Summary Are you passionate about engineering? Do you have an inquisitive mind? Are you looking for an employer who will sponsor you through a degree, whilst providing valuable and exciting on-the-job experience within a global, innovative and industry-leading organisation? If so, read on to see what Thales has on offer within the Industry Team. Wage Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab) • Performance related pay uplifts • Pension - Thales match, plus 1% with a maximum contribution of 7% • Health insurance - 50% of salary for 5 years Training course Manufacturing engineer (degree) (level 6) Hours Monday - Thursday (9.25 hours per day). 37 hours a week Start date Monday 7 September 2026 Duration 5 years Positions available 1 Work Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience. What you'll do at work 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. This will provide many opportunities to experience the various aspects of engineering such as, defining and optimising manufacturing documentation, tools and workflows for manufacturing, performing manufacturing readiness reviews, contributing to the technological innovation to reduce costs and workflows, whilst guaranteeing the feasibility and reproducibility of the process. As an Industrial Process Engineer Apprentice, you will develop the key skills and experience in the following: Develop an understanding of the required behaviours and codes of practice of a professional engineer Understanding complex systems by working on different tasks on on-going projects Assessing Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) of products by reviewing the 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 the information supplied by upstream R&D engineering departments Contribute to the technological innovation to reduce costs and workflows, whilst 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 Where you'll work Ocean House Throop Road Templecombe BA8 0DH Training Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills. Training provider YEOVIL COLLEGE Training course Manufacturing engineer (degree) (level 6) Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab) What you'll learn Course contents Translate conceptual ideas or technical requirements into developmental outcomes, operational designs, or specifications for manufacturing projects or programmes of work. Select, use and apply approved problem-solving methods to solve problems and determine solutions or actions. Collate, store, use and present data and supporting documentation. Interpret and produce technical documentation such as schematic and circuit diagrams, engineering drawings or 3D CAD models, simulation models, engineering reports, test reports, fault reports or data analytics. Observe, record and draw accurate and auditable conclusions from data evidence. Manage assigned projects or programmes of work, taking into account factors such as planning, safety, quality, cost, performance and sustainability. Apply processes for project or programme management such as escalation, audit or risk management and risk mitigation. Comply with statutory and organisational safety and security standards and requirements, supporting safety risk assessments and mitigate any risks identified within the design, manufacture, development or test activity. Identify and use manufacturing processes, resources and technologies to turn the materials, components or other commodities into a finished product or system. Apply quality management and assurance processes to identify and rectify faults, inaccuracies, discrepancies or unexpected results during the manufacturing engineering process. Carry out pre operations checks of engineering manufacturing systems and equipment before use. Manage continuous improvement activities using techniques such as Six Sigma, 5s, Kaizen, Lean, Kanban, Statistical Process Control or Value Stream Mapping. Create, maintain and review project documentation. Record and action any non-conformities. Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders. Communicate in writing for example technical reports, documents and presentations. Collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders. Manage differing and competing interests with stakeholders. Identify and complete opportunities for personal and professional development including keeping up to date with current and emerging technology. Apply and promote policies and practices to support equity, diversity and inclusion. Consider management of change (MOC) requirements when undertaking manufacturing projects or programmes of work. Comply with environmental and sustainability legislation, regulations and standards associated with the manufacturing engineering environment. Uses resources efficiently, for example waste minimisation. Ensure equipment is managed and maintained. Optimise processes and procedures, such as relating to safety, efficiency, performance, productivity and sustainability. Ensure that all systems or equipment has been correctly configured, checked and tested for safe operation, efficiency and reliability. Translate conceptual ideas or technical requirements into developmental outcomes, operational designs, or specifications for manufacturing projects or programmes of work. Select, use and apply approved problem-solving methods to solve problems and determine solutions or actions. Collate, store, use and present data and supporting documentation. Interpret and produce technical documentation such as schematic and circuit diagrams, engineering drawings or 3D CAD models, simulation models, engineering reports, test reports, fault reports or data analytics. Observe, record and draw accurate and auditable conclusions from data evidence. Manage assigned projects or programmes of work, taking into account factors such as planning, safety, quality, cost, performance and sustainability. Apply processes for project or programme management such as escalation, audit or risk management and risk mitigation. Comply with statutory and organisational safety and security standards and requirements, supporting safety risk assessments and mitigate any risks identified within the design, manufacture, development or test activity. Identify and use manufacturing processes, resources and technologies to turn the materials, components or other commodities into a finished product or system. Apply quality management and assurance processes to identify and rectify faults, inaccuracies, discrepancies or unexpected results during the manufacturing engineering process. Carry out pre operations checks of engineering manufacturing systems and equipment before use. Manage continuous improvement activities using techniques such as Six Sigma, 5s, Kaizen, Lean, Kanban, Statistical Process Control or Value Stream Mapping. Create, maintain and review project documentation. Record and action any non-conformities. Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders. Communicate in writing for example technical reports, documents and presentations. Collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders. Manage differing and competing interests with stakeholders. Identify and complete opportunities for personal and professional development including keeping up to date with current and emerging technology. Apply and promote policies and practices to support equity, diversity and inclusion. Consider management of change (MOC) requirements when undertaking manufacturing projects or programmes of work. Comply with environmental and sustainability legislation, regulations and standards associated with the manufacturing engineering environment. Uses resources efficiently, for example waste minimisation. Ensure equipment is managed and maintained. Optimise processes and procedures, such as relating to safety, efficiency, performance, productivity and sustainability. Ensure that all systems or equipment has been correctly configured, checked and tested for safe operation, efficiency and reliability. Training schedule Through our degree apprenticeship you’ll be making the most of your talents, getting to understand engineering from the ground up; and doing so with the help of one of the biggest and best names in the industry. As an Industrial Process Engineer Apprentice, 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 rest of your time in the business – applying what you have learnt in a real-life environment. This programme will take between 5 and 6 years to complete and will include a foundation qualification such as an HND, followed by a BEng in Engineering. Requirements Essential qualifications GCSE in: subjects to include Maths and English (grade 9-4 or AC) A Level in: additional STEM subject (grade 4 (C) or above) English (grade 4 (C) or above) Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know. Skills Communication skills Attention to detail Organisation skills Number skills Team working Other requirements Due to the nature of the work that we do at Thales, all our roles are subject to security restrictions. All 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 the United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) requirements below, prior to starting with us. This role requires Security Clearance (SC). It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance prior to commencing employment. Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance. To be eligible for full SC, you generally need to have resided in the UK for the last 5 years. As part of the vetting process, you will be asked to provide evidence of your identity, eligibility to work in the UK, time spent abroad over the last 5 years, as well as employment and / or educational history. For further details of the evidence required to apply for security clearance please follow this link - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels About this employer Together, we create the ingenious technological systems and innovations that impact and improve people's lives every single day. Even if you haven't heard the name Thales before, you've definitely benefited from our inventiveness. We reinvest 20% of our sales in Research & Development in the UK. We support businesses, organisations, and governments in addressing tomorrow’s major challenges by developing advanced Defence, Security, Cybersecurity, Digital Identity, and Aerospace solutions, in the most sustainable, responsible, and ethical manner. https://careers.thalesgroup.com/global/en/united-kingdom-apprenticeship (opens in new tab) Company 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) Disability Confident A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions. You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview. After this apprenticeship Will qualify and be a permanent member of the team within the Thales business. Ask a question The contact for this apprenticeship is: YEOVIL COLLEGE The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000349417.