Level 6 Electrical Engineering (Facilities & Equipment) Degree Apprentice

Atomic Weapons Establishment; Aldermaston; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 26,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Holiday entitlement 270 hours

Every other Friday off

Employee discounts

Job summary

Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) is offering a Level 6 Electrical Engineering (Facilities & Equipment) Degree Apprenticeship. You will learn how to maintain electrical systems that support critical facilities and equipment, working on power supplies, lighting, alarms and safety interlocks with experienced engineers on site.

The 48-month programme emphasises practical skills, asset lifecycle management and reliability improvements in a highly regulated environment, with strong safety and

Qualifications

• Interest in electrical engineering and how systems work
• Ability to think logically and work through information step by step
• Confidence using maths to understand and solve problems

Responsibilities

• Maintain electrical systems to keep facilities safe and compliant
• Work with experienced engineers on electrical infrastructure
• Learn asset lifecycle management, fault investigation and safety practices

Skills

Electrical interest

Logical thinking

Maths aptitude

Attention to detail

Team collaboration

Education

UCAS points

T level

BTEC Engineering

Tools

Engineering drawings

Job description

Level 6 Electrical Engineering (Facilities & Equipment) Degree Apprentice

About AWE

We’re a team of remarkable people, united by one extraordinary mission: keeping the UK safe and secure. The UK’s independent nuclear deterrent has existed for 75 years to deter the most extreme threats to our national security and way of life, helping to guarantee our safety, and that of our NATO allies. Our work is critical. We’re delivering Astraea, the next warhead for the UK’s nuclear deterrent and pushing the boundaries of nuclear science and technology. But that’s just part of the story. We support the UK government in a range of vital areas – from counterterrorism to global nuclear test monitoring to building a world-class community of experts in nuclear science. This is work that protects lives and strengthens national security. At AWE, you’ll find more than just a job. You’ll find purpose, growth, and a community like no other. Whether you're just starting out or looking to take your career to the next level, this is your chance to learn from the best, develop your skills, and be part of something truly unique. Be extraordinary at AWE.

About the apprenticeship

As an Electrical Engineering (Facilities & Equipment) Degree Apprentice, you will learn how to help look after the electrical systems that keep AWE’s important facilities and equipment running safely and reliably. This is not a traditional engineering role. Instead, you will focus on keeping existing electrical equipment and systems working well, improving them where needed, and making sure they meet safety and compliance requirements. You will work with experienced engineers who maintain and improve electrical infrastructure across AWE. This could include power supplies, lighting, alarms, monitoring systems and other equipment that supports our work. You will learn how engineers make sure electrical systems are safe, reliable, ready to use and fit for the future. You will also see how engineering decisions are made in a highly regulated environment, where safety, quality and following the right processes are extremely important.

During the programme, you will build practical experience in areas such as:

• Electrical engineering
• Asset lifecycle management
• Reliability improvement
• Fault investigation
• Engineering change
• Electrical safety
• Plant performance monitoring
• Regulatory compliance
• Electrical Cable Calculations

As an Electrical Engineer (Facilities & Equipment) at AWE, you may work with equipment and systems such as:

• HV and LV switchgear and distribution.
• Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS)
• Emergency lighting systems
• Lightning Protection systems
• Pumps, fans and drives including HVAC and Variable Speed Drives (VSDs)
• Alarm, monitoring and safety interlock systems
• Nuclear safety support systems and building management systems.

Opportunities when you complete your apprenticeship

After successfully completing your apprenticeship, you could continue developing your career as an Electrical Engineer (Facilities & Equipment). As you gain more experience, you may have opportunities to move into more senior technical or leadership roles, such as:

• Senior Asset Engineer
• Electrical Senior Electrical Design Engineer
• Senior Asset Engineer
• Reliability Apprenticeship Standard ST0024

About you

Technical potential

• An interest in electrical engineering and how electrical systems work
• The ability to think logically and work through information step by step
• Confidence using maths to understand and solve problems
• A structured approach to solving problems
• Curiosity about how large engineering systems are installed, maintained and improved
• Working with engineering drawings and associated software

Personal behaviours

• Being willing to ask questions when something is unclear
• Care and attention to detail
• Being honest, responsible and professional in the way you work
• Working well with other people and contributing to a team
• Staying positive and continuing to learn when things are challenging
• Learning agility
• Communicating clearly with different people, including engineers, technicians and other apprentices

Values and mindset

• Taking safety seriously in everything you do
• Taking responsibility for your work and following through on commitments
• An interest in working in an environment where safety, quality and processes matter
• Being comfortable following clear instructions and controlled processes
• Curiosity and a willingness to keep learning and improving

These qualities are important because this role involves working safely, learning from others and making careful decisions in a technical environment.

This role may appeal to you if you enjoy:

• Finding out how electrical systems work and what happens when they do not work as expected
• Solving practical and technical problems
• Investigating why equipment has failed and how it can be fixed or improved
• Working with technology, tools and data to understand how systems are performing
• Looking for ways to make systems safer, more reliable and ready for the future
• Improving how well equipment and systems work over time
• Learning how large engineering facilities are run and maintained
• Working as part of a team with engineers, technicians and other specialists
• Using technical data to make decisions
• Using information and data to help make good engineering decisions

Entry Requirements

• 112-120 UCAS points from one of the following: 3 A levels at least BCC including at least 1 of the following subjects: Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Statistics
• T level – Merit, Engineering and Manufacturing
• BTEC - DMM Engineering GCSE Maths, English and Science at Grade 4/C or above

Due to the security requirements associated with this apprenticeship, applicants must be British Nationals and be aged 18 or over by 31 August 2027.

Benefits

A starting salary of £24,500 yearly, increasing to £26,000 in Year 2, with further annual salary increases throughout your apprenticeship, subject to satisfactory performance and achievement of apprenticeship milestones.

• Market leading contributory pension scheme
• Generous paid holiday entitlement of 270 hours per year, inclusive of Bank Holidays, plus every other Friday off as part of AWE’s flexible working pattern.
• Access to employee discounts portal — everyday savings on retail, hospitality and leisure
• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services

Location

Reading area: AWE Aldermaston and/or AWE Burghfield sites, depending on apprenticeship pathway, placements and business needs.

Due to the nature of our work and security requirements, you should expect to work on-site during your apprenticeship and in your role after you complete it. Being on-site means you can learn directly from experienced technical specialists, access hands-on support and build valuable connections across the business.

Start Date: 1st September 2027

Annual leave will not be granted from 1st September until 1st October due to mandatory inductions you are required to complete as part of your apprenticeship. Any leave approved after this point will depend on the training provider requirements for your apprenticeship and must be agreed in advance.

Apprenticeship Duration: 48 months including End Point Assessment

Important things you need to know

You will need to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. This will be funded by AWE.

The nature of our work does mean you need to be a British Citizen who has been resident in the UK for the past 5 years in order to apply for SC clearance and 10 years for DV. Please note that you must be a British Citizen to apply for a role with us. Before applying to any of our Apprentice roles, it is important that you know that you are eligible.

If you need to check then please:

Click here for Level 3 roles

Click here for Level 4 and 5 roles

Click here for Level 6 Degree roles

Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants.

Any inclusion information you provide will be stored in accordance with GDPR and kept separate from your application form and CV, and the information will not be shared with anyone involved in interviewing or making hiring decisions.

Next steps

Next steps: Everyone who works at AWE brings unique skills and perspectives to the table. We recognise that great people don’t always ‘tick every box’. That’s why we focus on your potential, your fit with our values, your transferable skills as well as your experience. Even if you don’t meet every point above, but you feel that this role and AWE are a great fit for you, please go ahead and apply, we’d love to receive your application.

We are at the start of a once in a generation – possibly two generations – programme to design and produce a replacement warhead for the UK’s continuous at sea deterrent. We will do this while continuing to deliver the Trident programme as well as managing ambitious state-of-the-art capital and construction projects – some of which have never been done before.

We are recruiting right across the business: from technical roles in engineering, science, manufacturing and industrial work to business roles in areas such as IT, project management/ controls, commercial, human resources and facilities management. We also have our Evolve graduate programme, or you may be interested in an apprenticeship with our award-winning Skills Academy. What we do is vital to national nuclear security. Keeping our nation, everyone, our environment and everything around us safe and secure is a top priority for us. So, as you would expect, that brings with it a high level of safety and security that you will see across our sites and in how everyone who works here operates. We are always looking for high calibre people to join our team, so why not explore the opportunities we currently have on offer. Whatever stage of your career, AWE is an exciting and challenging environment to develop your skills and achieve your potential.