Engineering Technician Trades Apprenticeship Babcock International

Ready to learn a skilled trade? On our 4-year Engineering Technician Trades Apprenticeship, you’ll develop specialist engineering trade skills and gain hands-on experience maintaining the Royal Navy's fleet.

This apprenticeship requires you to apply through the employer's website.

Apply now

Closing date: 15 Mar 2024

Apprenticeship summary

  • Annual wage

    £13,319.00

    Fully funded qualification, personal development training and opportunities, a minimum 28 days holiday allowance including bank holidays, competitive pension scheme, employee share scheme, flexible benefits including employee shopping savings portal.

  • Working week

    Monday to Friday, shifts to be confirmed.

    Total hours per week: 35

  • Expected duration

    4 Years

  • Possible start date

    01 Sep 2024

  • Date posted

    15 Nov 2023

  • Apprenticeship level

    Advanced
    Level 3 (A level)

  • Reference number

    VAC1000210598

  • Positions

    109 available

What you will do in your working day

This is no ordinary engineering apprenticeship. Our engineers are at the forefront of maintaining the Royal Navy’s fleet.

As an Engineering Technician, you'll contribute to the design, manufacture, installation, operation or maintenance of systems on ships, submarines and infrastructure.

This varied and exciting programme covers trades including Mechanical, Electrical, Fabrication, Welding, CNC Machining, Pipefitting and Support Engineering. You'll be assigned one of these trade routes to specialise in.

Find out more about each of the trades below.

  • Mechanical Fitting

You’ll be trained to use a variety of hand and machine tools whilst learning how to identify faults and return equipment to working condition. You’ll be involved in the installation, commissioning, maintenance and repair of a wide range of equipment including engines, pumps, valves and hydraulic equipment.

  • Electrical Fitting

You’ll learn how to use electrical engineering drawings and specifications to build, test and maintain a wide range of electrical equipment and machinery. You’ll gain knowledge and practical skills that will enable you to install, connect and assist in the commission of complex electrical circuits on ships and submarines. You will also help to maintain the vast network of cables and machinery that is essential to the daily running of the site.

  • Fabricating

You will manufacture various components and ship structures such as the hull, shell and deck, using a range of metals. You’ll be trained in outfitting steelwork components, including the installation of doors, auxiliary seating, ladders and more. You will also learn to tack weld using different welding processes and will be trained to use thermal cutting equipment, power tools and metalworking machinery.

  • Welding

As well as learning all forms of welding, you’ll also gain some fabrication skills to enable you to manufacture items or repair structural parts of the naval fleet.  You could be involved in manufacturing components in our factory, repairing the shipside of a warship, or working on a submarine to ensure its watertight integrity.

  • CNC Machining

You’ll learn how to make precision components from start to finish, using CNC Turning and Milling Machines. You’ll create both basic and complex components based on engineering drawings and also work with CAD/CAM software and 3D models to produce complex parts.

  • Pipefitting

Using a range of materials, from plastic to high-quality stainless steel, you’ll be involved in the manufacture and installation of low and high-pressure pipe systems such as water, air, hydraulics, steam and fuel. You’ll learn a range of skills including how to interpret engineering drawings, how to fabricate pipes and pipe brazing. You can expect a varied workload working on ships and submarines, as well as working in the workshop and servicing systems in dockyard.

  • Support Engineering

Your apprenticeship will cover a range of electrical, mechanical and construction skills. Working on a range of projects, you’ll develop your engineering skills and knowledge with the scope to learn management techniques. Working closely with Senior Support Engineers and Production Managers, you’ll make regular trips on-board the ships to ascertain work requirements.

The training you will be getting

This 4-year programme incorporates classroom learning plus on-the-job training. You'll study core engineering principles plus develop specialist skills in mechanical, electrical, fabrication, CNC machining or other fields. 
 
Your whole first year will be spent at City College Plymouth learning the basics of engineering. In years 2 and 3 you will spend 1 day per week at college and 4 days per week in the dockyard at HM Naval Base Devonport.  
 
In your fourth year, you will be based in the dockyard 5 days per week. You'll be fully immersed, working alongside professionals to solve real-world challenges. 
 
Through rotations across departments, you'll grow a broad expertise in engineering and gain insight into our operations. We'll equip you with the technical know-how and behaviours to thrive in this vital role. 
 
The culmination of the apprenticeship is passing the required End Point Assessment, which gains you your nationally recognised apprenticeship certificate as a Level 3 Engineering Technician.  

What to expect at the end of your apprenticeship

  • Upon completion of the apprenticeship, you will move into a substantive position within the business

Requirements and prospects

Desired skills and personal qualities

Problem solving skills, Logical

Qualifications

GCSE or equivalent 5 subjects including Maths, English & a Science (Grade Grade C/4 or higher) Essential

Things to consider

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 the employer

Babcock is an international defence 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.

Employer

Babcock International

Address

Devonport Royal Dockyard

Devonport

Plymouth

PL1 4SG

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Training

Training provider

CITY COLLEGE PLYMOUTH

Adjustments for experience

You could reduce your training time, or finish your apprenticeship faster, if you have relevant prior learning or experience. This could be relevant:

  • training
  • qualifications, like an NVQ in a relevant field
  • industry or sector experience

Apprenticeship standard

Engineering technician

Level 3 (A level)

Demonstrating experience

If your application is successful, you will have a chance to discuss your relevant prior learning or experience with your training provider and employer. You will all need to agree any adjustments to your training plan.

You should be prepared to show your competence, and evidence of relevant qualifications

Employer'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.

This apprenticeship requires you to apply through the employer's website.

Apply now

Closing date: 15 Mar 2024