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2027 Mechanical Engineering Apprentice - Templecombe
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2027 Mechanical Engineering Apprentice - Templecombe
THALES UK LIMITED
Templecombe (BA8 0DH)
Closes on Wednesday 17 February 2027
Posted on 5 October 2026
Summary
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 whilst shaping the role around your strengths and career interests.
Wage: £24,000 a year
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Yearly performance, related pay uplifts
Training course: Electro-mechanical engineer (level 6)
Hours: Monday - Thursday, 8 hours per day. Friday, 5 hours. Exact timings to be confirmed. 37 hours a week
Start date: Monday 6 September 2027
Duration: 5 years
Positions available: 1
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
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
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
- 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
Where you'll work
Ocean House
Throop Road
Templecombe
BA8 0DH
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider: UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM, THE
Training course: Electro-mechanical engineer (level 6)
What you'll learn
- Communicate technical information with others at all levels, including technical reports and the use of digital tools.
- Follow a methodical approach to engineering problem solving.
- Establish and report engineering design briefs.
- Produce mechanical and electrical designs / drawings / sketches using Computer Aided Design (CAD) and manual systems.
- Model real-world mechanical systems efficiently.
- Select the design solution for a given electro-mechanical engineering application and environment using data to inform their decisions.
- Integrate electrical and mechanical engineering systems, considering new and emerging technologies.
- Use appropriate equipment to develop and execute test plans to support electro-mechanical product validation and approval.
- Design functional electronic systems and circuits from component level.
- Write and document structured programming code for electro-mechanical systems.
- Fabricate engineering components and assemblies using specialist manufacturing methods and hand fitting techniques.
- Assemble, wire, program and test electrical equipment, motors and control systems.
- Plan, manage and lead engineering projects.
- Perform risk management for engineering activities.
- Comply with statutory and organisational safety requirements.
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Training schedule
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
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.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
- GCSE in: 5 GCSEs Including English and Maths (grade 9-4 (A-C))
- A Level in: 3 subjects including maths (grade BBB)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving skills
- Number skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
Other 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.
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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: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels.
About this employer
Together, we create the ingenious technological systems and innovations that impact and improve people's lives every single day. Even if you haven't heard the name Thales before, you've definitely benefited from our inventiveness. We reinvest 20% of our sales in Research & Development in the UK. Together we supply invention across 4 core areas: Aerospace, Space, Defence and Security, Digital Identity and Security.
https://careers.thalesgroup.com/global/en/united-kingdom-apprenticeship (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
- 201 hours annual leave (plus a company day and bank holidays)
- Company Pension
- Health Care Cash Plan
- Life Insurance
- Discount Portal
- Performance-related pay uplifts
- 80 Hours Volunteering (first two years)
- Disability Confident
A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions. You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
Upon completion of the programme, you will have achieved a BSc in Electro-mechanical Engineering, a Level 6-degree apprenticeship qualification and will move into a permanent role within the business. The degree is accredited by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
THALES UK LIMITED
Thales Future Talent Team
futuretalent@uk.thalesgroup.com
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000057266.
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