2026 Assembly Apprentice
THALES UK LIMITED
Crawley (RH10 9HA)
Closes on Thursday 12 February 2026
Posted on 3 November 2025
Contents
Summary
Through our Assembly apprenticeship, you’ll be making the most of your talents, getting to understand the manufacturing function; and doing so with the help of one of the biggest and best names in the industry. The first few weeks will be spent in Assembly learning the key skills.
- Wage
-
£24,000 a year
Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
£24,000 per annum • Pension – Thales match, plus 1%, with a maximum contribution of 7% • Health Insurance – 50% of salary for five years • Performance related pay uplifts
- Training course
- Maintenance and operations engineering technician (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday- Friday, 37 hours a week Monday- Thursday- 8 hours
Friday- 5 hours
Shifts to be confirmed
37 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 7 September 2026
- 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
A rotation plan will start once you have completed your manufacturing key skills training, where you will gain experience & knowledge in different manufacturing departments every 3 months. After the rotation plan you will have travelled around various different departments on the shop floor including assembly & integration, test, repairs and fault finding.
Over this time you will have learnt many different skills in Mechanical and Electrical criteria’s within accordance with IPC 610 (Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies) / 620 (Requirements and Acceptance for Cable and Wire Harness Assemblies).
You will become a key member of the team, with technical knowledge and practical expertise in the use of both common and specialist tools and equipment, including the use of a variety of measuring, testing, diagnostic aids/equipment and processes to ensure individual components, assemblies and/or integrated systems meet the required specification.
Where you'll work
Manor Royal
Crawley
RH10 9HA
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
CHICHESTER COLLEGE GROUP
Training course
Maintenance and operations engineering technician (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
Training schedule
- As an Assembly Apprentice you will be working towards a Level 3 apprenticeship following the Engineering Maintenance Technician standard
- For the duration of this 3 year programme, you will be given one day per week in which to complete your studies with a local college
- For the other 4 days, you will be working in the business, applying your learning and gaining a breadth of experience across the industry
More training information
By the end of the programme you will have achieved a BTEC Diploma in Engineering, plus the Level 3 apprenticeship and will move into a permanent position within the team
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving skills
- Analytical skills
- Team working
About this employer
Together, we create the ingenious technological systems and innovations that impact and improve people's lives every single day. Even if you haven't heard the name Thales before, you've definitely benefited from our inventiveness. We reinvest 20% of our sales in Research & Development in the UK. We support businesses, organisations, and governments in addressing tomorrow’s major challenges by developing advanced Defence, Security, Cybersecurity, Digital Identity, and Aerospace solutions, in the most sustainable, responsible, and ethical manner.
https://careers.thalesgroup.com/global/en/united-kingdom-careers#Uk-Future-talent (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
201 hours annual leave (plus bank holidays) One additional company day at Christmas Healthcare Cash Plan 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme 80 hours (10 days) volunteering in your first 2 years depending on length of programme Discount Portal
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
- Will qualify with a Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician (MOET) standard and be a permanent Assembly Technician within the Thales business
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
THALES UK LIMITED
Thales Future Talent Team
suppearlycar@uk.thalesgroup.com
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000349352.
Apply now
Closes on Thursday 12 February 2026
Sign in with your GOV.UK One Login to apply.
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.