.

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

Upon completion of the programme, you’ll be prepared to take on the role of a machinist, fitter, or inspector at Babcock.

You may also have the opportunity to pursue higher-level qualifications to further your career within Babcock across a variety of roles and functions.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

WESTON COLLEGE OF FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000286995.

Apply now

Closes on Thursday 20 March

When you apply, you’ll be asked to sign in with a GOV.UK One Login. You can create one at the same time as applying for this apprenticeship.

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.

Company’s application instructions

Once you’ve clicked ‘Apply’, you’ll be taken to our application site. Set up a candidate profile and you can apply for roles at Babcock.

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