2027 Manufacturing Apprentice - Templecombe
THALES UK LIMITED
Templecombe (BA8 0DH)
Closes on Wednesday 17 February 2027
Posted on 5 October 2026
Contents
Summary
Turn your curiosity into a career. If you’re passionate about manufacturing, eager to learn, and looking for an apprenticeship that blends academic study with hands-on experience, we’d love to hear from you.
- Wage
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£24,000 a year
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
- Competitive salary of £24,000 per annum
- Performance-related pay uplifts
- Contributory Company Pension
- Training course
- Engineering operative (level 2)
- Hours
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Mon-Thu 8 hrs per day, Fri 5 hrs.
On completion your permanent role will move to a shift working pattern. 3-day week (Mon to Wed, or Thu to Sat) 12.33-hr shifts. These shifts operate 24 hours per day 6 days a week which include night shifts.
37 hours a week
- Start date
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Monday 6 September 2027
- Duration
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1 year
- Positions available
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5
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
Join our Level 2 Manufacturing Apprenticeship in Templecombe and build your future with Thales from the ground up. This is a great start if you’re keen to learn practical skills, understand how manufacturing really works, and want a pathway that can lead to a long-term career—whether you stay in manufacturing or explore new opportunities within the business.
You’ll receive hands-on training focused on our Towed Array business line, and after you complete the apprenticeship, you’ll join one of the 4 shifts in the area—becoming a valued part of the team from day one.
What You Will Learn:
- Assembly techniques
- Wiring and looming
- Soldering
- ESD safety
Upon programme completion, you will roll off the scheme into a permanent role in the business and will move to a shift working pattern. This will be a 3-day week (either Monday to Wednesday, or Thursday to Saturday) and will consist of 12.33-hour shifts. These shifts operate 24 hours per day 6 days a week which include night shifts.
Where you'll work
Ocean House
Throop Road
Templecombe
BA8 0DH
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
YEOVIL COLLEGE
Training course
Engineering operative (level 2)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Work safely at all times, complying with health and safety legislation, regulations, environmental compliance procedures and systems and other relevant guidelines
- Identify and deal appropriately with any risks, hazards, hazardous situations and problems that may occur within the engineering environment within the limits of their responsibility
- Demonstrate effective communication skills which include oral, written, electronic
- Complete appropriate documentation accurately, efficiently and legibly using the correct terminology where required
- Obtain and follow the correct documentation, specifications and work instructions in accordance with time constraints and the roles and responsibilities identified for the engineering activities, extracting the necessary data/information from specification and related documentation
- Select and use appropriate tools, equipment and materials to carry out the engineering operation
- Deal appropriately with any problems that may occur within the manufacturing environment within the limits of their responsibility
- Work efficiently and effectively at all times maintaining workplace organisation and minimising waste
- Carryout fault location on appropriate equipment using suitable maintenance diagnostic techniques
- Carryout maintenance activities in line with work instructions
- Carryout tests on the maintained equipment in accordance with test schedule/defined test procedures
- Follow appropriate completion activities and restore equipment to service by replacing or repairing components
- Plan the mechanical manufacturing operation before they start
- Mount and set the required workholding devices
- Produce individual components, sub-assemblies or completed assemblies using mechanical manufacturing techniques
- Carryout quality checks during and after mechanical manufacturing operations
- Wire and terminate different types of cabling e.g. single core, multi core, screened, fire resistant, armoured, etc.
- Assemble and test a range of electrical components e.g. component panels, isolator switches, fuses, circuit breakers, contactors, relays, rail mounted terminal blocks, etc.
- Assemble and test a range of electronic components e.g. resistors, capacitors, diodes, transistors, etc.
- Follow appropriate completion activities and restore equipment/system to service after the assembly and testing has been completed
- Shape the materials using the appropriate methods and techniques
- Join the materials using the appropriate methods and techniques
- Produce components which meet the specification requirements
- Carryout quality checks during and after the fabrication activities
- Plan the materials, processing or finishing operation before they start
- Prepare equipment, tooling, materials, etc. and complete set up activities before carrying out the materials, processing or finishing operation
- Carry out the material, processing or finishing operation in line with specific safe working practices and specification requirements
- Carryout quality checks during and after the materials, processing or finishing operation
- Plan the technical support operation before they start
- Prepare equipment, tooling, materials, etc. and complete set up activities before carrying out the technical support
- Carry out the technical support operation in line with specific safe working practices and specification requirements
- Carryout quality checks during and after the technical support operation
Training schedule
As a Manufacturing Apprentice, you will enrol onto a Level 2 Engineering Operative Apprenticeship at Yeovil College. The programme is 12 months in duration, plus 6 months for the End Point Assessment period. It will be delivered via a day release model whereby academic content is delivered in the classroom on set study days and then the rest of the time you will be working in the business and applying what you have learnt. At the end of the programme, you will have achieved a Level 2 Certificate in Engineering Operations and a Level 2 Diploma in Engineering Operations, plus the Level 2 Engineering Operative Apprenticeship qualification.
The programme is delivered via a day release model at the Yeovil College campus.
More training information
- Assist with the assembly, testing, and inspection of manufacturing components and sub-assemblies
- Support daily production activities and the setup, operation, and maintenance of manufacturing equipment
- Learn to read and interpret technical drawings, engineering specifications, and work instructions
- Adhere strictly to UK health and safety regulations and company safety policies
- Carry out quality control checks to ensure products meet industry and company standards
- Maintain accurate production records and report faults or issues promptly
- Participate fully in apprenticeship training modules and qualifications (e.g., BTEC, NVQ or equivalent)
- Collaborate with team members to solve manufacturing and process challenges
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 4 (C) or above)
- Maths (grade 4 (D) or above)
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
- Logical
- Team working
Other requirements
To be considered for this position, you must have the permanent right to work in the UK and be able to successfully complete and maintain UK Government security checks, including Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) screening and Security Clearance (SC), which is a government background check, before starting employment.
To be eligible for SC clearance, you will typically need to have lived in the UK continuously for the last five years. As part of the vetting process, you will be asked to provide evidence of your identity, right to work in the UK, any time spent overseas during the last five years, and your employment and/or education history.
In addition, this role supports a UK Eyes Only programme and is therefore subject to government-mandated nationality restrictions. To satisfy the security clearance requirements for access to highly sensitive information, applicants must have been British citizens from birth and must not hold any other nationality. This requirement is determined by the UK Government and is a condition of programme access rather than an employment preference.
For further details of the evidence required to apply for security clearance please follow this link - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels
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. Together we supply invention across 4 core areas: Aerospace, Space, Defence and Security, Digital Identity and Security.
Company benefits
- Holiday entitlement of 201 hours a year (plus a company day and bank holidays)
- Health Care Cash Plan
- Hybrid/flexible working options
- Employee assistance programme
- Learning and development support
- Employee discounts and well-being initiatives
- Life Cover
- 80 hours volunteering per year (first two years)
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).
At the end of the programme, you will have achieved a Level 2 Diploma in Engineering Operations, plus the Level 2 Engineering Operative Apprenticeship qualification.
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 VAC2000057312.
Apply now
Closes on Wednesday 17 February 2027
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.