Operations Fitter Apprentice
Eaton MSD (was Cobham)
Brook Road (BH21 2BJ)
Closes in 5 days (Friday 20 March 2026)
Posted on 11 March 2026
Contents
Summary
Launch your Engineering career with Eaton’s exciting four year Fitter Apprenticeship! Gain hands on experience working on air to air refuelling and actuation products, learn assembly, testing and fault finding, earn a Level 3 qualification, and develop into a fully qualified Mechanical Fitter.
- Wage
-
£16,000 a year
Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Yearly salary increase structure in place whilst on rotational scheme (must meet both work and college performance expectations to progress through the structure). Competitive contractual benefits.
- Training course
- Engineering fitter (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday - Friday. Some placements may include the requirement to be on an early/late shift pattern
37 hours a week
- Start date
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Tuesday 1 September 2026
- Duration
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3 years 6 months
- Positions available
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4
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 Fitter Apprentice, you will gain experience across a variety of Operation disciplines in which a personal development plan will be created for your learning and development needs associated to your role.
This includes bespoke technical training within Operations and shop floor placements around the business, providing practical exposure to the development of mechanical and electrical systems within the aerospace industry, with particular focus on Air to Air Refuelling and Actuation.
During the final year of the Apprenticeship, Apprentices will move into a year long placement in an area that suits your strengths and interests, building on the skills you’ve developed during your first three years on site.
Throughout your Apprenticeship, you will learn how to work from Engineering drawings and technical documentation to carry out assembly, installation, testing and fault finding tasks.
You’ll be fully trained in how to follow:
- Engineering procedures and safety requirements, and will be working both independently and as part of a supportive team
- You will develop practical fitting and assembly skills, including the use of hand tools, measuring equipment, inspection techniques, and electrical/electronic test methods
By the end of the programme, you will be confident working with minimal supervision, taking responsibility for the quality of your work, proactively finding solutions to problems and contributing to continuous improvement activities.
You will leave the Apprenticeship scheme with the skills, knowledge, and experience needed to begin your career as a fully qualified Mechanical Fitter.
The structure of the Apprenticeship programme will be as follows:
- Year 1 - 2 - During your first 2 years, you will combine work based learning whilst attending day release at Bournemouth and Poole College, where you will study towards the Level 3 Advanced Manufacturing (Development Knowledge) qualification through classroom based education
- While on site, you will take part in shop floor based rotational placements designed to give you a broader understanding of the business and to support the requirements of your college curriculum
- Rotation placement examples include spending time within our emergency missile and actuation testing facility, assembly, testing, and maintenance of air refuelling pods and validating of parts to ensure they meet aerospace standards
- Year 3 - Predominately work based at Eaton Mission Systems Division, Wimborne with 1 day per week day release to Bournemouth and Poole College to complete year three of the Level 3 Advanced Manufacturing (Development Knowledge) Technical Certificate
- Rotations will be a combination of 3 or 4.5 months placements within our Operations function to increase knowledge and skills and to gain experience in a variety of areas across the business that support our shop floors teams
- Placements will include time spent within our UK Aerospace Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence, Manufacturing Engineering and gaining an insight into our After Market repairs services. Year 4 - In your final year, you will be based full time at Eaton Mission Systems Division in Wimborne, completing a dedicated year long placement within a team that aligns with the strengths and interests you have demonstrated throughout your first three years
- During this time, you will continue to build your portfolio of work based experience in preparation for the mandatory End Point Assessment, an independent evaluation that confirms you have achieved the skills, knowledge and behaviours outlined in the Apprenticeship Standard
- This final placement gives you the opportunity to apply what you’ve learned, further develop your abilities, and confidently progress toward a full time career within your chosen area
Where you'll work
Brook Road
BH21 2BJ
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
BOURNEMOUTH AND POOLE COLLEGE, THE
Training course
Engineering fitter (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Reading, interpreting and understanding the component or assembly specification, diagrams, drawings and work instructions.
- Planning component or assembly task – materials, tools and equipment.
- Preparing work area for component or assembly task; sourcing required resources, tools and equipment.
- Carry out relevant planning and preparation activities before commencing work activity and know how to source required resources and interpret detailed drawings, specifications and job instructions.
- Checking tools during and after task completion; identifying and reporting defects.
- Measuring and testing, checking or inspecting component or assembly for example; use of micrometers, verniers, multimeters, voltmeter.
- Problem solving; analysing the issue and fixing the issue where appropriate.
- Applying improvement techniques; recommending or implementing solutions where appropriate.
- Communicating with colleagues or customers (internal or external).
- Completing component or assembly documentation for example job instructions, drawings, quality control documentation.
- Reporting work outcomes or issues.
- Restoring the work area on completion of the activity; returning any resources and consumables to the appropriate location and house-keeping.
- Disposing of waste in accordance with waste streams; re-cycling, re-using where appropriate.
- Operating within limits of responsibility.
- Operating in line with quality, health and safety and environmental policy and procedures; identifying risks and hazards and identifying control measures where applicable.
- Reading, interpreting and understanding the component or assembly specification, diagrams, drawings and work instructions.
- Planning component or assembly task – materials, tools and equipment.
- Preparing work area for component or assembly task; sourcing required resources, tools and equipment.
- Carry out relevant planning and preparation activities before commencing work activity and know how to source required resources and interpret detailed drawings, specifications and job instructions.
- Checking tools during and after task completion; identifying and reporting defects.
- Measuring and testing, checking or inspecting component or assembly for example; use of micrometers, verniers, multimeters, voltmeter.
- Problem solving; analysing the issue and fixing the issue where appropriate.
- Applying improvement techniques; recommending or implementing solutions where appropriate.
- Communicating with colleagues or customers (internal or external).
- Completing component or assembly documentation for example job instructions, drawings, quality control documentation.
- Reporting work outcomes or issues.
- Restoring the work area on completion of the activity; returning any resources and consumables to the appropriate location and house-keeping.
- Disposing of waste in accordance with waste streams; re-cycling, re-using where appropriate.
- Operating within limits of responsibility.
- Operating in line with quality, health and safety and environmental policy and procedures; identifying risks and hazards and identifying control measures where applicable.
Training schedule
Level 3 Engineering Fitter Apprenticeship Standard
https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/st0432-v1-4 Personal Development Programme
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE or equivalent in:
NVQ or SVQ Level 2 or equivalent in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Administrative skills
- Analytical skills
- Attention to detail
- Communication skills
- Customer care skills
- Ethical
- Initiative
- IT skills
- Logical
- Non judgemental
- Number skills
- Organisation skills
- Patience
- Presentation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Team working
Other requirements
You’ll need to be comfortable with a mix of manual work, precision tasks, and following strict safety and engineering procedure.
About this employer
Join Eaton and be a part of our commitment to providing impactful, energy efficient solutions that shape a sustainable future. At Eaton, we make what matters work, and we're dedicated to a workplace where ethics, inclusion, diversity, and our people are at the forefront. Located in Wimborne, Dorset, Eaton's Aerospace division is a global leader in aerospace fuel systems, renowned for delivering fully integrated solutions for both fixed and rotary wing aircraft. Our Wimborne facility specialises in cutting edge air to air refuelling systems, advanced refuelling probes, air to air and air to ground launch systems utilising both pneumatic and pyrotechnic ejection technologies, as well as a range of Defensive Aids Sub Systems. With over 90 years of industry experience, we are recognised as the world’s leading provider of air to air refuelling systems, offering fifth generation solutions to Air Forces worldwide. Our legacy of innovation and technical excellence sets us apart as the most advanced air to air refuelling supplier on the globe
After this apprenticeship
- Progression to Full Time employment, Progression to a higher level apprenticeship/further training
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
BOURNEMOUTH AND POOLE COLLEGE, THE
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000020609.
Apply now
Closes in 5 days (Friday 20 March 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.