2026 Industrial Process Engineer Apprentice – Level 6 Manufacturing Engineer Degree Apprenticeship
Location: Templecombe, United Kingdom
Start Date: 07 September 2026
Salary: £24,000
Employee type: Permanent
Working Schedule: Monday – Thursday, 37 hours a week (9.25 hours Monday – Thursday)
What the role has to offer
* Earn while you learn
* Job specific training experience
* Recognised qualifications
* Permanent role from day one
* Tuition fees for university or approved training providers are fully covered
The role will develop your engineering skills to become a confident, positive and flexible industrial process engineer with well-honed technical knowledge gained from both the academic commitments and on‑the‑job training. You will be part of a team that provides manufacturing solutions in support of our customers’ requirements, offering opportunities to experience the various aspects of engineering such as defining and optimising manufacturing documentation, tools and workflows; performing manufacturing readiness reviews; contributing to technological innovation to reduce costs and workflows; and guaranteeing the feasibility and reproducibility of the process.
Key Responsibilities
* Develop an understanding of the required behaviours and codes of practice of a professional engineer
* Understand complex systems by working on different tasks on ongoing projects
* Assess Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) of products by reviewing product maturity with project teams to identify and minimise risk
* Define, set up, prepare and optimise manufacturing processes and tooling for a defined area or product line
* Contribute to Health, Safety and Environment processes
* Define and optimise manufacturing documentation, tools, workflows for manufacturing and inspection based on information supplied by upstream R&D engineering departments
* Contribute to technological innovation to reduce costs and workflows while guaranteeing the feasibility and reproducibility of the process
* Attend Material Review Boards and Configuration Control Boards on behalf of manufacturing, actively manage failures and changes
* Implement test & control plans for manufacturing equipment
Apprentice Programme
You will be enrolled onto the Level 6 Manufacturing Engineer Degree Apprenticeship at Yeovil College. Delivered via a day‑release model, you will attend college on set days to complete your academic learning and will spend the remainder of your time in the business, applying what you have learnt in a real‑life environment. The programme will take between 5 and 6 years, including a foundation qualification such as an HND, followed by a BEng in Engineering.
Requirements
* 2 A Levels at grade C or above including English and an additional STEM subject, or a 90+ credit BTEC Diploma in Engineering
* GCSEs at grade 4 (C) or above, including Mathematics, English and a Science, Technology or Engineering related subject
* Applicants who already hold a relevant degree will not be eligible for this programme
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 (first two years)
Additional Information
Assessment centres for shortlisted candidates will be held between February and May 2026. Induction week for all graduates and apprentices will take place from Monday 7 September to Friday 11 September 2026. Applications will close at 11:59pm on Thursday 12 February 2026.
All roles at Thales are subject to security restrictions. Successful candidates must possess the permanent right to work in the UK and will be required to go through Government security clearance at BPSS Level and to obtain full Security Clearance (SC) in line with UKSV requirements before starting. This role requires SC clearance; it would be advantageous if currently held, but if not, the successful applicant will need to achieve and maintain SC clearance prior to commencement.
Thales is an equal opportunities employer and diversity, and inclusion are integral to the success of Thales. We provide an inclusive and barrier‑free recruitment process and reasonable adjustments are available for neuro‑diverse applicants or those with a disability or long‑term condition.
Great journeys start here. Apply now!
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