General Engineering Higher Apprenticeship 2027

MBDA UK; Stevenage; On-site; GBP 19,000 - 23,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully funded qualification starting 9/

Travel expenses covered

Annual pay reviews

Healthcare Cash Plan

25 days annual leave

Job summary

MBDA UK is offering a General Engineering Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship for 2027 in Stevenage, with Cambridge Regional College as the training location. You\'ll split time between college studies and hands-on mechanical engineering work at MBDA, gaining a funded qualification and industry experience.

The apprenticeship runs four years with rotational placements, study leave, travel expenses covered and regular pay reviews. Applicants must meet GCSE requirements and security clearance.

Qualifications

• GCSE requirements for Maths and English, plus additional GCSEs including a Science or Technology subject.
• Entry routes include A levels (96 UCAS Tariff), BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma, or T level with Merit.

Responsibilities

• Study onsite at Cambridge Regional College one day per week and spend remaining time in MBDA Mechanical Engineering roles.
• Participate in four-year rotational placements across engineering functions and pursue professional qualifications (IMechE, IET, RAeS).
• Receive travel reimbursements, study leave, and annual pay reviews.

Education

GCSE Maths 5

GCSE English 4

Additional 3 GCSEs incl Science/Technology

Job description

General Engineering Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship 2027

Salary: £21,000 plus a £3,000 joining bonus

Location: Stevenage Learning provider location: Cambridge Regional College, Cambridge Campus

Due to the need to attend your MBDA site and the training provider as required for your apprenticeship, applicants need to ensure their home or rental location is appropriate, travel arrangements are manageable and travel time is minimised as required for your role.

The qualification: You will complete an Engineering Manufacturing Technician (level 4) apprenticeship and study for an HNC in Engineering. Find out more details on the course here: https://www.camre.ac.uk/course/engineering-manufacturing-technician-level-4-apprenticeship-standard/CC4AS4EMT/

Security clearance: British Citizen or a Dual UK national with British citizenship. Restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work may apply. As a minimum and after offer stage, all successful candidates will need to undertake HMG Basic Personnel Security Standard checks (BPSS), which are managed by the MBDA Personnel Security Team.

This role is scheduled to close for applications at midnight on Friday 22nd January 2027 but may close earlier depending on application volumes.

What we can offer you:

• Fully funded qualification starting September 2027
• Paid travel expenses to and from your place of study
• Annual pay reviews
• Healthcare Cash Plan: provides support with everyday health related costs - including medical, dental, optical, physio and health & wellbeing
• 25 days annual leave (plus holiday purchase) and up to 15 days flexi leave
• Study leave during exam periods

Programme structure - your work at MBDA: You'll study onsite at Cambridge Regional College (Cambridge) 1 day per week. When not studying you'll be working in Mechanical Engineering (ME) and can expect to be onsite at MBDA for the remainder of the working week. As an Engineering Apprentice you will work in an open-plan working environment with state of the art testing and manufacturing facilities and laboratories aimed at aiding your learning and development. Our collaborative approach and culture of sharing knowledge will be key to your development. We trust each other to thrive; support one another to learn, and when you join us, you’ll bring a different perspective to how we see the future.

This is a fantastic opportunity for you to join an apprenticeship scheme that has developed winners of some of the most prestigious apprenticeship awards in the UK. You'll experience rotational placements over your 4 year scheme. This way of studying allows you to earn academic and nationally recognised qualifications as well as gain hands on learning experience within a professional and friendly workplace.

At college you'll be learning your basic skills with your remaining time spent on placements, typically lasting three to six months.

Placements within the business include:

• Mechanical Design
• Missile Design incl. Hardware-In-The-Loop
• Manufacturing Integration and Systems Validation
• Customer Support
• Environmental Engineering
• Quality Procurement
• Drawing Office

We will also help you to achieve Professional qualification through the IMechE, IET or RAeS.

What we’re looking for from you:

• GCSEs: GCSE Maths at Grade 5 minimum GCSE English Language at Grade 4 minimum An additional 3 GCSE's at Grade 4 minimum to include a Science or Technology subject
• After GCSEs: Following your GCSE's you must have completed one of the following qualification routes, equivalent to a minimum of 96 UCAS Tariff points:
  • A level: Three A levels with a minimum of 96 UCAS Tariff points, including A level Mathematics, with no individual grade below C.
  • BTEC: A single Level 3 Extended Diploma in Engineering at MMM or above, including a Distinction in Further Maths module.
  • T level: T Level in Engineering with a minimum Merit grade.
• We look at entry criteria based on your top three full A Levels or equivalent qualifications (BTEC/T Level). We do not include UCAS points gained from an Extended Project Qualification.
• Additionally, as an employer we set our own entry criteria based on the requirements of this role. This means that the criteria above may differ from the university.

Our company:

Peace is not a given, Freedom is not a given, Sovereignty is not a given MBDA is a leading defence organisation. We are proud of the role we play in supporting the Armed Forces who protect our nations. We partner with governments to work together towards a common goal, defending our freedom. We are proud of our employee-led networks, examples include: Gender Equality, Pride, Menopause Matters, Parents and Carers, Armed Forces, Ethnic Diversity, Neurodiversity, Disability and more We recognise that everyone is unique, and we encourage you to speak to us should you require any advice, support or adjustments throughout our recruitment process.

Follow us on LinkedIn (MBDA), X (@MBDA_UK), Instagram (MBDA_UK) and Glassdoor or visit our MBDA Careers website for more information

What we do matters. Because defence matters.

As a leading company in the defence industry we support our nations by delivering essential military capabilities, both for today and the future. We are proud to be an award‑winning employer and are proud of the growing diversity of our workforce. Our people are the ones who drive our constant innovation and deliver against challenging targets. Whatever your background, we welcome your application to MBDA UK and look forward to speaking with you soon.