Apprenticeship applications are now open for our 2025 intake
Start your career with an employer who genuinely wants to invest in you and work with you to develop your potential.
- The starting salary is £16,750 per annum
- Level 3 Advanced apprenticeships are equivalent to 2 A-level passes
- You will be located at Aldermaston near Reading
- You must be a British Citizen to apply
- You need to be 16+ by the time you start next September 2025 (Some roles will require you to be 18+)
- Please only make one apprenticeship role application. We encourage you to take the time to reflect on which apprenticeship you feel matches your aspirations and motivations. When you make your application, you can indicate whether you would like to be considered for up to two alternative apprenticeships if the application for your original role is unsuccessful.
If you already hold an equivalent qualification to the Level 3 you are applying for, or a qualification that is similar then please email [email protected] to receive confirmation that you are eligible to apply.
Use our ‘Match Me‘ tool to find out which apprenticeship suits you best
Explore our Level 3 apprenticeships
Control and Instrumentation (C&I)
Control and Instrumentation (C&I) is one of the critical professions at AWE, playing a vital role in our mission to keep the nation safe and secure. As a C&I engineer, you will work on systems that measure and control various processes essential to our operations.
Put simply, C&I engineers develop and maintain systems that monitor and adjust different aspects of complex operations, such as the flow of water, or the temperature of a room, or the controlling and operating of our Orion LASER system. Your role will involve creating, simplifying, and automating these processes to ensure they function safely & seamlessly at the touch of a button.
Operations Apprentice
As an Operations Apprentice you will have a unique opportunity to work in a variety of placements around our business. You will spend the first few weeks of your apprenticeship in the AWE’s Skills Academy before moving out into placements within the operations environment.
Your learning will be both hands on making components and office based where you will gain an understanding of the processes and procedures we follow in order to remain compliant with site safety.
Project Controls
(Applications for Project Controls roles are now closed.)
As a Project Controls Apprentice your role will include supporting the four key areas of Project Controls – Cost Engineering, Planning, Estimating and, Risk. You will initially be based within the Skills Academy for induction, where you will develop your basic knowledge and people skills, before progressing on to the onsite aspect of your training. At this point you will start to develop and apply your core skills on placement in a live working environment.
Information Communication Technician
(Applications for Information Communication Technician roles are now closed.)
An Information Communication Technician Apprentice provides support to everyone in the company, helping them to be productive when using technology to do their own jobs, by using tools to problem solve and troubleshoot non-routine problems. ICT technicians configure and maintain the systems which provide the infrastructure services to the company when they need it, rectifying issues to ensure the organization’s productivity.
As part of your apprenticeship, you will move through several placements across the company from networking and cyber security to virtualisation and telecommunications.
HR
(Applications for HR roles are now closed.)
Human Resources (HR) is a function in AWE, that directly provides services and support to our Workforce, that enable people to carry out their jobs effectively and make the most of their time at AWE. On the HR Apprenticeship, you will gain skills and knowledge in several areas of the HR Function on a variety of placements. You can expect to be doing a variety of activities such as inputting data, liaising with employees and managers by phone & email, attending meetings, updating documents, research to solve business problems and supporting the case management team with administration duties.
Quality Inspector
(Applications for Quality Inspector roles are now closed.)
As a Quality apprentice you will initially be based within the onsite training facility, where you will develop your basic knowledge and core skills, before progressing on to the onsite aspect of your training.
You will learn how to interpret requirements directly from drawings, and inspect various mechanical and electrical components.
Electrical Maintenance
(Applications for Electrical Maintenance roles are now closed.)
The first part of your training will be spent in the award-winning skills academy, where you learn electrical theory, cabling and wiring infrastructure.
You will then go on to individually produce around 20 small projects, where you will be involved in designing, installing, repairing and maintaining electrical systems.
CAD Technician
(Applications for CAD Technician roles are now closed.)
A CAD Technician is involved in producing engineering designs and drawings for components, control & instrumentation systems, to name a few.
The first part of your training will be spent in the award-winning skills academy whilst also attending a local college.
You will then undertake focused professional placements across the business.
Mechanical Maintenance
(Applications for Mechanical Maintenance roles are now closed.)
The first part of your training will involve learning the basics of hand tools before moving onto the operations of machines such as pillar drills and lathes.
You will pick up a variety of skills including setting up rigs, maintenance and set up of basic pipe fittings, and making crank sets and frost coils. Other tasks will include disassembling and reassembling equipment such as vacuum pumps.
Mechatronic Maintenance
(Applications for Mechatronic Maintenance roles are now closed.)
This role includes servicing, repairing and installing various Mechanical, Electrical, Electronic, Hydraulic and Programmable Logic Control (PLC) systems, all of which are commonly used onsite to support the Machine Tools department and Trials & Test Technology Centre.
Lab Technician (Physics)
(Applications for Lab Technician (Physics) roles are now closed.)
Experimental Physics at AWE involves the study of unusual materials in extreme conditions.
You will spend the first few weeks of your apprenticeship in the AWE’s Skills Academy before moving out into placements within the business.
Placements range from working with high power lasers to diagnosing high explosives. During your placements you will undertake and complete various laboratory-based projects which will enable you to develop a complete set of skills and knowledge required to work successfully at AWE.
Qualifying criteria
AWE Apprenticeships | Criteria age (on joining) | Criteria qualification (on joining) |
---|---|---|
Electrical Maintenance | 16+ | Applications for Electrical Maintenance apprenticeship roles are now closed. 5 GCSE’s at grade 4/C or above to include Maths and English |
CAD Technician | 16+ | Applications for CAD Technician apprenticeship roles are now closed. 5 GCSE’s at grade 4/C or above to include Maths and English AND a 5/B in Science |
Mechanical Maintenance | 16+ | Applications for Mechanical Maintenance apprenticeship roles are now closed. 5 GCSE’s at grade 4/C or above to include Maths and English |
Mechatronic Maintenance | 16+ | Applications for Mechatronic Maintenance apprenticeship roles are now closed. 5 GCSE’s at grade 4/C or above to include Maths and English |
Quality Inspector | 16+ | Applications for Quality Inspector apprenticeship roles are now closed. 5 GCSE’s at grade 4/C or above to include Maths and English |
Control and Instrumentation – Maintenance | 16+ | 5 GCSE’s at grade 4/C or above to include Maths and English |
Laboratory Technician (Physics) | 18+ | Applications for Laboratory Technician (Physics) apprenticeship roles are now closed. 5 GCSE’s at grade 4/C or above to include Maths and English |
Information Communications Technician (ICT) | 18+ | Applications for ICT apprenticeship roles are now closed. 5 GCSE’s at grade 4/C or above to include Maths and English |
Project Controls | 18+ | Applications for Project Controls apprenticeship roles are now closed. 2 A Levels (preferred not mandatory)5 GCSE’s at grade 4/C or above to include Maths and English |
HR | 18+ | Applications for HR apprenticeship roles are now closed. 5 GCSE’s at grade 4/C or above to include Maths and English |
Operations | 18+ | 5 GCSE’s at grade 4/C or above including Maths and English (Science desirable) |
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