Engineering Design Apprenticeship

Babcock International

Bristol (BS16 1EJ)

Closes on Thursday 12 March 2026

Posted on 2 December 2025

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Summary

Our 3-year Engineering Design Apprenticeship offers an opportunity to play a part in designing and developing the next generation of engineering solutions that support the Royal Navy’s fleet. You’ll gain a strong foundation in design principles and build technical skills to help keep the UK safe and secure.

• Wage:

  £18,565 a year

  Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

  Year 1: £18,565 Year 2: £23,556 Year 3: £28,417 Post apprenticeship: £30,241+

• Training course: Engineering design technician (level 3)
• Hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm

  35 hours a week

• Start date:

  Tuesday 1 September 2026

• Duration:

  3 years

• 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 an Engineering Design Apprentice, you’ll be part of our Waterfront and Design Team, supporting a range of projects across the Royal Navy’s submarine fleet. The team is part of a 200-strong engineering community responsible for capability upgrades, defect investigations, safety assessments and specialist analysis - all of which help ensure submarine safety and availability for the UK’s Continuous At Sea Deterrent.

Every day is different as you cover a wide variety of design-related activities. You’ll create 2D and 3D computer-aided design (CAD) drawings, assist with spatial and structural validation surveys onboard submarines, and contribute to design reviews and assurance activities. 

You’ll also gain experience in using engineering documentation, understanding change control and developing the communication skills needed to work with engineers across multiple disciplines.

Every project you support plays a vital part in protecting people and assets. The design information you help to create and maintain will contribute directly to the continued safety, reliability and performance of the Royal Navy’s submarine fleet. 

Where you'll work

Unit 100
Bristol Business Park
Bristol
BS16 1EJ

Training

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

Training provider

TRAIN'D UP RAILWAY RESOURCING 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

As part of your apprenticeship, you’ll study for the Level 3 Engineering Design Technician Apprenticeship Standard through Train’d Up.

Training blends virtual learning with workplace experience. You’ll take part in live tutor-led e-tutorials, supported by regular feedback and assessments that help you apply your learning as you go.

By the end of the programme, you’ll have achieved a recognised qualification as a Level 3 Engineering Design Technician and developed the practical experience to apply your learning confidently within a professional design environment. 

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade 9-4)
• Maths (grade 9-4)

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
• 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.

https://earlycareers.babcockinternational.com/apprenticeships/ (opens in new tab)

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

Upon completing your apprenticeship, you’ll progress into a Draughtsperson role within the Waterfront and Design Team. 

A newly qualified Draughtsperson at Babcock currently earns a competitive salary of around £30,000 per annum, with opportunities to grow into positions such as Designer, Senior Designer and Engineer for those who show drive, curiosity and potential.

From there, your development doesn’t stop. Through the Babcock Role Framework, you’ll have a clear view of how your career can progress, with mapped-out pathways, development opportunities and the tools you need to get wherever you want to go. 

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

TRAIN'D UP RAILWAY RESOURCING LIMITED

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000001637.

Apply now

Closes on Thursday 12 March 2026

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