Apprentice Timber Frame Design Technician
SWIFT TIMBER HOMES LTD
BISHOP AUCKLAND (DL14 9TF)
Closes in 24 days (Friday 9 January 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 15 December 2025
Contents
Summary
The Apprentice Timber Frame Design Technician role is ideal for candidates with an interest in design. Working alongside an experienced design team, the apprentice will support the production of technical drawings, learn to interpret architectural information, and gain hands-on experience.
- Wage
-
£15,311.40 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Engineering design technician (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday to Friday.
39 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 2 February 2026
- Duration
-
3 years 6 months
- 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
- Support the design team in producing drawings for timber frame buildings
- Learn to use key industry software, including AutoCAD, Pamir, and Excel
- Assist with technical drawing, detailing, and architectural interpretation
- Work on sustainable, low-carbon building projects
- Gain hands-on experience within a busy off-site construction environment
- Work towards a nationally recognised Level 3 Design Technician qualification
- Be mentored by experienced designers and timber frame specialists
Where you'll work
UNIT 2 CATKIN WAY
GREENFIELDS INDUSTRIAL ESTATE
BISHOP AUCKLAND
DL14 9TF
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
S.W. DURHAM TRAINING LIMITED
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.
Training schedule
Combination of training @ South West Durham Training on a day release model (to be arranged with employer), on-site training and @ Swift Timber Homes head office.
Requirements
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
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
- Physical fitness
Other requirements
- Driving Licence (Desirable)
About this employer
Swift Timber Homes is one of the UK’s well established timber frame manufacturers, with over 25 years of trading and 50+ years’ experience in building homes. We design, manufacture, and erect timber frame buildings nationwide—all under one roof. As we continue to grow, we’re looking for a motivated Apprentice Timber Frame Design Technician to join our team.
If you’re passionate about design, construction, or sustainable building—and want to earn while you learn—this could be the perfect opportunity.
After this apprenticeship
A qualified Timber Frame Design Technician.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
S.W. DURHAM TRAINING LIMITED
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000005203.
Apply now
Closes in 24 days (Friday 9 January 2026 at 11:59pm)
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