DE&S has been running advanced engineering apprenticeships at Abbey Wood, Bristol since 2004. Technician apprentices are recruited into the scheme annually, with applications invited at the beginning of each year. Responding to high level business needs, the scheme prepares Project Engineers for future employment at Band D level within DE&S operating centres. The aim is to provide “Intelligent Deciders” not deep specialists or craftsmen. The organisation requires apprentices to ensure that engineering skills are grown to support the future needs of the business. The current recruitment target is for 56 apprentices per annum, primarily to support future needs at the Abbey Wood site. This intake is expected to consist of 13 apprentices at Devonport and 43 at Abbey Wood.
In 2009 the scheme was extended to include Devonport in Plymouth with management of this and the existing apprenticeship scheme in Rosyth transferring to Abbey Wood. It is planned that operation of the scheme will focus on the Abbey Wood and Devonport locations for the 2010 intake and beyond. Although apprentices will be based at Abbey Wood and Devonport the majority will be expected to be employed into Abbey Wood roles on completion. However, there is also expected to be a demand for completing apprentices from Devonport, Waddington, Yeovil and Clyde. Where appropriate, this demand will be met by completing apprentices from Abbey Wood and Devonport. Some apprentices are likely to complete training placements at these locations during their second and third years. This website contains further information about the schemes and the opportunities available to suitable candidates.
Abbey Wood
Apprentices will be based at the DE&S HQ at Abbey Wood in Filton, Bristol. There will be a requirement for them to complete at least one placement of around five months at another UK location during their second and third years. Abbey Wood apprentices will be involved in various projects covering the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force equipments. Abbey Wood apprentices are expected to complete a Mechatronics National Certificate in year 1 and will then have an opportunity to complete either an Electronic, Mechatronic or Mechanical Engineering Higher National Certificate.
Devonport
Apprentices will be based at HM Naval Base Devonport in Plymouth although there will be a requirement for them to complete at least one placement of around five months at Abbey Wood during their second and third years. Devonport apprentices will primarily be involved in maritime projects including naval ship and submarine overhaul and repair activities. Devonport apprentices are expected to complete a Marine Engineering HNC. Devonport includes a requirement to train one or two apprentices a year in preparation for a role in the Salvage and Marine Operations organisation. Apprentices for this role will be selected in year 1 from volunteers within the Devonport intake.
Earn while you learn
Current salaries for DE&S technician apprentices are:
Year 1 – approx £13,375 per annum
Year 2 – approx £14,330 per annum
Year 3 – approx £17,196 per annum
On completion you could currently expect to be earning approx £23,000 per annum
Progression to the next year’s pay rate is subject to satisfactory completion of the current year’s training requirement.
The Apprenticeship
The advanced and modern apprenticeship is based on the SEMTA engineering framework. In addition to the formal qualifications required by the framework and MOD policy it also offers a direct path to the Engineering Technician (EngTech) professional qualification with the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) and/or the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).
Further information is provided below:
We currently are expecting to offer five types of specialisation for your apprenticeship:
- Electronic (Abbey Wood) – focuses on electronic engineering, looking at equipments such as radar, communications etc.
- Mechanical (Abbey Wood) – mechanical engineering qualifications with experience of defence platform gearboxes, power trains etc.
- Mechatronic (Abbey Wood) – covers elements of both the Electronic and Mechanical specialisations.
- Marine Engineering (Devonport) – Marine Engineering qualifications coupled with on the job training on primarily Naval ship and submarine projects.
- Salvage and Marine Operations (Devonport) – A more hands-on role that may include roles such as completing underwater welding to operating and maintaining a specialist piece of salvage equipment.
The apprenticeship consists of three phases that are scheduled to last one year.
Phase 1 is full time at a local College. You will spend three days a week completing workshop-based learning for the Performing Engineering Operations (PEO) NVQ level 2. PEO units will be tailored to each of the four specialisations. The remaining two days per week will be spent studying towards the relevant National Certificate in Engineering, Mechatronics in Abbey wood, Marine Engineering in Devonport.
During college holidays apprentices will either be given annual leave or provided with additional development opportunities such as visits to work-related activities such as dockyards, airfields, other military bases or other similar activities.
Also as part of Phase 1 training you will be offered the opportunity to attend a week of outdoor personal development type activities, such as abseiling, mountain biking etc.
Phases 2 and 3 are spent predominantly on work-based placements, where you will be pursuing opportunities to develop evidence for your NVQ Level 3 in Technical Support (Engineering Maintenance for SALMO). Academic study towards your specialisation focused HNC is expected to be completed as Block Release at the local College.
Also during Phases 2 and 3 you will be required to successfully complete Key Skills Level 3 in all six areas.
During Phase 2 and / or Phase 3 you will be expected to complete a community project. The current intention is for these projects to be linked to stimulating interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths in schools.
Phase 3 requires you to complete a work-related project as part of your HNC. We will provide you with support should you wish to take the opportunity to physically make a working sample or product as part of this unit.
All Phases – throughout your apprenticeship you will be encouraged to take part in suitable personal development opportunities. These may take the form of service provided outdoor activities for leadership training or civil service sporting competitions. We encourage (and pay for) membership in the Civil Service Sports Club which provides sporting activities to suit all personal tastes, from 10-pin bowling to cross country running.
The jobs you are training for
On completion
The apprenticeship is designed to prepare you for a role where you will be expected to be an engineering manager for a defined area of the business. This is usually as the principle MOD point of contact for a specific defence equipment or system during its development, or while it is in-service. You could be responsible for anything from a water treatment unit on the battlefield to an electronic control system on a fast jet. In this type of role you will be required to undertake the following types of activity:
- manage equipment/system modifications and updates required to meet users needs and legislative requirements
- provide advice and support to military users
- liaise with other MOD personnel, contractors and military users specify tasks for contractors
- review and analyse technical reports
- control configuration of technical information
DE&S is based at Abbey Wood in Bristol but most roles provide the opportunity to travel in the UK, with some requiring overseas visits. You could be in the office in Bristol on Monday reviewing the latest standard for diesel engines and in the engine room of a Type 45 Destroyer in Gibraltar on Thursday to discuss the latest technical report from the ship with the ships engineering staff.
In the future
The opportunities available to MOD employees are vast. There is the potential for you to progress your career in a number of different ways including:
- becoming a specialist in an engineering field
- moving into project management
- developing as a supportability engineering specialism
- or following alternative paths into contract management, HR, finance etc
Benefits of working for DE&S
- An opportunity to be involved in high technology and leading edge projects with a competitive salary and pension.
- 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days after five years’ service plus 10.5 public/privilege holidays.
- Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS). Subject to the successful applicant satisfying the eligibility criteria, the post offers membership of either a defined benefit occupational pension scheme or money purchase arrangement account under the civil service pension arrangements.
- Continuous Personal Development – The MOD is committed to Investors in People and is dedicated to the training and development of its staff. Considerable training and development opportunities are available such as internal training courses and interactive learning centres.
- Flexible working encouraged to suit the organisation and your needs.
- The MOD has a sports and social club, which all staff are eligible to join. It offers a vast variety of sports and activities, many at low cost compared with commercial alternatives. Upon joining the opportunity exists in some areas to use gym facilities, again for a small cost.
- The MOD has a Welfare Department which provides specialist knowledge and support to employees on all types of problems.
- Childcare Support. The MOD was the first Civil Service department to set up a workplace nursery some fifteen years ago and now accounts for about half of all the nursery places provided by the Civil Service.
- Training and Development. The range of training and development opportunities open to you as an employee are probably unrivalled. Personal and professional development is encouraged within the MOD and DE&S. You will have the opportunity to progress your professional qualification from Engineering Technician status at the conclusion of the apprenticeship towards Incorporated Engineer and beyond. There are a number of development schemes across the MOD that you will be eligible to compete for places on, including leadership and project management development schemes.
Why
DE&S has a current target to recruit 56 Technician Apprentices per year. The investment in these apprentices is seen as critical to the development of a skilled workforce to meet the future challenges of the organisation. This gives you the opportunity to join a leading organisation offering an advanced modern apprenticeship to a very high standard, with learning and development opportunities to suit everyone. The advanced modern apprenticeship is an ideal route into engineering with the opportunity to earn while you learn. As part of the MOD you are likely to have the opportunity to further your study to degree level following your apprenticeship. This means that you could possibly reach the same point as someone who leaves school and follows a path with GCSEs and university, but you would have the benefit of reaching that point having earned a wage over this time and also gained invaluable experience of working within an engineering environment.
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Applying for a DE&S Apprenticeship
Who can apply?
Anyone who will be over the age of 16 on the start date (usually on, or soon after, the 1st September every year).
Minimum qualifications do apply as the apprenticeship is a demanding course. Successful applicants must have (or expect to obtain) at least five GCSEs at grade A-C. Subjects are to include Maths, English Language, a Science and two other subjects.
How do you apply?
Applications are requested through the MOD’s on-line application process (https://www.civilianjobs.mod.uk/) and are requested early each year. Your application must provide reliable information on how to contact you as this may be required all the way through the recruitment process into September.
Applications will be sifted on the basis of the qualifications that you hold or expect to obtain, so you must ensure that these are clearly stated in the correct area when completing the on-line forms. Further information is available online at www.apprenticeheroes.co.uk
The recruitment process
Following the sift of applications successful candidates will be invited to attend an Apprentice Selection Test (AST), expected to be held during March/April each year. The AST will examine levels of ability/knowledge for relevant areas such as English, Maths and Engineering.
Successful candidates from the MODAST will subsequently be invited to interview.
Interviews will take place during May.
At the interview we will be exploring your commitment and motivation to become a technician apprentice pursuing a career in the MOD. It is recommended that you research the DE&S business and understand what it is we do. As well as some engineering based questions we will be looking to explore your ability to be able to interact effectively with others, communicate effectively and mange your workload, so any examples of where you have done these things will be invaluable.
Following interviews we will have a good idea of those candidates we would like to employ. At this point we may well issue provisional offers to preferred candidates and inform any potential reserve candidates of their status.
We will initiate security, health and reference checks for preferred and reserve candidates. Where these checks rely on information being submitted from you as a candidate or from previous employers, it is your responsibility to make sure this is submitted in the timescales requested. Failure to attend medicals or submit information when requested may prejudice any potential offer of employment.
Our aim will be to issue offers of employment in late July/early August. These will be conditional if subject to exam results being received later in August.
Contact
DE&S technician scheme
Tel: 030 679 32223
Email: deshrplans-amtmailbox@mod.uk