Level 3 Mechanical Technician Apprenticeship – Energy Industry

DNV

Brampton (CA8 7AU)

Closes on Sunday 29 March 2026

Posted on 23 February 2026

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Summary

As a Mechanical Apprentice, you’ll work alongside more than 100 specialists at Spadeadam, gaining hands‑on experience in mechanical and installation activities across a wide range of client projects — from gas explosion and fire testing to hydrogen‑powered homes and next‑generation energy systems.

• Wage:

  £20,000 a year

  Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

  You’ll receive £2k salary increases for each completed apprenticeship year, alongside annual pay reviews. From year 2 onwards, we also ensure your salary meets National Minimum Wage requirements, where applicable.

• Training course: Engineering maintenance technician - single discipline (level 3)
• Hours: You’ll join us on a permanent contract during August, with your apprenticeship formally commencing in September. There are no set start and finish times, but typically most people commence between 8.00am and 9.00am and leave between 4.00pm and 5.00pm, Monday to Friday.

  37 hours 30 minutes a week

• Start date:

  Monday 17 August 2026

• 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

As a Mechanical Apprentice, you’ll learn hands on engineering skills while working alongside experienced technicians, engineers, and scientists across a wide variety of Spadeadam’s client projects. On a typical day, you might:

• Help install and maintain industrial pipework and equipment of all sizes, ensure systems are safe through pressure and leak testing, and learn how to work with a variety of gases and fuels.
• Gain experience operating and maintaining specialist equipment — including cryogenic systems — and play an active part in real project testing.
• Learn how to read and work from engineering diagrams.
• Develop a strong understanding of workplace safety, following industry standards and procedures every day.

Where you'll work

Spadeadam Test Site, Mod R5
Gilsland
Brampton
CA8 7AU

Training

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

Training provider

LAKES COLLEGE WEST CUMBRIA

Training course

Engineering maintenance technician - single discipline (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Review and use information. For example, work instructions, drawings, design specifications, and plant configurations.
• Use planning, prioritising, organising, and time management techniques to plan tasks.
• Identify and organise resources to complete tasks. For example, consumables.
• Respond and adapt to work demands. For example, adapt working methods to reflect changes in working environment, re-prioritise workloads to react to breakdowns and fault scenarios.
• Identify equipment to work on. Check plant configuration is as defined.
• Prepare the work area for maintenance tasks.
• Identify environmental and health and safety hazards and risks and apply control measures.
• Apply health, safety, and environmental procedures in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidance. For example, signage and barriers, working at height, confined spaces, and COSHH.
• Follow security procedures. For example, site access, document classification, and securing assets.
• Follow emergency incident and response procedures.
• Apply sustainability principles. For example, minimising waste.
• Segregate items for reuse, recycling, and waste.
• Use mathematical principles and formulae to support engineering maintenance.
• Apply engineering maintenance standards and procedures.
• Apply foreign material exclusion procedures.
• Follow maintenance tools and equipment control procedures. For example, handling and storage.
• Reinstate the work area.
• Apply team working principles.
• Communicate with others to give and receive information. For example, colleagues, customers, and stakeholders.
• Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
• Record information.
• Produce or update documents. For example, handover notes and reports.
• Identify and highlight issues (red pen) with technical drawings.
• Use digital and information technology. For example, databases, data sharing platforms, email, management information systems, and word processing. Follow cyber security and GDPR requirements.
• Apply continuous improvement techniques to identify improvement suggestions.
• Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development activities.
• Electrical. Confirm safe electrical isolation lockout tagout method has been applied and test for dead.
• Electrical. Select, check, and use electrical maintenance tools, measurement, and test equipment.
• Electrical. Use electrical diagnostic equipment and apply fault finding and rectification techniques.
• Electrical. Apply problem solving and critical reasoning techniques.
• Electrical. Inspect and test electrical aspects of plant. For example, visual checks, insulation and continuity checks, thermographic surveys, and voltage levels.
• Electrical. Remove and replace electrical parts.
• Electrical. Prepare and terminate electrical cables.
• Electrical. Set up, align and adjust electrical aspects of plant.
• Electrical. Clean parts. For example, removal of dust and debris.
• Electrical. Conduct and confirm electrical and connected services deisolation.
• Electrical. Conduct functional testing.
• Control and instrumentation. Conduct and confirm safe isolation of connected services
• Control and instrumentation. Confirm safe electrical isolation lockout tagout method has been applied and test for dead.
• Control and instrumentation. Select, check, and use control and instrumentation maintenance tools, measurement, and test equipment.
• Control and instrumentation. Use control and instrumentation diagnostic equipment and apply fault finding and rectification techniques.
• Control and instrumentation. Apply problem solving and critical reasoning techniques.
• Control and instrumentation. Inspect and test control and instrumentation systems.
• Control and instrumentation. Check calibration and make adjustments.
• Control and instrumentation. Check loop function.
• Control and instrumentation. Set up and adjust control and instrumentation systems.
• Control and instrumentation. Clean parts. For example, removal of dust and debris.
• Control and instrumentation. Remove and replace instruments and sensors.
• Control and instrumentation. Re-connect instrumentation power supply, cables, pipework, and services.
• Control and instrumentation. Conduct and confirm electrical and connected services deisolation.
• Control and instrumentation. Conduct functional testing.
• Mechanical. Check and confirm safe isolation of connected services.
• Mechanical. Select, check, and use mechanical maintenance tools and equipment.
• Mechanical. Use mechanical diagnostic equipment and apply fault finding and rectification techniques.
• Mechanical. Apply problem solving and critical reasoning techniques.
• Mechanical. Check condition and operation of mechanical aspects of plant and equipment. For example, pumps.
• Mechanical. Remove and replace mechanical parts.
• Mechanical. Examine mechanical parts for defects. For example, pump seals.
• Mechanical. Set up, align, and adjust mechanical aspects of plant.
• Mechanical. Clean parts. For example, removal of dust and debris.
• Mechanical. Lubricate mechanical assemblies.
• Mechanical. Confirm electrical and connected services deisolation.
• Mechanical. Conduct functional testing.
• Mechanical. Apply bench fitting techniques.
• Review and use information. For example, work instructions, drawings, design specifications, and plant configurations.
• Use planning, prioritising, organising, and time management techniques to plan tasks.
• Identify and organise resources to complete tasks. For example, consumables.
• Respond and adapt to work demands. For example, adapt working methods to reflect changes in working environment, re-prioritise workloads to react to breakdowns and fault scenarios.
• Identify equipment to work on. Check plant configuration is as defined.
• Prepare the work area for maintenance tasks.
• Identify environmental and health and safety hazards and risks and apply control measures.
• Apply health, safety, and environmental procedures in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidance. For example, signage and barriers, working at height, confined spaces, and COSHH.
• Follow security procedures. For example, site access, document classification, and securing assets.
• Follow emergency incident and response procedures.
• Apply sustainability principles. For example, minimising waste.
• Segregate items for reuse, recycling, and waste.
• Use mathematical principles and formulae to support engineering maintenance.
• Apply engineering maintenance standards and procedures.
• Apply foreign material exclusion procedures.
• Follow maintenance tools and equipment control procedures. For example, handling and storage.
• Reinstate the work area.
• Apply team working principles.
• Communicate with others to give and receive information. For example, colleagues, customers, and stakeholders.
• Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
• Record information.
• Produce or update documents. For example, handover notes and reports.
• Identify and highlight issues (red pen) with technical drawings.
• Use digital and information technology. For example, databases, data sharing platforms, email, management information systems, and word processing. Follow cyber security and GDPR requirements.
• Apply continuous improvement techniques to identify improvement suggestions.
• Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development activities.

Training schedule

Throughout the programme, you will spend 3-4 days each week gaining hands-on experience, working on real projects alongside specialist colleagues at Spadeadam. The remaining time will be spent with our specialist Training Provider in Carlisle. These days are designed to support the development of your practical skills and technical knowledge.

All additional travel costs to the Training Provider in Carlisle are fully covered. However, as this off‑the‑job learning is a critical part of the programme, this regular travel to Carlisle may not suit everyone, so please consider carefully whether you are able to make this long‑term commitment before applying.

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
• Organisation skills
• Problem solving skills
• Logical
• Team working
• Initiative
• Physical fitness
• Practical Judgement

Other requirements

Our role is based on-site at Spadeadam 5 days per week (unless you are at your Training Provider in Carlisle) and is important to understand that the nature of our work means that you will spend significant time each day, outdoors, in all weather conditions.

Our site is loud and busy, with daily explosions, detonations and industrial machinery in operation, so the hazardous environment requires people to be able to develop their understanding and follow extremely tight safety regulations to keep safe.

Our site also requires security and background checks due the sensitive location and work we do and is also a strict non smoking environment.

Finally, due to the location and logistics of our Spadeadam site possessing a full clean UK driving license and your own transport will make getting to our Spadeadam site a little more convenient. If you don’t yet have a driving license, we will support you through a high intensity driving course when eligible. This will also make getting around our expansive site easier and also enable you to use our vehicles whilst on site.

About this employer

Here at DNV, what we do matters. Whether it’s helping the Energy Industry transition to a more decarbonised and sustainable future or helping safeguard life, property and the environment, every day, what you do will make a difference. This is our shared purpose and one our people are proud to be part of.

Our Spadeadam Research and Testing site is one of the UK’s most unique and exciting places to start a career in safety, engineering, and future energy. For nearly 50 years, our site has been home to large scale research into fires, explosions, and new low carbon technologies like hydrogen. With an 80 hectare site near Brampton, Cumbria, set inside a protected MOD area, Spadeadam gives our apprentices the rare chance to contribute to real experiments, real engineering, and real safety challenges up close — the kind of work most people only ever see on TV.

https://www.dnv.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Benefit from profit share, 26 days’ holiday plus bank holidays, private medical and dental cover, gym allowance and wellbeing support. Build your future with a pension up to 9%, paid professional fees and retail discounts.

After this apprenticeship

Following completion of your apprenticeship, there are lots of routes our people choose to take, including specialising in a particular aspect of your role or broadening out your experience into new technical or leadership roles (people, project management or commercial). Whichever route you decide to take, we will support you with mentoring and specialist training and courses as applicable.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

LAKES COLLEGE WEST CUMBRIA

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000017243.

Apply now

Closes on Sunday 29 March 2026

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.