Estates & Facilities Maintenance Engineer Apprentice

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE (COVENT GARDEN) LTD

LONDON (WC2E 9DD)

Closes in 27 days (Monday 3 August 2026)

Posted on 6 July 2026

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Summary

This is a 4-year paid apprenticeship where you'll learn how to maintain, repair and improve buildings and building services at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. You'll work with experienced engineers and maintenance teams. It is a great opportunity to earn while you qualify, work in a hands on role, develop transferrable skills.

• Wage:

  £16,640 to £26,436.80, depending on your age

  National Minimum Wage

  Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

  Your salary will increase with NLW increases but also by 2.5% each year of your employment with RBO

• Training course: Building services engineering service and maintenance engineer (level 3)
• Hours: Most weeks you will work Monday to Friday 08:00 - 16:30 with some occasional later or weekend work.

  40 hours a week

• Start date:

  Sunday 6 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

• Work alongside experienced engineers and maintenance staff
• Help carry out planned maintenance and repairs
• Respond to building issues reported through the helpdesk
• Learn how to inspect, diagnose and fix faults
• Support repairs to mechanical and electrical systems
• Learn to read technical drawings and manuals
• Keep maintenance records up to date
• Follow health and safety procedures at all times
• Contribute to projects that improve the building and its facilities

Where you'll work

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE
COVENT GARDEN
LONDON
WC2E 9DD

Training

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

Training provider

CHOICE TRAINING LTD.

Training course

Building services engineering service and maintenance engineer (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Apply safe working practices and comply with safe working methods, including highlighting control method application and safe systems of work.
• Comply with current company policies and procedures.
• Undertake dynamic risk assessment to identify and manage a safe working environment.
• Produce a risk assessment.
• Produce a method statement.
• Plan work activities.
• Apply sustainable principles and techniques.
• Comply with environmental and sustainability regulations, standards, and guidance.
• Follow organisational and site procedures for waste management across the site.
• Plan, organise, and carry out tasks in a way that utilises resources, for example cost, quality, safety, security, and environmental impact.
• Plan, organise, prepare, and secure area of work for setting out and work activities.
• Minimise delays to planned work.
• Amend and replan work activities.
• Prepare and maintain work areas to ensure safe access and egress for self and others.
• Select, use, secure and store hand and power tools, equipment, and components.
• Interpret information from sources such as manufacturer's instructions, drawings, plans, specifications, or previous reports.
• Carry out testing and commissioning of a building services engineering system.
• Carry out decommission of a building services engineering system.
• Undertake planned maintenance activities to building services engineering systems.
• Undertake reactive maintenance activities to building services engineering systems.
• Isolate building service engineering systems.
• Identify and diagnose faults and outline solutions for resolution.
• Replace components.
• Communicate options in writing for repairs, replacements or improvements including the impact of cost, and timescales in writing.
• Handover completed maintenance activities.
• Use information technology and digital systems to monitor and manage the operation of plant and equipment.
• Record or enter information - paper based or electronic.
• Provide internal feedback.
• Communicate verbally with internal and external stakeholders using sector specific terminology.
• Follow equity, diversity, and inclusion principles and policy.
• Refer problems outside of own responsibility or authority to the relevant person.
• Identify, carry out and record industry related continuing professional development (CPD) activities.
• Repair components.
• Apply safe working practices and comply with safe working methods, including highlighting control method application and safe systems of work.
• Comply with current company policies and procedures.
• Undertake dynamic risk assessment to identify and manage a safe working environment.
• Produce a risk assessment.
• Produce a method statement.
• Plan work activities.
• Apply sustainable principles and techniques.
• Comply with environmental and sustainability regulations, standards, and guidance.
• Follow organisational and site procedures for waste management across the site.
• Plan, organise, and carry out tasks in a way that utilises resources, for example cost, quality, safety, security, and environmental impact.
• Plan, organise, prepare, and secure area of work for setting out and work activities.
• Minimise delays to planned work.
• Amend and replan work activities.
• Prepare and maintain work areas to ensure safe access and egress for self and others.
• Select, use, secure and store hand and power tools, equipment, and components.
• Interpret information from sources such as manufacturer's instructions, drawings, plans, specifications, or previous reports.
• Carry out testing and commissioning of a building services engineering system.
• Carry out decommission of a building services engineering system.
• Undertake planned maintenance activities to building services engineering systems.
• Undertake reactive maintenance activities to building services engineering systems.
• Isolate building service engineering systems.
• Identify and diagnose faults and outline solutions for resolution.
• Replace components.
• Communicate options in writing for repairs, replacements or improvements including the impact of cost, and timescales in writing.
• Handover completed maintenance activities.
• Use information technology and digital systems to monitor and manage the operation of plant and equipment.
• Record or enter information - paper based or electronic.
• Provide internal feedback.
• Communicate verbally with internal and external stakeholders using sector specific terminology.
• Follow equity, diversity, and inclusion principles and policy.
• Refer problems outside of own responsibility or authority to the relevant person.
• Identify, carry out and record industry related continuing professional development (CPD) activities.
• Repair components.

Training schedule

You'll split your time between:

📍 Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

📍 Choice Training Ltd, Dagenham

You will:

• Work towards a Level 3 Building Services Engineering Service and Maintenance Engineer Apprenticeship
• Attend college one day per week during term time
• Complete online study and coursework
• Build a portfolio showing your skills and experience
• Work 40-hours per week (including study time)

More training information

This is a four year course with Choice training.

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
• Attention to detail
• Problem solving skills
• Logical
• Team working
• Initiative
• Patience

Other requirements

Be 18 or older by 7th September 2026 (for insurance purposes).

✅ Have the right to work in the UK.

✅ Have lived in the UK for the last 3 continuous years.

You cannot apply if you:

❌ You must not have a degree (or equivalent qualification).

❌ You must not have more than 6 months' professional experience in a similar engineering maintenance role.

About this employer

The Royal Ballet & Opera (www.roh.org.uk) is one of the most famous stages in the world for opera and ballet. The iconic theatre is home to The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, with more than 290 performances given in the main auditorium each year. More than 950 staff work at the Royal Ballet & Opera in areas ranging from lighting, costume making, set building and scenic art, marketing, finance, box office, IT and fundraising and our apprenticeships scheme works across all areas.

https://www.rbo.org.uk/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

There are many company benefits locally such as discounted gym membership, a healthcare services and local shops and restaurants discounts. Staff can also see our productions for free or at discounted prices. 

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

Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).

You may wish to apply for a role in our team or progress onto an entry level role at another organisation. Depending on your ambition you could work up to a managerial position in the future.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE (COVENT GARDEN) LTD

Sarah Waterman

sarah.waterman@roh.org.uk

07958522573

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000040880.

Apply now

Closes in 27 days (Monday 3 August 2026)

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