Mechanical Engineering Degree Apprenticeship

Babcock International

Bristol (BS16 1EJ)

Closes on Thursday 18 December 2025

Posted on 24 October 2025

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Summary

Join our Cavendish Nuclear business and build a career that truly matters. Over this 4-year programme, you’ll study towards a BEng (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering with Manufacturing while gaining hands-on experience on initiatives that support the safe delivery of nuclear new build and decommissioning projects.

• Wage:

  £22,800 a year

  Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

  Year 1: £22,800 Year 2: £25,993 Year 3: £29,186 Year 4: £32,380 Post-apprenticeship salary: £43,343

• Training course: Manufacturing engineer (degree) (level 6)
• Hours: Monday to Friday between 9am to 5pm.

  35 hours a week

• Start date:

  Tuesday 1 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

• As a Mechanical Engineering Apprentice at Cavendish Nuclear, you’ll join a collaborative and experienced team working across all phases of the engineering lifecycle. Whether you’re supporting new build or decommissioning projects, you’ll play a vital role in the UK’s civil nuclear sector helping to deliver national energy resilience, meet net zero commitments, and safely clean up the nuclear legacy.

• You’ll work on a variety of nuclear projects, from developing new technologies and maintaining essential systems to extending the life of vital infrastructure. Your day-to-day activities will include hands-on experience with Computer Aided Design (CAD), 3D modelling, mechanical calculations, and producing engineering documentation to national and international standards. You’ll support operational teams, resolve technical issues, and inform decisions that impact real-world outcomes.

• As part of your role, you’ll define design requirements, develop 3D CAD models, produce detailed engineering drawings, and carry out scoping calculations. You’ll also prepare equipment specifications, technical reports, and help manage plant and equipment obsolescence to ensure systems remain safe and reliable. Supporting assembly, testing, and operational teams, you’ll offer technical guidance, resolve engineering queries, and manage nonconformance issues, while gaining exposure to advanced engineering tools such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software.

• Based at one of our key sites in Bristol, you’ll support major projects at locations like Sellafield. You’ll begin by shadowing experienced engineers, building a strong foundation in design, modelling, calculations, and documentation. As you develop, you’ll take on more complex tasks and gain valuable experience across the full design lifecycle. Every drawing, design, or calculation you contribute to plays a part in protecting people, the environment, and the nation’s energy future.

• Throughout your apprenticeship, you’ll be surrounded by supportive mentors and experienced engineers who are invested in your growth. You’ll be part of a wider emerging talent community, sharing experiences and learning alongside other apprentices across the business. You’ll be trusted to take ownership of your development and supported every step of the way as you turn theory into real-world impact.

Where you'll work

Bristol
BS16 1EJ

Training

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

Training provider

UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF ENGLAND, BRISTOL

Training course

Manufacturing engineer (degree) (level 6)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Translate conceptual ideas or technical requirements into developmental outcomes, operational designs, or specifications for manufacturing projects or programmes of work.
• Select, use and apply approved problem-solving methods to solve problems and determine solutions or actions.
• Collate, store, use and present data and supporting documentation.
• Interpret and produce technical documentation such as schematic and circuit diagrams, engineering drawings or 3D CAD models, simulation models, engineering reports, test reports, fault reports or data analytics.
• Observe, record and draw accurate and auditable conclusions from data evidence.
• Manage assigned projects or programmes of work, taking into account factors such as planning, safety, quality, cost, performance and sustainability.
• Apply processes for project or programme management such as escalation, audit or risk management and risk mitigation.
• Comply with statutory and organisational safety and security standards and requirements, supporting safety risk assessments and mitigate any risks identified within the design, manufacture, development or test activity.
• Identify and use manufacturing processes, resources and technologies to turn the materials, components or other commodities into a finished product or system.
• Apply quality management and assurance processes to identify and rectify faults, inaccuracies, discrepancies or unexpected results during the manufacturing engineering process.
• Carry out pre operations checks of engineering manufacturing systems and equipment before use.
• Manage continuous improvement activities using techniques such as Six Sigma, 5s, Kaizen, Lean, Kanban, Statistical Process Control or Value Stream Mapping.
• Create, maintain and review project documentation. Record and action any non-conformities.
• Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
• Communicate in writing for example technical reports, documents and presentations.
• Collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders. Manage differing and competing interests with stakeholders.
• Identify and complete opportunities for personal and professional development including keeping up to date with current and emerging technology.
• Apply and promote policies and practices to support equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Consider management of change (MOC) requirements when undertaking manufacturing projects or programmes of work.
• Comply with environmental and sustainability legislation, regulations and standards associated with the manufacturing engineering environment. Uses resources efficiently, for example waste minimisation.
• Ensure equipment is managed and maintained.
• Optimise processes and procedures, such as relating to safety, efficiency, performance, productivity and sustainability.
• Ensure that all systems or equipment has been correctly configured, checked and tested for safe operation, efficiency and reliability.
• Translate conceptual ideas or technical requirements into developmental outcomes, operational designs, or specifications for manufacturing projects or programmes of work.
• Select, use and apply approved problem-solving methods to solve problems and determine solutions or actions.
• Collate, store, use and present data and supporting documentation.
• Interpret and produce technical documentation such as schematic and circuit diagrams, engineering drawings or 3D CAD models, simulation models, engineering reports, test reports, fault reports or data analytics.
• Observe, record and draw accurate and auditable conclusions from data evidence.
• Manage assigned projects or programmes of work, taking into account factors such as planning, safety, quality, cost, performance and sustainability.
• Apply processes for project or programme management such as escalation, audit or risk management and risk mitigation.
• Comply with statutory and organisational safety and security standards and requirements, supporting safety risk assessments and mitigate any risks identified within the design, manufacture, development or test activity.
• Identify and use manufacturing processes, resources and technologies to turn the materials, components or other commodities into a finished product or system.
• Apply quality management and assurance processes to identify and rectify faults, inaccuracies, discrepancies or unexpected results during the manufacturing engineering process.
• Carry out pre operations checks of engineering manufacturing systems and equipment before use.
• Manage continuous improvement activities using techniques such as Six Sigma, 5s, Kaizen, Lean, Kanban, Statistical Process Control or Value Stream Mapping.
• Create, maintain and review project documentation. Record and action any non-conformities.
• Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
• Communicate in writing for example technical reports, documents and presentations.
• Collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders. Manage differing and competing interests with stakeholders.
• Identify and complete opportunities for personal and professional development including keeping up to date with current and emerging technology.
• Apply and promote policies and practices to support equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Consider management of change (MOC) requirements when undertaking manufacturing projects or programmes of work.
• Comply with environmental and sustainability legislation, regulations and standards associated with the manufacturing engineering environment. Uses resources efficiently, for example waste minimisation.
• Ensure equipment is managed and maintained.
• Optimise processes and procedures, such as relating to safety, efficiency, performance, productivity and sustainability.
• Ensure that all systems or equipment has been correctly configured, checked and tested for safe operation, efficiency and reliability.

Training schedule

As part of the Level 6 Manufacturing Engineer (Degree) Apprenticeship, you’ll work towards a BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering with Manufacturing from the University of the West of England (UWE), accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).

In your first year, you’ll attend Weston College for two to two and a half days per week. From your second year onwards, you’ll study at UWE’s Frenchay Campus one day per week.

This course is designed to support your academic development while enabling you to apply your learning in a practical, real-world setting. You’ll develop key skills in creative problem-solving, manufacturing management, computer-aided design (CAD), modelling and simulation, teamwork, and innovation.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

• Any subject (grade 4(C) and above)
• Any subject (grade 4(C) and above)
• Any subject (grade 4(C) and above)
• English (grade 4(C) and above)
• Mathematics (grade 4(C) and above)

A Level in:

• Any STEM subject (grade Pass)
• Mathematics (grade C or above)
• Physics (grade C 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
• Problem solving skills
• Team working

Other requirements

Many of our apprenticeship programmes are subject to Security Clearance and Trade Control restrictions, which mean that your place of birth, nationality, citizenship, or residency you hold or have held may impact which programmes you are eligible for. For this programme, you must be able to achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) and Security Check (SC) clearance. Further details are available at United Kingdom Security Vetting: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels

About this employer

Babcock is an international defence company providing support and product solutions to enhance our customers’ defence capabilities and critical assets. We provide through-life technical and engineering support for our customers’ assets, delivering improvements in performance, availability and programme cost. Our c27,700 employees deliver these critical services to defence and civil customers, including engineering support to naval, land, air and nuclear operations, frontline support, specialist training and asset management. We also design and manufacture a range of defence and civil specialist equipment, from naval ship and weapons handling systems to liquid gas handling systems. We also provide integrated, technology-enabled solutions to our defence customers in areas such as secure communications, electronic warfare and air defence.

Company benefits

• Fully funded qualification • Personal development training and opportunities • Minimum 28 days holiday allowance including bank holidays • Competitive pension scheme • Employee share scheme • Flexible benefits including cycle to work scheme

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

By the end of the programme, you’ll be ready to take on a role as a Structural and System Integrity Engineer, with a competitive starting salary of over £43,000.

You’ll also have the opportunity to build on your progress toward professional registration as an Incorporated Engineer, a recognised benchmark of engineering competence.

As a global organisation, Babcock provides countless opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career. To support your growth, we’ve introduced the Babcock Role Framework, which outlines roles, career pathways, and development opportunities. With every job mapped to these frameworks, you’ll have a transparent view of the steps needed to reach Senior Engineer and beyond.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF ENGLAND, BRISTOL

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000345739.

Apply now

Closes on Thursday 18 December 2025

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