Craft Apprenticeship - Air Tool Maintenance

Prestwick Aerosystems; Broughton; On-site; GBP 16,000 - 22,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary £19,185

35 hours per week

Half day Fridays

25 days holiday

Pension

Success share

Flexible benefits

Job summary

Airbus is seeking a Craft Air Tool Maintenance Apprentice for a 36‑month programme at the Broughton site in the United Kingdom. The role includes hands-on maintenance work on air tools, a structured college pathway, and progression to a fully qualified ATM Operator on successful completion.

You will study at Coleg Cambria and progress through Year 1 to Year 3, earning relevant engineering qualifications while gaining practical experience with aircraft tooling and PLCs.

Qualifications

• GCSEs required: Maths (B/6) and English (C/4); Science equivalent acceptable.
• Additional GCSEs: two more at grade C/4 or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Apprenticeship with hands-on maintenance work on air tools.
• Attend college-side training and complete NVQ/BTEC qualifications.
• Progress through year-by-year training toward qualified ATM Operator role.

Job description

Job Description: Start date: September 2027 Location: Broughton Duration: 36 months

Application: We love your interest in joining Airbus! There is no limit on the number of positions you can apply for, however, please be aware that you can only progress in the selection process for one position at a time. We recommend reviewing all available opportunities and applying to those that best match your experience and aspirations.

Benefits

• Salary: A competitive starting salary of £19,185
• 35 hours per week (on either a standard working day or a double-day shift pattern, providing flexibility.)
• Half day Fridays!*
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Pension
• Success share
• Plus many more flexible benefits!

About us

Ready to build the wings that lift the world? Join Airbus as a Craft Air Tool Maintenance Apprentice in Airbus Broughton and play a vital role in manufacturing wings for our A320, A330, and A350 aircraft families. This 36-month program offers valuable hands‑on training, recognised qualifications, and a clear path to a rewarding career in aviation.

At Airbus, we believe a diverse workforce drives innovation. We’re committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to thrive.

Airbus is a global pioneer in the aerospace industry, leading the way in designing, manufacturing, and delivering aerospace products across Commercial Aircraft, Helicopters, Defence, and Space sectors.

As the global centre of excellence for wing manufacturing, our Broughton site delivers over 500 wing sets annually.

Our apprenticeship programmes are carefully designed to give you valuable practical training alongside your academic studies, setting you up for success and helping your career truly fly.

With over 17,5000 employees worldwide and as the largest aeronautics and space company in Europe, Airbus is at the forefront of the aviation industry.

During your apprenticeship you will work alongside our experienced engineers and quality team to support you to complete the work safely and efficiently.

What you will be doing

As a Craft Air Tool Maintenance (ATM) Apprentice, you’ll immerse yourself in hands‑on technical experience in the workplace while completing your academic studies. This programme is designed to equip you with valuable qualifications and competencies to work directly on live aircraft. You’ll also benefit from our Gen A support network and learning HUB, providing additional support, events, and opportunities for all early career participants.

Year One

You will spend the first 12 months of your apprenticeship based at Coleg Cambria, Deeside, working towards obtaining:

• NVQ Level 2 diploma in Performing Engineering Operations
• Advanced Manufacturing Engineering BTEC or
• City and Guild in Aircraft engineering Level 2 Essential Skills
• This will allow you to develop the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to enable you to make an immediate contribution when you enter the workforce in the second year.

Year 2 and 3

Building on your foundational knowledge, you’ll join our expert team of multi‑skilled Air Tool Maintenance Operators, supporting the production and testing of air tools, and apply your skills directly to live projects. The tasks will be complex, offering different challenges and require you to use different skills in order to complete them successfully. This will include Carrying out routine Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) and reactive breakdown repairs on all advanced drilling equipment within the Airbus Broughton plant.

• Machine specific training may be given along with the potential for development onto either an electrical or mechanical pathway if the candidate is suitable.
• Through your training you will have the ability to demonstrate effective troubleshooting on all advanced drilling equipment, whilst day to day fault diagnosing within a highly competent team.
• You will maintain technical specialist equipment, such as programmable logic controllers (PLC) and computerized systems.

Additionally you will also attend college on day release, working towards gaining:

• Level 3 NVQ Extended Diploma (Engineering Maintenance)
• BTEC Level 3 Award

Upon successful completion of your 36-month apprenticeship, you’ll become a skilled ATM Operator working within the Air Tool Maintenance team supporting our world‑class Airbus aircraft. You’ll receive a Modern Apprenticeship Certificate, setting you up for a fantastic career!

Requirements

• Achieve a minimum of five GCSEs which must include: Grade B or 6 in Maths (GCSE certificate only)
• Grade C or 4 in English Language (GCSE certificate only)
• Grade CC or 44 in Double Award Science OR Grade C/4 in Single award in Physics.
• Plus 2 other GCSEs at grade C or 4 (other qualifications that are equivalent or higher may be considered as an alternative to the additional 2 GCSE’s)

Important Information

GRADES: Any offer will be conditional upon us receiving evidence of your required grades by August 31, 2027, in addition to completing all pre‑employment checks and online forms.

SECURITY CLEARANCE: You will be subject to a BPSS (Baseline Personnel Security Standard) check. You may also need to gain UK SC‑level Security Clearance or Export Control, depending on the role.

RIGHT TO WORK IN THE UK: Candidates must have current legal authorisation to work in the United Kingdom. For more information, please check the Government Website. Our apprenticeship roles do not meet the minimum requirements set by UK Visas & Immigration to enable sponsorship of migrant workers.

AI Guidance: We know you might be thinking about using AI to help you in your application - before you do, please read our guidelines on the use of AI for recruitment at Airbus http://airbus.com/en/careers/use-of-ai.

Contact: Please let us know if you need us to make any adjustments to allow you to access and participate fully in the recruitment process. If you wish to discuss this further please contact via email [e-mail]. Any information disclosed will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Airbus Operations Limited Employment Type: Apprenticeship

Experience Level: Entry Level Job Family: By submitting your CV or application you are consenting to Airbus using and storing information about you for monitoring purposes relating to your application or future employment. This information will only be used by Airbus.

Airbus is committed to achieving workforce diversity and creating an inclusive working environment. We welcome all applications irrespective of social and cultural background, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation or religious belief. Airbus is, and always has been, committed to equal opportunities for all.

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