Design Apprentice

Summary

To work with our team of established Designers and Technicians, learning to undertake design work on a range of development projects. The Apprentice, with the support of their dedicated mentor, will communicate project solutions through the production of 2-dimensional drawings and 3-dimensional models using AutoCAD and Revit.

Wage

£15,311.40 to £24,761.88, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

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Training course

Engineering design technician (level 3)

Hours

Mon to Thurs, 8:30am – 5:30pm, Friday – 9:30am – 4:30pm.

39 hours a week

Start date

Monday 1 September 2025

Duration

3 years 6 months

Positions available

2

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

Alongside the responsibilities of the role, the Design Apprentice will also have the opportunity to complete a Level 3 Apprenticeship in Mechanical Design.

To be successful in this role, we look for candidates who:

Have a minimum of Maths and English grade 4/C at GSCE (or equivalent)
Demonstrate a clear passion for Design and a drive to build a career in the industry
Are restless learners keen to expand their knowledge and expertise
Have a ‘roll your sleeves up’ approach to work - will never shy away from a challenge
Demonstrate a collaborative approach to work
Have solid communication skills; can build relationships with ease
Respects the views of others, seeking out different opinions where possible

Where you'll work

Units 3- 4
Woodlands Village Woodlands Business Village
Coronation Road
Basingstoke
RG21 4JX

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

College or training organisation

BASINGSTOKE COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

Your training course

Engineering design technician (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

Apply health and safety procedures and safe systems of work in compliance with regulations and standards.
Work in accordance with the design process, company management systems, policies and procedures.
Review and interpret technical information and requirements from different sources such as specifications, engineering drawings, concepts, stakeholders.
Identify and assess factors that affect designs such as materials, application, location, risk and environment.
Select materials and parts.
Propose and evaluate ideas for sustainable engineering concepts to solve engineering challenges.
Develop solutions that can be manufactured or built, and proven, operated and maintained during their operational life and decommissioned or recycled at the end of their operational life.
Provide feedback on engineering designs.
Apply quality assurance procedures to engineering drawings or models, including own designs and those of peers.
Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
Produce written documents, schedules and reports.
Identify, organise and use resources to complete tasks with consideration for cost, quality, safety, security and environmental impact.
Identify inaccuracies or discrepancies in drawings and specifications and propose solutions.
Incorporate changes to an existing design as a result of any modifications made during the as-built implementation.
Create concepts for system layouts and associated components.
Read, interpret and establish design intent.
Determine the correct tolerances for components of the design.
Follow equality, diversity and inclusion procedures.
Perform simple calculations to use in design drawings.
Use measuring techniques for reverse engineering.
Option 1. Produce general arrangements of electrical power.
Option 1. Produce detailed drawings of electrical power components such as wires connection, voltage, capacity, main switches.
Option 1. Identify cable types and application.
Option 1. Use digital tools such as CAD and BIM to produce electrical power project deliverables such as output drawings and electrical designs.
Option 2. Produce general arrangements of control and instrumentation designs.
Option 2. Produce detailed drawings of control and instrumentation components such as cable numbers, wire colours, junction block numbers and panel identification.
Option 2. Identify different cable types and appropriate application.
Option 2. Use digital tools such as CAD to produce control and instrumentation project deliverables.
Option 3. Produce general arrangements of mechanical designs.
Option 3. Produce detailed drawings of mechanical components such as part dimensions, shape and manufacture.
Option 3. Use digital tools such as CAD to produce mechanical project deliverables.
Option 4. Produce general arrangements of piping design.
Option 4. Produce detailed drawings of piping components such as pipework, ducts and fittings and including supports and skids.
Option 4. Use digital tools such as CAD or Plant Design Management Systems to produce piping design project deliverables.
Option 5. Produce general arrangements of structures showing multiple materials such as steel, concrete, masonry, timber.
Option 5. Produce detailed drawings for multiple materials such as steel, concrete, timber or masonry.
Option 5. Use digital tools such as CAD and BIM to produce structural project deliverables.
Apply health and safety procedures and safe systems of work in compliance with regulations and standards.
Work in accordance with the design process, company management systems, policies and procedures.
Review and interpret technical information and requirements from different sources such as specifications, engineering drawings, concepts, stakeholders.
Identify and assess factors that affect designs such as materials, application, location, risk and environment.
Select materials and parts.
Propose and evaluate ideas for sustainable engineering concepts to solve engineering challenges.
Develop solutions that can be manufactured or built, and proven, operated and maintained during their operational life and decommissioned or recycled at the end of their operational life.
Provide feedback on engineering designs.
Apply quality assurance procedures to engineering drawings or models, including own designs and those of peers.
Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
Produce written documents, schedules and reports.
Identify, organise and use resources to complete tasks with consideration for cost, quality, safety, security and environmental impact.
Identify inaccuracies or discrepancies in drawings and specifications and propose solutions.
Incorporate changes to an existing design as a result of any modifications made during the as-built implementation.
Create concepts for system layouts and associated components.
Read, interpret and establish design intent.
Determine the correct tolerances for components of the design.
Follow equality, diversity and inclusion procedures.
Perform simple calculations to use in design drawings.
Use measuring techniques for reverse engineering.

Your training plan

Training will take place one day a week at Basingstoke College, the remaining time within the workplace.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

English (grade 4 (C))
maths (grade 4 (C))

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

Communication skills
IT skills
Attention to detail
Organisation skills
Problem solving skills
Presentation skills
Administrative skills
Number skills
Analytical skills
Logical
Team working

About this company

SAS International are a world leader in the design and manufacture of metal ceilings, operating in the UK, EU, USA, MENA, and Australia. More than 800 committed and highly motivated employees in 6 countries contribute to SAS International's global success. With over 50 years of progressive innovation, design, and manufacturing excellence, we have diversified into associated disciplines such as partitioning systems and doors, energy-efficient cooling and heating, room comfort solutions, and internal architectural metalwork finishes. Offering a diverse and inclusive culture, SAS is committed to offering employees a fulfilling career suited to their skills and ambitions. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply. Our company values are intrinsic to all we do at SAS – the 5 C’s. We are customer-focused, obsessed with exceeding expectations. We are creative and value ‘outside of the box thinking’ to generate creative and innovative solutions. We are collaborative, fostering a culture of openness and respect. We are caring, we demonstrate the utmost care and respect for those around us, not only for our people, but also for our social and environmental impact. We are committed to the collective goals of our business and driven to achieve these together.

After this apprenticeship

The course offers progression to the HNC and is a recognised means of career progression within the engineering industry.

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