2027 Mechanical Engineer Apprentice

Thales; Henstridge; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 26,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully funded degree

Hybrid work options

Competitive salary

Job summary

Thales in Templecombe offers a Level 6 Electro-Mechanical Engineering Degree Apprenticeship with the University of Nottingham. You will earn £24,000 per year while pursuing a degree and gaining hands-on experience in a global defence technology environment.

The five-year programme combines on-campus learning, online study, and practical work-based learning, leading to a funded BEng (Hons) in Electro-Mechanical Engineering and a Level 6 degree apprenticeship qualification, accredited for

Qualifications

• 3 A Levels (BBB) including Mathematics
• 5 GCSES grade 9-4 including English and Maths
• Applicants who already hold a relevant degree will not be eligible for this programme.

Responsibilities

• Designing mechanical parts and systems using CAD software
• Packaging of electronics and associated cabling
• Designing equipment that can be installed on military platforms
• Producing manufacturing and assembly drawings for production teams
• Understanding factors such as stress, shock and vibration when designing products
• Building and testing prototypes during product development
• Helping qualify products for use in demanding operational environments
• Applying design-for-manufacture principles to create practical and efficient solutions

Education

3 A Levels (BBB) including Mathematics

5 GCSES grade 9-4 including English and Maths

Job description

Location: Templecombe, 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 Mechanical Engineering Apprentice - Level 6 Electro-Mechanical Apprentice

Start Date: 6 September 2027

Salary: £24,000 per annum

Employee type: Permanent

Location: Templecombe

Working Schedule: Monday - Friday, 37 hours a week (8 hours Monday - Thursday, 5 hours Friday)

Do you have an inquisitive mind? Do you like to know how things work and are interested in engineering? Are you looking for an employer who will sponsor you through a degree, whilst providing valuable and exciting on-the-job experience within a global, innovative and industry-leading organisation? If so, read on to see what Thales has to offer

Benefits of the programme:

• Earn a salary while studying for your degree
• Gain hands-on experience in a real engineering environment
• Receive job-specific training and development
• Achieve a recognised engineering qualification
• Secure a permanent role from the start of your apprenticeship
• Have your university tuition fees fully paid

About the Role

As a Mechanical Engineer at Thales in Templecombe, you'll be part of a team developing advanced underwater naval systems used by the UK Ministry of Defence and customers around the world. You'll help design, test and improve cutting-edge defence technology while having the opportunity to shape the role around your strengths and career interests.

Your responsibilities may include:

• Designing mechanical parts and systems using CAD software
• Packaging of electronics and associated cabling
• Designing equipment that can be installed on military platforms
• Producing manufacturing and assembly drawings for production teams
• Understanding factors such as stress, shock and vibration when designing products
• Building and testing prototypes during product development
• Helping qualify products for use in demanding operational environments
• Applying design-for-manufacture principles to create practical and efficient solutions

What You Will Learn

During this role, you'll gain valuable experience across the full product development lifecycle while working with experienced engineers and advanced defence technologies.

You will learn:

• Advanced CAD design techniques and best practices
• How electronic and mechanical systems are integrated into complex products
• Engineering design principles for defence and naval applications
• How to create professional manufacturing and assembly drawings
• The effects of stress, vibration and shock on engineering designs
• Product testing, environmental qualification and validation processes
• Prototype building and hands-on development skills
• Design for manufacture principles to improve product quality and efficiency
• How defence products are developed for the Ministry of Defence and international customers
• Teamworking and problem-solving skills within a multi-disciplinary engineering environment

Apprenticeship Programme

You’ll work towards a Level 6 Electro-Mechanical Engineering Degree Apprenticeship with the University of Nottingham while gaining valuable hands-on experience in the workplace.

The programme lasts five years and combines:

• On-campus learning (approx. 4 weeks per academic year)
• Online study
• Practical, work-based learning

Throughout the programme, you’ll develop both your technical knowledge and practical engineering skills.

On successful completion of the apprenticeship and End Point Assessment, you’ll achieve:

• A fully funded BEng (Hons) in Electro-Mechanical Engineering
• A Level 6 Electro-Mechanical Engineering Degree Apprenticeship qualification.
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The programme is accredited by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers to support those who wish to apply for Chartered Engineer status later in their career.

Entry Requirements

• 3 A Levels (BBB) including Mathematics (Citizenship Skills, General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted), Alternative Level 3 qualifications will be accepted, subject to passing a Maths assessment. Alternative Level 3 qualifications include Engineering and Manufacturing T Level (Merit), BTEC Extended Diploma in Engineering discipline (MMD) or a preceding engineering apprenticeship
• 5 GCSES grade 9-4 (A-C) including English and Maths

Please note that applicants who already hold a relevant degree will not be eligible for this programme.

Benefits

• Competitive salary of £24,000 per annum
• Performance-related pay uplifts
• Holiday entitlement of 201 hours a year (plus a company day and bank holidays)
• Contributory Company Pension
• 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)

For further information about our Future Talent recruitment process, including hints and tips, or to connect with a member of the Future Talent Team, a Graduate, or an Apprentice, please visit Thales Future Talent - Connectr.

Please note, assessment centres for shortlisted candidates will be held between February - May 2027. Induction week for all Graduate and Apprentices will take place from Monday 6 September - Friday 10 September 2027.

Closing date: Our applications will close at 11.59pm on Wednesday 17 February 2027, this is the only time we will be accepting applications this year. Please note, we will be in contact by the end of February 2027 with details of next steps.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ROLES MAY CLOSE EARLIER THAN THE ADVERTISED DEADLINE IF WE RECEIVE A HIGH NUMER OF APPLICATIONS. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO APPLY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO AVOID MISSING OUT ON THIS OPPORTUNITY.

Because of the work we do at Thales, all roles are subject to security 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 - .

Thales is an equal opportunities employer and diversity, and inclusion are integral to the success of Thales.

At Thales, we ensure equal opportunities, pay and working conditions for all. The benefits we offer include private medical insurance, buying or selling annual leave, cycle to work schemes, employee discounts, paid volunteering day, stocks and shares, annual bonus and much more depending on the role. Read more about our benefits here.