Engineering Apprentice

Gooch & Housego Torquay

Devon (TQ2 7QL)

Closes on Friday 13 March 2026

Posted on 18 December 2025

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Contents

Summary

As an engineering apprentice at G&H you will have a unique opportunity to study and work in parallel in a dynamic and innovative environment. In partnership with SDC, you will spend four years working closely with our engineering team while complementing your workplace experience with a mixture of theoretical and practical lessons.

Wage

£20,000 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

circa £20,000/year

Training course
Engineering manufacturing technician (level 4)
Hours
Mon-Thurs 8am to 4pm, Friday 8am to 3pm

39 hours a week

Start date

Tuesday 22 September 2026

Duration

4 years

Positions available

3

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 apprentice at G&H Torquay you will have a unique opportunity to study and work in parallel in a dynamic and innovative environment. In partnership with South Devon College, you will spend four years working closely with our engineering team while complementing your workplace experience with a mixture of theoretical and practical lessons. As you progress through our apprenticeship programme you will learn about and contribute to the varied disciplines within fibre optics manufacturing while building upon your own skill set to enable the start of your career in engineering.

 

Our apprenticeship programme offers a structured and varied learning experience, providing you with the opportunity to acquire, refine and apply valuable technical and inter-personal skills employed in fibre optics engineering. You will receive mentorship and guidance from industry professionals, allowing you to grow and develop your expertise. During the four years other, additional training and development, personal and technical will be offered as required and where appropriate.

 

MANDATORY RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Adherence to all Company policies, management systems and standard operational procedures, including legal responsibilities in relation to Health, Safety, Environmental and Quality
  • Working positively to develop and foster good working relationships with colleagues and contracted personnel in order to maintain a culture of mutual respect and dignity
  • Promote and display the G&H values: Customer focus, Integrity, Action, Unity, Precision
  • Maintain good attendance at South Devon College

 

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Assisting in the design and development of fibre optic components and systems.
  • Participating in the manufacturing process, including fibre routing, splicing, and assembly.
  • Conducting quality control tests and inspections to ensure product reliability and performance.
  • Collaborating with engineers to troubleshoot technical issues and implement solutions.
  • Producing documentation, including operating procedures and technical reports.
  • Maintaining and calibrating manufacturing equipment and tools.
  • Tracking of your workplace accomplishments to meet learning outcomes.
  • Plan and attend progress meetings with colleagues.
  • Working with engineers and technicians to implement or improve processes.
  • Working with engineers and technicians to complete personal competencies record.
  • Attend South Devon College, on average, once per week.

 

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

  • Job reports
  • Course work
  • Personal one to one reviews (on-site/college)

 

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

  • Self-driven
  • Creative
  • Inquisitive
  • Reliable
  • Honest

Where you'll work

Broomhill Way
Torquay
Devon
TQ2 7QL

Training

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

Training provider

SOUTH DEVON COLLEGE

Training course

Engineering manufacturing technician (level 4)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Read and extract relevant engineering and manufacturing related data and information (such as workplans or project plans, schedules,  drawings, specifications, production data, quality reports, costing data, statistical information) drawing accurate conclusions and making informed decisions.
  • Use project management tools, such as Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT), stakeholder matrices, risk mapping, radar chart and summary risk profiles.
  • Use problem solving tools such as Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Process Failure Modes Effects Analysis (PFMEA), Fishbone, Practical Problem Solving (PPS) and Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP).
  • Analyse and interpret data and information in order to generate manufacturing engineering documentation such as Parts Per Million (PPM) quality adherence, cost analysis and test data.
  • Communicate using the appropriate method for the audience such as, formal and informal presentations, written reports, verbal, electronic, social media and incorporating relevant and appropriate data or metrics.
  • Use the approved process and quality compliance procedure to create or amend engineering or manufacturing documentation.
  • Use lean tools and techniques, such as Six Sigma, 8 Wastes, Workplace organisation such as 5S's (sort, set in order, shine, standardise and sustain), Kaizen and Poka-Yoke (Error proofing).
  • Apply documentation control processes and procedures such as format, location, access, authorisation.
  • Use financial planning, recording and review processes and documentation such as departmental budgets, estimating, cost control, cost forecasting, and investment appraisal.
  • Use computer based software systems or packages such as Computer Aided Design (CAD), Data Analytics and Databases.
  • Read and extract relevant engineering and manufacturing related data and information (such as workplans or project plans, schedules,  drawings, specifications, production data, quality reports, costing data, statistical information) drawing accurate conclusions and making informed decisions.
  • Use project management tools, such as Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT), stakeholder matrices, risk mapping, radar chart and summary risk profiles.
  • Use problem solving tools such as Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Process Failure Modes Effects Analysis (PFMEA), Fishbone, Practical Problem Solving (PPS) and Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP).
  • Analyse and interpret data and information in order to generate manufacturing engineering documentation such as Parts Per Million (PPM) quality adherence, cost analysis and test data.
  • Communicate using the appropriate method for the audience such as, formal and informal presentations, written reports, verbal, electronic, social media and incorporating relevant and appropriate data or metrics.
  • Use the approved process and quality compliance procedure to create or amend engineering or manufacturing documentation.
  • Use lean tools and techniques, such as Six Sigma, 8 Wastes, Workplace organisation such as 5S's (sort, set in order, shine, standardise and sustain), Kaizen and Poka-Yoke (Error proofing).
  • Apply documentation control processes and procedures such as format, location, access, authorisation.
  • Use financial planning, recording and review processes and documentation such as departmental budgets, estimating, cost control, cost forecasting, and investment appraisal.
  • Use computer based software systems or packages such as Computer Aided Design (CAD), Data Analytics and Databases.

Training schedule

At G&H Torquay we have four unique manufacturing areas. During the first two years of your apprenticeship you will spend six months in each area learning the key processes for each area to form the foundation of your engineering skill set.

 

Across all of our manufacturing areas there are a number of core skills which will be reinforced in each area:

  • Optical fibre handling best practice
  • Cleaving and splicing repeatability
  • Measurement accuracy and data interpretation

 

In our Modules area you will learn:

  • Optical fibre routing
  • Bespoke electronic and optical testing for the particular assemblies
  • Cleaving and splicing for critical lengths

 

In our Fibre-Q area you will learn:

  • Active alignment of a Fibre Coupled Acousto-Optic Modulator (FCAOM)
  • The introductory mathematics and physics around AOMs

 

In our Photonic Packaging area you will learn:

Introductory skills around photonics packaging such as; using pick and place machines, soldering of microelectronics, passive and active alignment and test of varied photonic devices

 

In our Fused Fibre Optics area you will learn:

  • How to build a fused fibre optic coupler
  • How these devices are measured and performance verified

 

In the final two years of your apprenticeship, you will move to our office area to support two different engineering functions; Manufacturing Engineering and NPI Engineering.

 

In Manufacturing Engineering, you will support this function while learning:

  • Continuous improvement strategies and techniques
  • Maintaining and implementing Six-Sigma and 6S methodologies
  • Product lifecycle management

 

In NPI Engineering, you will support this function while learning:

  • Documentation creation and maintaining; build and test procedures and bills-of-materials
  • Creation and implementation of new optical and electronic test methods
  • Managing product development cycles moving from Research and Development to Operational phases

Requirements

Essential qualifications

A Level in:

  • Maths (or related) (grade B)
  • Physics (or related) (grade B)

T Level in:

Engineering (or related) (grade Distinction)

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
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative

Other requirements

Eagerness to learn and develop knowledge and understanding in the field of fibre optics is important

About this employer

G&H is a world leader in optical designing, testing and manufacturing. As experts in the technology of light, G&H works with customers to provide optical systems, assemblies, and components for demanding applications

 

Headquartered in Ilminster Somerset, UK with primary operations in the USA and Europe, G&H is recognised for the breadth of our acousto-optic, electro-optic, crystal-optic, fibre optic, and precision optic products. G&H is recognised as the preferred source for OEMs in the life sciences, industrial, and aerospace and defence industries, with a history of quality and excellence that dates back over seventy-five years.

 

At our Torquay site, we design and manufacture best-in-class fibre optics components and modules, for a worldwide customer base of industrial, aerospace, and life science OEMs. Our products are used in a diverse range of applications including undersea intercontinental telecoms cabling, medical diagnostic and surgical equipment, oil and gas pipeline security, and aircraft refuelling.

 

Our success is built on innovation, precision, and the talent of our people. We are committed to developing capability at every stage of a career, from apprenticeships and graduate pathways through to leadership development.

http://gandh.com (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

Our engineering apprentices have had varied continuation of their careers with G&H:

  • Becoming Manufacturing Engineering Technicians who directly support operations with building of complex products, take the lead on production documentation, root cause analysis and training of production operators.
  • Becoming New Product Introduction (NPI) Technicians who support research and development functions as well as new build-to-print products. Their responsibilities take on a mixture of hands-on measurement development and documentation as well as managing administrative task such as bill-of-materials creation and management and build procedure writing and review.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

SOUTH DEVON COLLEGE

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000005712.

Apply now

Closes on Friday 13 March 2026