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Technician Scientist Apprenticeship
Applications are now closed.
Your mission
This work is vital in assuring our mission to deliver the warhead is accomplished whilst keeping our people and environment safe.
We offer team building challenges, organisational awareness presentations, health and safety workshops and charity projects.
At the end of your apprenticeship, you’ll be a laboratory technician in either Warhead and Deterrence Materials Science or Warhead Engineering undertaking a variety of lab techniques and processes.
THE QUALIFICATIONS YOU’LL NEED
Five GCSE’s at grade 4/C or above, which must include Maths, English
3 A levels Grade C or above, including A level Chemistry and another Science or Maths A level.
Applicants must be aged 18 or over, as of 31st August 2026, due to security clearance requirements.
You’ll need to be a British Citizen for security clearance.
WORK PATTERN
Your primary place of work will be one of AWE’s sites, depending on the apprenticeship programme you apply for. Details of the expected work location will be provided within the individual vacancy information.
Your apprenticeship will include off-the-job training as required by the apprenticeship standard. The format and frequency of training will vary depending on the programme and training provider.
At AWE, we operate on a nine-day fortnight – meaning you get every other Friday off work in addition to 270 hours of annual leave.
SKILLS TO DEMONSTRATE
• Attention to detail
• Communication skills
• Excellent teamworking
• The ability to follow instructions
• Awareness of health and safety
Your journey
After an initial induction, you’ll join one of our teams based in our laboratories across the AWE Aldermaston and Burghfield sites.
You will be assigned to either:
- Warhead Engineering sub-function which is responsible for product design and prototyping, engineering analysis, systems integration, validation and verification, and is home to a variety of engineers including electronic, mechanical, systems, materials and chemical engineers or;
- Warhead and Deterrence Materials Science sub-function responsible for the research, testing and analysis of many different materials ranging from warhead components to environmental samples
You’ll gain your qualification in Chemistry through a training provider, in combination with targeted placements at AWE to gather evidence against the Level 5 standard.
Your End Point Assessment will be carried out by an independent approved assessor. They’ll review the evidence collected from your placements plus assess a presentation and conduct an interview.
Think you’ve got what it takes?
If you’re someone who enjoys both practical lab work and supporting office-based activities, thrives on solving problems, and has a genuine interest in science and engineering, this apprenticeship could be your next step.
With strong communication skills and a passion for learning, you’ll join a collaborative team working on our mission.
