Apprentice Assistant Research and Teaching Technician

Summary

The School of Engineering is developing and supporting the next generation of engineers to lead the response to the key societal challenges of the 21st century. The apprentice will learn to perform technical duties to support both students and researchers.

Wage

£20,494 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Full time starting salary £20,494 per annum rising to £25,618 after 12 months service.

Training course

Engineering technician (level 3)

Hours

Monday to Friday 9am- 5pm

35 hours a week

Start date

Monday 1 September 2025

Duration

4 years

Positions available

1

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

Carry out specified techniques, tests or experiments as directed
Identify simple problems and resolve and recognise when to refer issues to your manager
Maintain accurate records and draft routine documentation related to your duties
Ensure the health, safety and cleanliness of immediate work area, by encouraging staff and students to comply with all basic University / College Health & Safety policies and reporting any issues to your line manager, technical manager, laboratory manager or College Safety Advisor as appropriate
Confirm that all required assessments are in place, approved and up to date
Carry out regular maintenance processes as appropriate and ensuring records are maintained
Report any breaches or non-compliance with health and safety procedures to the Line Manager, Technical Manager, Laboratory Manager or College Safety Advisor
Ensuring waste disposal is carried out correctly for laboratory, recycled and general waste
Adopt a proactive attitude to assisting with and implementing carbon reduction and energy saving measures
Assisting with stock level control and informing Line Manager when replacements are required
Receipt and correct storage of consumables and chemical reagents

Where you'll work

Edgbaston
Birmingham
West Midlands
B15 2TT

Training

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

College or training organisation

EEF LIMITED

Your training course

Engineering technician (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

Your training plan

Make UK

The first year is block release at the college with 13 catch up weeks at the University, the second year will consist of a number of releases at Make with the 3-4th years following a pre-determined programme of formal training with the University towards your End Point Assessment

University of Birmingham

While in the School of Engineering the post holder will be given the opportunity to cement their learning from Make with a program that will involve working alongside experienced technicians across the School of Engineering, learning techniques and processes that can work towards the End Point Assessment

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

English (grade 4)
Maths (grade 4)

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

Physics (grade 4)

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
Customer care skills
Problem solving skills
Number skills
Analytical skills
Logical
Team working

About this company

A world top 100 university and part of the prestigious Russell Group, the University of Birmingham makes important things happen. Delivering groundbreaking research and excellent research led teaching. People are at the heart of what we are and do. The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success. We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University. We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work. Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries. The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum, and botanical gardens.

https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/jobs/apprenticeships (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/jobs/staff-benefits

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

On completion of this apprenticeship, you may be able to progress into one of the following roles:

Teaching Technician
Research Technician

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is: