2026 Software Engineering Apprentice - Level 6 Digital and Technology Solutions
Thales – Stockport, England, United Kingdom
Location: Cheadle, United Kingdom
Thales people provide armed forces customers with operational advantage at every decisive moment throughout the mission. Our platforms extend across the battlespace, including air, surface, underwater, electronic combat and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems. We research, develop and supply technology that impacts the lives of millions each day, fostering safety, security and innovation across Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space.
We offer flexibility to suit your lifestyle – part‑time hours, job sharing, home working or flexible start and finish times – and support your wellbeing so you can reach your ambitions.
Apprentice Programme
‘2026 Software Engineering Apprentice – Level 6 Digital and Technology Solutions’ – a four‑year Gold‑accredited programme under the Tech Partnership Degrees. You will study towards a BSc in Digital and Technology Solutions following the Software Engineering Pathway. You will spend one day per week at Manchester Metropolitan University and four days at the Cheadle site, applying university learning to real‑world projects and gaining breadth of experience with your teammates. At the end of the apprenticeship you will transition into a full software engineer role within Thales UK.
Start Date
07 September 2025
Salary
£24,000 per annum
Working Schedule
Monday – Friday, 37 hours a week (8 hours Monday – Thursday, 5 hours Friday)
What the role has to offer
* Fully funded degree
* Competitive salary
* Real‑world training experience – working with a skilled and friendly team
* Permanent role from day one with a clear career path after graduation
You will be a key member of a diverse team of software engineers, solving complex challenges for Royal Navy and export customers. You will collaborate with specialists across the global business and push the boundaries on topics such as Artificial Intelligence and novel computing architectures to enhance our products.
You will be encouraged to own your development plan covering the technical and professional skills needed to meet your ambitions. You will receive full support from your team to make this a reality. Software engineering offers a varied career path with opportunities to gain further qualifications in architecture, design, coding and testing. You will be a valued member of a software sprint team developing solutions and will work with wider disciplines such as systems engineering to define what is needed and what is valuable to the end user.
Requirements
* 104 UCAS tariff points at A Level (Grades BCC) or equivalent (e.g., BTEC DMM)
* 5 GCSEs grade 9‑4 (A‑C) including English and Maths
Benefits
* 201 hours annual leave (plus a company day and bank holidays)
* Company pension
* Health Care Cash Plan
* Life Insurance
* Discount Portal
* Performance‑related pay uplifts
* 80 hours volunteering in the first two years
Closing Date
Applications will close at 11.59pm on Thursday 12 February 2026. We will contact shortlisted candidates by the end of February 2026.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ROLES MAY CLOSE EARLIER THAN THE ADVERTISED DEADLINE IF WE RECEIVE A HIGH NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS. PLEASE APPLY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO AVOID MISSING OUT ON THIS OPPORTUNITY.
Recruitment Process
Assessment centres for shortlisted candidates will be held between February – May 2026. Induction week for all graduates and apprentices will take place from Monday 7 September – Friday 11 September 2026.
Security Clearance
All successful candidates must possess the permanent right to work in the UK and will be required to undergo Government security clearance at BPSS Level plus full Security Clearance (SC) in line with UKSV requirements. This role requires a sole British National from birth and achievement of SC without any caveats. Further guidance is available via the UKSV website.
Legal & Equality Statement
Thales is an equal‑opportunity employer; diversity and inclusion are integral to our success. We provide an inclusive and barrier‑free recruitment process and will offer reasonable adjustments to ensure neuro‑diverse and disabled applicants can perform at their best.
Contact
To request an adjustment, contact Resourcing Ops for mid‑to‑senior roles, or the Early Careers Team for graduate and apprentice roles.
Great journeys start here – apply now!
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