What you'll learn

Course contents include:

• Review instructions or information to understand the task.
• Plan tasks.
• Identify and organise resources with consideration for safety, environmental impact, quality, and cost.
• Identify hazards and risks in the workplace and personal safety and mitigation measures.
• Apply health, safety, and environmental procedures in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidance.
• Follow environment emergency procedures. For example, make area safe, evacuate.
• Apply sustainability principles for example, minimising waste.
• Apply standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Check equipment.
• Select, check, and prepare raw materials for process for example, weighing, measuring, control and blending, conditioning, dissolving, and sanitisation.
• Set and adjust processing parameters such as temperature, pressure, speed or time, distance.
• Monitor process for example, take readings and conduct walk-arounds.
• Conduct the control of product streams to maintain specifics.
• Apply quality assurance procedures. For example, density checks, contaminant check, and take samples for laboratory testing.
• Apply intermediate or post-manufacturing procedure for example, labelling, packing, storage, visual inspection, discharge.
• Manage waste streams.
• Clean equipment for example, boil-outs, steam-outs, bake-outs, steam in place SIP, clean in place (CIP).
• Conduct calculations for example, conversations, tare weight, charge weights, yield calculations.
• Store tools and equipment.
• Identify equipment for handover.
• Apply signage and access restriction measures.
• Shut down the process and equipment.
• Isolate process and systems.
• Complete isolation checks.
• Empty equipment for example, drain, purge, vent, and de-pressure.
• Purge, fill, pressurise and leak test.
• Complete post maintenance equipment checks.
• Line-up equipment.
• Connect service connections such as water, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic for chemical or petrochemical processing.
• De-isolate process, mechanical and electrical systems.
• Complete pre-start up checks.
• Start-up plant and equipment.
• Re-start process.
• Record or enter information - paper based or electronic.
• Interpret data for example, process data, quality control and test procedure data.
• Interpret drawings and graphs.
• Identify issues for example, defects, deviations, process variance, and maintenance requirements.
• Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
• Apply problem solving and fault-finding techniques.
• Apply continuous improvement techniques.
• Make a suggestion for improvement.
• Use information and digital technology for example, management information systems, human machine interfaces, word processing, spreadsheet, email, virtual learning platforms, document sharing platforms.
• Comply with cyber security requirements.
• Produce written documents for example, handover notes or emails, non-conformances, design change requests.
• Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
• Apply team working principles.
• Plan how to meet personal development needs.
• Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development (CPD) activities.

Training schedule

The Apprenticeship duration is 36 months followed by the End Point Assessment.

More training information
Due to the security requirements associated with this apprenticeship, applicants must be British Nationals and be aged 18 or over by 31st August 2027. Please note that the training provider for this apprenticeship will be an external organisation and is yet to be confirmed. We will share details once they are finalised. Training may be delivered through either day release or block release, depending on the provider and apprenticeship programme.

Requirements

Essential qualifications
GCSE in: 5 GCSEs inc English and Maths (grade 4/C or above)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Communication skills
• IT skills
• Attention to detail
• Organisation skills
• Problem solving skills
• Administrative skills
• Analytical skills
• Team working
• Health and Safety
• Time Management

Other requirements

• 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.
• These roles are governed by Health and Safety at Work Regulations and require all candidates to have an Occupational Health pre-employment medical held at AWE which follows the initial selection process.
• All candidates must be willing and able to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role and be willing and able to work in designated areas.
• 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. If you choose to share information on your application form about support needs, learning differences, disabilities, health conditions or adjustments, we may contact you to understand how we can support you through the recruitment process. This information will only be used for this purpose and will be handled in line with GDPR.
• Due to the security requirements associated with this apprenticeship, applicants must be British Nationals and be aged 18 or over by 31 August 2027.

About this employer

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 counter-terrorism 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