UK Ministry of Defence
DIO Civil Engineering Degree Apprenticeship Scheme
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Wallingford: RAF Benson, Bicester: St Georges Barracks
Job Summary
Do you want to work for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and play a key role in keeping our country safe through caring for the Defence estate and those that depend on it? DIO is the estate expert for Defence, supporting the armed forces to enable military capability by planning, building, maintaining, and servicing infrastructure.
We employ approximately 4,900 staff from a very diverse range of professions including head office functions and specialisms such as Surveyors, Town Planners, Airfield Pavement Experts, Foresters and Construction Engineers. We work across the world, in Germany, Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, Norway, Poland, Kenya, Belize, Nepal and Oman.
This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.
Job Description
The DIO Apprenticeship Academy offers a wide range of apprenticeships that combine practical work and training to gain valuable experience. Through our apprenticeships you will gain professional knowledge, a recognised qualification and the wider skills required to upskill you and pave the way for your future career.
Civil Engineering Degree Apprenticeship
Civil Engineers are highly trained professionals responsible for designing, building and maintaining infrastructure including; roads, bridges, railways, buildings, runways, water systems and other vital structures. Civil Engineers use technical knowledge, creative problem solving and project management skills to ensure this infrastructure is safe, sustainable, efficient and built to last. You will work closely with Senior Civil Engineers, Architects, Project Managers, Facilities Managers, Contractors and other Stakeholders across Defence to turn concepts into reality.
For this Apprenticeship we have partnered with The University of Warwick (UoW). This BEng Civil and Infrastructure Engineering Degree Apprenticeship is taught over five years through on-campus face-to-face teaching and virtual learning experiences, with teaching and assessment having blended and integrated work-based learning throughout.
Whilst parts of the degree programme are studied during on-the-job activities, the majority of the teaching will take place during seven, one-week residential blocks, delivered by UoW’s academic staff with collaborative teaching support from colleagues in DIO.
The aim is to develop Civil Engineers who are able to provide technical and management input to realise design solutions for complex engineering problems in the Defence estate.
On this 5 year Civil Engineering Degree Apprenticeship scheme, you’ll be immersed in the DIO from day one. Fast paced and rewarding, this Apprenticeship will allow you to make your mark on a global organisation, while building connections with talented people across our business.
Upon successful completion, you will have fully satisfied the requirements for registration as an Incorporated Engineer by the relevant professional engineering institution and gain an accredited BEng Civil and Infrastructure Engineering degree.
This Apprenticeship will start with UoW in December 2026.
From the beginning, you’ll be given a mentor to provide useful tips and guidance on your work and career whenever you need it. You will also be given a full induction on how the DIO functions as a business, become an integral part of our Apprenticeship Academy, and of course, discover how your role plays a crucial part in driving a culture and community of advancement and continuous improvement.
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We will link you up with other Apprentices who you can meet and connect with, give you the opportunity to participate in apprenticeship events and get involved with our many networks such as Race, Gender, LBGT+, Faith and Mental Health to really give you that all-round feeling of the culture in our business.
Person specification
During Your Time In The Apprenticeship Academy, You Will:
- Work towards an accredited BEng (Hons) in Civil and Infrastructure Engineering via UoW
- Be supported by your DIO Line Manager, dedicated Apprenticeship Scheme Manager as well as your UoW Tutors
- Receive the necessary off the job training required for the Apprenticeship through on-site learning at UoW and continuous professional development opportunities within DIO
- Potential opportunity to visit overseas DIO estates
- Infrastructure Facilities Management: Involvement in processes and procedures for the effective management of overseas infrastructure portfolio.
- Project Management: support the project management processes from conception, to design, to delivery and handover.
- Design assurance and compliance: support to established procedures for assurance of designs and compliance of works against legal and MoD requirements, including sustainability.
- Gain real world experience with external contractors/consultants
During your Apprenticeship, we’ll support your technical development through a range of on-the-job experiences, putting what you’re learning in the classroom into practice in your day job. We’ll also support your professional development through a combination of training courses, mentoring and networking opportunities. You will receive one-to-one support throughout your Apprenticeship from your Scheme Manager and Line Manager in DIO, as well as your Tutor and Coaches from the training provider.
Please note that students are required to be 18 years or over at the start of their Apprenticeship.
Please be aware that you are required to hold the qualifications stated as required and that unless otherwise stated in the advert a higher-level qualification cannot be accepted in lieu of the lower (E.G. and English Language A Level cannot replace the GCSE if the GCSE is not at the required grade).
Please see the guide for acceptable equivalents – What qualification levels mean: England, Wales and Northern Ireland - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-level) and (https://scqf.org.uk/media/e5pjypw4/qccb-web-oct-2019.pdf) for Scotland.
Evidence of the above qualifications will be required as part of your pre-employment checks before a formal offer can be made.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. There may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all DCS candidates that meet the minimum criteria for the job. For example, in certain recruitment situations such as a high volume of applications, seasonal demand, or peak periods, the employer may wish to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both DCS and non-DCS applicants.
Qualifications
You must have, or will achieve by December 2026, the following Qualifications/Essential Criteria:
- GCSE Maths and English at grades A* - C or 4 - 9 (or equivalent).
- and;
- Three A-Levels at AAA, to include Mathematics and Physics
- or;
- BTEC Diploma grade DD in Engineering, with an A grade in A level Mathematics
- or;
- BTEC Extended Diploma grade DDD in Engineering including the two Mathematics units, 'Calculus to Solve Engineering Problems' and 'Further Engineering Mathematics’.
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Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Leadership
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
Managing a Quality Service
Alongside your salary of £29,580, Ministry of Defence contributes £8,569 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- 25 days Annual Leave, rising to a maximum of 30 days
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
- An opportunity to be considered for Reward and Recognition - £250-£5000 per year
Discover My Benefits
Please follow the link to visit the Discover My Benefits site which showcases the benefits and discounts offered when working as a civilian for the MOD.
https://discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk/civilian/
The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.
Hybrid Working
Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estates capacity. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another MOD workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). DBS cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.
The post does not offer relocation expenses.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and
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