Software Engineer Degree Apprenticeship

VE3

UK (EC2A 4NE)

Closes in 16 days (Friday 8 August 2025)

Posted on 22 July 2025


Summary

As an AI Software Engineer Apprentice, you’ll deliver real-world AI and ML solutions working with data pipelines, models, APIs, and microservices while advancing toward a fully funded Level 6 degree. This role is rooted in the Digital and Technology Solutions standard, blending a common core with the Software Engineer specialism.

Wage

£14,526.20 to £23,492.04, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Salary: £15000 per annum

Training course
Digital and technology solutions professional (level 6)
Hours
Monday - Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm

37 hours a week

Start date

Monday 8 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

Location: Hybrid (UK-based) Hours: Monday – Friday, 09:00–17:00

Salary: £15,000 per annum

Apprenticeship Standard: ST0119 v1.2 – Digital and Technology Solutions Degree (Software Engineer pathway)

Key Responsibilities

  • Model & Data Pipeline Development
  • Assist in collecting, cleaning, validating, and preparing data for training and evaluation.
  • Support the design, development, and tuning of machine learning and deep learning models.
  • Contribute to scalable and reusable data pipelines using modern ML workflows.


Experimentation & Evaluation

Conduct experiments and benchmarking exercises to test model performance.
Perform error analysis, feature importance, and other model diagnostics.
Track and log training/testing outcomes to support reproducibility and model versioning.


Engineering Contributions

  • Help build and integrate AI-powered APIs, scripts, and microservices.
  • Collaborate on backend services and model deployment in dev/test environments.
  • Use Git, CI/CD tools, and containerization (e.g., Docker) to maintain codebase quality.


Applied AI Domains

  • Work on projects that involve Natural Language Processing (NLP), Computer Vision, Generative AI, or Recommendation Systems.
  • Support annotation, feature engineering, and augmentation tasks where necessary.

Documentation & Collaboration

  • Write clear, well-organized documentation for code, models, datasets, and project workflows.
  • Participate in team meetings, sprint planning, and code reviews.
    Engage with mentors to reflect on progress, set learning goals, and track outcomes.

Where you'll work

86-90 Paul Street
London
UK
EC2A 4NE

Training

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

Training provider

BLACKPOOL AND THE FYLDE COLLEGE

Training course

Digital and technology solutions professional (level 6)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Analyse a business problem to identify the role of digital and technology solutions.
  • Identify risks, determine mitigation strategies and opportunities for improvement in a digital and technology solutions project.
  • Analyse a business problem in order to specify an appropriate digital and technology solution.
  • Initiate, design, code, test and debug a software component for a digital and technology solution.
  • Apply relevant standard processes, methods, techniques and tools. For example, ISO Standards, Waterfall, Agile in a digital and technology solution project.
  • Manage digital and technology solutions projects. For example, identifying and resolving deviations from specification, applying appropriate Project Management methodologies.
  • Work effectively within teams, leading on appropriate digital technology solution activities.
  • Apply relevant organisational theories. For example, change management principles, marketing approaches, strategic practice, and IT service management to a digital and technology solutions project.
  • Apply relevant security and resilience techniques to a digital and technology solution. For example, risk assessments, mitigation strategies.
  • Initiate, design, implement and debug a data product for a digital and technology solution.
  • Determine and use appropriate data analysis techniques. For example, Text, Statistical, Diagnostic or Predictive Analysis to assess a digital and technology solutions.
  • Plan, design and manage simple computer networks with an overall focus on the services and capabilities that network infrastructure solutions enable in an organisational context.
  • Report effectively to colleagues and stakeholders using the appropriate language and style, to meet the needs of the audience concerned.
  • Research, investigate, and evaluate innovative technologies or approaches in the development of a digital and technology solution.
  • Apply relevant legal, ethical, social and professional standards to a digital and technology solution.
  • Identify and define software engineering problems that are non-routine and incompletely specified.
  • Provide recommendations as to the most appropriate software engineering solution.
  • Use appropriate analysis methods, approaches and techniques in software engineering projects to deliver an outcome that meets requirements.
  • Implement software engineering projects using appropriate software engineering methods, approaches and techniques.
  • Respond to changing priorities and problems arising within software engineering projects by making revised recommendations, and adapting plans as necessary, to fit the scenario being investigated.
  • Determine, refine, adapt and use appropriate software engineering methods, approaches and techniques to evaluate software engineering project outcomes.
  • Evaluate learning points arising from software engineering work undertaken on a project including use of methods, analysis undertaken, selection of approach and the outcome achieved, in order to identify both lessons learnt and recommendations for improvements to future projects.
  • Extend and update software development knowledge with evidence from professional and academic sources by undertaking appropriate research to inform best practice and lead improvements in the organisation.
  • Analyse client needs and determine how to advise them strategically through improved business processes, new ideas, or technology solutions.
  • Effectively communicate value add to the client through a variety of media. For example, presentations, written reports, Storytelling in a professional setting through performing socio-technical process improvements in a range of environments.
  • Make evidence based recommendations taking into account risks, costs, and benefits.
  • Participate in walk-throughs for Information Technologies, to identify, document and evaluate key risks within a client’s organisation.
  • Perform stakeholder analysis to identify, determine and deepen understanding of system requirements and develop client relationships.
  • Effect change within an organisation through evaluation of a new system, process or initiative.
  • Ensure legal and ethical requirements are accommodated in the development of digital and technology solutions.
  • Evaluate the  success of new systems, processes, or initiatives.
  • Use requirements elicitation, analysis and documentation to produce an acceptable solution for business problems or further opportunities.
  • Conduct Process Analysis, Definition, Mapping and Modelling within a business situation without supervision.
  • Produce Use Cases which are of value to all stakeholders of a system.
  • Use tools and benchmarking to support modelling and requirements gathering and recommend approaches to team members as required.
  • Produce a business case to scope a proposed project including business benefits and recommendations.
  • Use products of analysis in the design and development of a system.
  • Evaluate the impacts of model selection and how they inter-relate with each other when generating business analytics.
  • Recommend and use appropriate software tools to implement Business Analysis tasks and outcomes.
  • Discover, identify and analyse security threats, attack techniques and vulnerabilities and recommend mitigation and security controls.
  • Undertake security risk assessments for complex systems without direct supervision and propose a remediation strategy relevant to the context of the organisation.
  • Recommend improvements to the cyber security approaches of an organisation based on research into future potential cyber threats and considering threat trends.
  • Manage cyber security risk.
  • Use appropriate cyber security technology, tools and techniques in relation to the risks identified.
  • Lead cyber security awareness campaigns and evaluate their effectiveness.
  • Analyse cyber security requirements against other design requirements for systems or products, identify conflicting requirements and recommend appropriate solutions with clear explanation of costs and benefits.
  • Lead the design and build of systems in accordance with a security case to address organisational challenges.
  • Define Data Requirements and perform Data Collection, Data Processing and Data Cleansing.
  • Apply different types of Data Analysis, as appropriate, to drive improvements for specific business problems.
  • Find, present, communicate and disseminate data analysis outputs effectively and with high impact through creative storytelling, tailoring the message for the audience. Visualise data to tell compelling and actionable narratives by using the best medium for each audience, such as charts, graphs and dashboards.
  • Identify barriers to effective analysis encountered both by analysts and their stakeholders within data analysis projects.
  • Apply a range of techniques for analysing quantitative data such as data mining, time series forecasting, algorithms, statistics and modelling techniques to identify and predict trends and patterns in data.
  • Apply exploratory or confirmatory approaches to analysing data. Validate and and test stability of the results.
  • Extract data from a range of sources. For example, databases, web services, open data.
  • Analyse in detail large data sets, using a range of industry standard tools and data analysis methods.
  • Identify and collate stakeholder needs in relation to computer network requirements, plans and designs.
  • Plan, design, document, and develop the relevant elements of a computer network within an organisation or between organisations, taking into account customer requirements (performance, scale), constraints (budget, equipment availability), and define policies for their use.
  • Monitor performance and ensure networks are configured correctly and perform as expected by designers or architects. Undertake capacity management and audit of IP addressing and hosted devices.
  • Investigate, troubleshoot and resolve data network faults in local and wide area environments, using information from multiple sources, Physically or Remotely by console connection. Recommend and implement short term fixes to restore service and, or, quality of experience and recommend longer term changes to prevent recurrence or reduce impact of future occurrences.
  • Implement computer networks from a design including testing and validation. This includes populating variables in configurations, for example, IP addresses and subsequent application of configuration to equipment such as routers, switches, firewalls.
  • Secure network systems by establishing and enforcing policies, and defining and monitoring access. Support and administer firewall environments in line with IT security policy.
  • Research and evaluate emerging network technologies and assess relevance to current network requirements. Provide an objective opinion on how new features and technologies may be incorporated as required by the organisation.
  • Investigate security concerns or attacks. For example, Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS), port scanning, assessing key metrics and indicators, evidencing the chosen steps to mitigate.
  • Analyse a business problem to identify the role of digital and technology solutions.
  • Identify risks, determine mitigation strategies and opportunities for improvement in a digital and technology solutions project.
  • Analyse a business problem in order to specify an appropriate digital and technology solution.
  • Initiate, design, code, test and debug a software component for a digital and technology solution.
  • Apply relevant standard processes, methods, techniques and tools. For example, ISO Standards, Waterfall, Agile in a digital and technology solution project.
  • Manage digital and technology solutions projects. For example, identifying and resolving deviations from specification, applying appropriate Project Management methodologies.
  • Work effectively within teams, leading on appropriate digital technology solution activities.
  • Apply relevant organisational theories. For example, change management principles, marketing approaches, strategic practice, and IT service management to a digital and technology solutions project.
  • Apply relevant security and resilience techniques to a digital and technology solution. For example, risk assessments, mitigation strategies.
  • Initiate, design, implement and debug a data product for a digital and technology solution.
  • Determine and use appropriate data analysis techniques. For example, Text, Statistical, Diagnostic or Predictive Analysis to assess a digital and technology solutions.
  • Plan, design and manage simple computer networks with an overall focus on the services and capabilities that network infrastructure solutions enable in an organisational context.
  • Report effectively to colleagues and stakeholders using the appropriate language and style, to meet the needs of the audience concerned.
  • Research, investigate, and evaluate innovative technologies or approaches in the development of a digital and technology solution.
  • Apply relevant legal, ethical, social and professional standards to a digital and technology solution.

Training schedule

Training & Assessment

The Level 6 Digital and technology solutions professional apprenticeship includes formal training aligned to Digital and Technology Solutions Degree. If Functional Skills in English and maths are required, they will be completed as well.

Key elements:

  • Option for face to face or remote delivery once a week
  • Real-world project portfolios and employer-set assignments
  • End Point Assessment (EPA) involving a project presentation and panel review
  • BSc (Hons) awarded by Lancaster University

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

Other in:

  • Basic Maths (grade n/a)
  • Standard English (grade n/a)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • IT skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Organisation skills
  • Presentation skills
  • Analytical skills
  • Team working
  • Initiative

Other requirements

Eligibility & Application Process: Applicants must have the right to work in the UK and meet apprenticeship funding eligibility criteria, including not already holding a degree at the same level in a similar subject. This apprenticeship is ideal for: Graduates seeking direct experience while earning an industry-recognized qualification; Final-year students open to a structured, full-time learning and work programme; Career changers with some foundational knowledge in programming or AI Application Instructions: To apply, please submit: Your CV and cover letter, a portfolio of personal or academic AI/ML projects (if available), proof of right to work and relevant qualifications. Please apply directly to VE3 https://ve3.zohorecruit.in/jobs/Careers/80399000011944350/Software-Engineer-Apprentice?source=CareerSite

About this employer

As the digital age storms in the industry, businesses must keep up with the ever-evolving technology by enabling businesses with new age solutions. At VE3, we are committed to helping our clients keep up with the latest technological landscape by delivering innovative solutions that solve their challenges in achieving their best operations and outcomes.

After this apprenticeship

What You’ll Gain
Practical, on-the-job experience with real AI projects from design to deployment

Structured learning delivered by Blackpool and The Fylde College

Mentorship from senior AI engineers and technical architects

Chartered recognition (where applicable, through the British Computer Society)

A potential pathway to a full-time AI Engineering or Data Science role upon successful completion

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

BLACKPOOL AND THE FYLDE COLLEGE

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000330849.

Apply now

Closes in 16 days (Friday 8 August 2025)

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