2027 Manufacturing Apprentice

thales; Belfast City District; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 26,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Holiday entitlement

Contributory pension

Health care plan

Employee assistance

Job summary

Thales Belfast invites applications for a 3-year Manufacturing Apprentice (Level 3 Apprenticeship in Engineering NI). Starting 6 September 2027, the programme blends paid work with college study to achieve Level 2/3 engineering qualifications.

You will rotate across manufacturing, learn to meet quality standards, and progress toward a Level 3 NVQ while securing a permanent role from day one. You will gain hands-on experience on high-precision production lines, benefit from structured training,

Qualifications

• 5 GCSEs grade 9-4 incl. English and Maths.
• Must have been resident in Northern Ireland for the past 5 years.

Responsibilities

• Work on high-precision production lines delivering components and assemblies to meet customer requirements.
• Learn to perform to production standards and contribute to efficient manufacturing in a fast-paced environment.
• Complete Year 1 rotations across manufacturing operations to build foundations for performance against the master schedule.
• Year 3 specialization in mechanical, electrical, or mechatronic assembly within manufacturing activities.

Education

GCSEs (9-4) including English and Maths

Job description

Location: Belfast, United Kingdom

Thales is a global technology leader with more than 83,000 employees on five continents. With over 7,500 people in the UK, operating across defence, space, aerospace, and digital security, we help build a future we can all trust. Thales supports the security and stability of our nation by providing extraordinary technology to our customers, as well as delivering social value to the UK with our products and services.

2027 Manufacturing Apprentice - Level 3 Apprenticeship in Engineering NI (Level 2 en-route)

Start Date: 6 September 2027

Salary: £24,000 per annum

Employee type: Permanent

Location: Belfast (applicants must have been resident in Northern Ireland for the past 5 years)

Working hours (37 hours per week):

Year 1 : 4.5-day week

Mon-Thu: 07:00-15:45 (8.25 hours per day)

Friday: 08:00-12:00

Years 2 & 3 : 4-day week

Mon-Thu: 07:00-16:45 (9.25 hours per day)

Turn your curiosity into a career. If you're passionate about manufacturing or engineering, eager to learn, and looking for an apprenticeship that combines structured training with hands‑on experience at Thales, we'd love to hear from you.

This apprenticeship is a great fit if you're serious about committing to learning and development. You'll need to be a self-starter who can manage your time, show initiative, and has a genuine interest in manufacturing and in Thales. Successful candidates will demonstrate self-discipline and a strong desire to achieve the qualification.

Benefits of the programme:

• - Earn a salary while studying for your apprenticeship
• - Gain hands‑on experience in a real engineering environment
• - Receive job‑specific training and support for personal development
• - Achieve a recognised engineering qualification
• - Tuition fees for approved training providers are fully covered
• - Secure a permanent role from the start of your apprenticeship
• - Ongoing guidance and support from a dedicated Future Talent Manager

About the Role:

As a Manufacturing Apprentice at Thales Belfast, you will work on our high‑precision production lines, supporting the delivery of high‑quality components and assemblies that meet customer requirements. You'll learn how to perform to production standards, contribute to efficient manufacturing, and develop the skills needed to perform safely and effectively in a fast‑moving engineering environment.

During the 3‑year apprenticeship, you will complete:

Year 1: Rotations across manufacturing operations, spending time in different manufacturing areas to build the foundations needed to achieve performance requirements for component and assembly production. This will be aligned to the required quality standards and the master production schedule.

Year 2: 2 x six‑month rotations across manufacturing.

Year 3: A one‑year specialism, building deeper expertise in your chosen trade specialism within the manufacturing activity spectrum‑such as mechanical assembly , electrical assembly , or mechatronic assembly .

What You Will Learn:

Throughout the apprenticeship, you will develop the technical knowledge, practical skills and experience in:

• Professional engineering behaviours and industry best practice
• Working as part of a highly skilled and adaptable team
• Understanding and working with complex engineering systems
• Working from engineering drawings and manufacturing instruction sheets
• The Manufacturing Lifecycle and key engineering processes
• Lean methodology
• Manufacturing tools and methods
• Structured and methodical approaches to problem solving and investigation

Apprenticeship Programme:

Year 1 - As a Manufacturing Apprentice you will undertake a Level 2 Engineering Apprenticeship (NI) at South Eastern Regional College , working towards a Level 2 NVQ in Performing Engineering Operations .

Year 2 & 3 - You will then progress onto a Level 3 Manufacturing or Mechatronic Apprenticeship to achieve the BTEC Level 3 Certificate in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering at South Eastern Regional College , at Thales you will be documenting your practical trade skills by working towards a Level 3 NVQ in Manufacturing Engineering.

The programme is delivered through a blended learning approach, combining:

• On-campus teaching
• Virtual coaching sessions
• Online learning resources

Programme structure:

You will be given paid day release to attend college (SERC) each week alongside your day‑to‑day duties as a Manufacturing Apprentice. In your first year, you will attend Thales IAS UK College at Skills for Success on Friday mornings , from 08:00-12:00 , where you will further develop the skills needed to work as part of a highly skilled team.

Entry Requirements:

• - 5 GCSES grade 9-4 (A-C) including English and Maths
• - Applicants must have been resident in Northern Ireland for the past 5 years

Benefits:

• - Competitive salary of £24,000 per annum
• - Holiday entitlement of 201 hours a year (plus a company day and bank holidays)
• - Contributory Company Pension
• - Health Care Cash Plan
• - Employee assistance