2027 Project Planning & Controls Apprentice - Cheadle
THALES UK LIMITED
Stockport (SK3 0XB)
Closes on Wednesday 17 February 2027
Posted on 6 October 2026
Contents
Summary
Transform your curiosity into a rewarding career. If you’re passionate about projects and eager to learn, this apprenticeship is perfect for you. Combining academic study with hands-on, practical experience, it offers a fantastic opportunity to grow and thrive within a leading organisation. We’d love to hear from you!
- Wage
-
£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
- Associate project manager (level 4)
- Hours
-
Monday - Friday, 8 hours Monday - Thursday. 5 hours on a Friday.
37 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 6 September 2027
- Duration
-
2 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
This exciting Project Planning & Controls Apprenticeship will give you the skills and knowledge to be an effective team member within the Bid and Project Management Function at Thales. The apprentice programme will provide you with a strong understanding and working knowledge of planning, scheduling, monitoring and controls, building the foundations for future roles supporting or managing projects that deliver world leading solutions to our global customer base. The Bid and Project Management functions’ key responsibilities are to support the project team, deliver the mission and ensure strong governance over bids and projects and oversee the implementation of consistent and assured processes.
Your responsibilities may include:
- Assisting with the creation and maintenance of the integrated master schedules for assigned projects
- Contributing to project reports and attend associated reviews
- Assisting in the deployment and reporting of risk and opportunity management
- Helping the project team ensure correct and effective project governance is applied
- Operating Thales UK tools to ensure effective management of the project schedule, budgets, risks and opportunities
- Committing to attend all elements of the apprenticeship including attendance on virtual training modules, 1-2-1 coaching calls, assignments, exams and mandatory Thales UK training activities to lay the foundations for your contribution to future growth of the business
Where you'll work
Ashurst Drive Bird Hall Lane
Cheadle Heath
Stockport
SK3 0XB
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
THE APPRENTICE ACADEMY LIMITED
Training course
Associate project manager (level 4)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Use project monitoring and reporting techniques to track, interpret and report on performance.
- Manage and engage with stakeholders.
- Influence and negotiate with others to create a positive outcome for the project.
- Resolve conflict as and when required with stakeholders within limits of responsibility.
- Adapt communications to different stakeholders.
- Communicate and support the project vision, to ensure buy in to the project objectives.
- Collate and analyse information and provide input to support negotiations relating to project objectives.
- Monitor and analyse project budgets.
- Review and provide feedback on a project business case to ensure the project remains valid.
- Apply change control processes to support the management of project scope.
- Evaluate an integrated project management plan to provide recommendations on areas for improvement.
- Prepare, monitor, and schedule activities that contribute to the delivery of the overall project schedule and objectives.
- Evaluate and make recommendations on the risk management plan to threats to delivery and recommend solutions.
- Identify and monitor project risks and issues; and plan and implement responses to them.
- Deliver a Quality Management Plan which contributes to quality control processes.
- Use an organisation’s continual improvement process including lessons learned to improve performance.
- Support the preparation or maintenance of a resource management plan for project activities.
- Work with stakeholders to deliver the project.
- Use digital tools and software to meet project objectives for example research, collaboration, presentations, and resolution of problems.
- Provide underpinning data to support the written submission through the governance process.
- Work within the approved project budget.
- Ensure that integrated schedules support critical path analysis, interface management, resource forecasting and risk management.
- Apply relevant legislation, regulations, codes of practice, and ethical guidance where appropriate to their work.
- Use data to inform decisions on actions to take to mitigate risks on project.
- Use configuration management and change control to schedule and maintain projects.
- Manages resources through the project lifecycle.
- Use project monitoring and reporting techniques to track, interpret and report on performance.
- Manage and engage with stakeholders.
- Influence and negotiate with others to create a positive outcome for the project.
- Resolve conflict as and when required with stakeholders within limits of responsibility.
- Adapt communications to different stakeholders.
- Communicate and support the project vision, to ensure buy in to the project objectives.
- Collate and analyse information and provide input to support negotiations relating to project objectives.
- Monitor and analyse project budgets.
- Review and provide feedback on a project business case to ensure the project remains valid.
- Apply change control processes to support the management of project scope.
- Evaluate an integrated project management plan to provide recommendations on areas for improvement.
- Prepare, monitor, and schedule activities that contribute to the delivery of the overall project schedule and objectives.
- Evaluate and make recommendations on the risk management plan to threats to delivery and recommend solutions.
- Identify and monitor project risks and issues; and plan and implement responses to them.
- Deliver a Quality Management Plan which contributes to quality control processes.
- Use an organisation’s continual improvement process including lessons learned to improve performance.
- Support the preparation or maintenance of a resource management plan for project activities.
- Work with stakeholders to deliver the project.
- Use digital tools and software to meet project objectives for example research, collaboration, presentations, and resolution of problems.
- Provide underpinning data to support the written submission through the governance process.
- Work within the approved project budget.
- Ensure that integrated schedules support critical path analysis, interface management, resource forecasting and risk management.
- Apply relevant legislation, regulations, codes of practice, and ethical guidance where appropriate to their work.
- Use data to inform decisions on actions to take to mitigate risks on project.
- Use configuration management and change control to schedule and maintain projects.
- Manages resources through the project lifecycle.
Training schedule
Throughout your apprenticeship, you will develop knowledge and skills in:
- Project planning, scheduling, monitoring, and control techniques
- Supporting effective bid and project delivery through project controls
- Applying governance, assurance, and project management processes
- Developing and maintaining integrated project schedules and plans
- Tracking performance, risks, costs, and progress against project objectives
- Supporting the delivery of complex, world-leading solutions for global customers
More training information
Through our higher apprenticeship you’ll be making the most of your talents, getting to understand the Project Management Function from the ground up, and doing so with the help of one of the biggest and best names in the industry.
Throughout your apprenticeship, you’ll receive on-the-job training tailored to work alongside your studies, giving you the hands-on experience needed to develop practical skills and knowledge.
The programme will be delivered via a virtual delivery model consisting of:
- Live virtual workshops
- 1-2-1 coaching calls
- Self-directed learning activities
This is a 2-year programme, working towards the Level 4 Project Manager Associate Apprenticeship standard, with our lead training provider. Upon successful completion of your End Point Assessment, you will roll off into the Thales UK Bid and Project Management job family into a Project Planner or Project Controller role.
We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who are motivated, committed and keen to learn. A self-starter who can manage their time, show initiative and has a genuine interest in project planning / controls and Thales. Successful candidates will show self-discipline and an aspiration to achieve the qualification.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
A Level in:
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
- 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.
https://careers.thalesgroup.com/global/en/uk-apprenticeship-roles (opens in new tab)
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 wellbeing 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).
Upon successful completion of your End Point Assessment, you will roll off into the Thales UK Bid and Project Management job family.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
THALES UK LIMITED
Future Talent Team
futuretalent@uk.thalesgroup.com
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000057398.
Apply now
Closes on Wednesday 17 February 2027
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.