2026 Software Engineering Apprentice – Level 6 Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship
Start Date: 07 September 2026
Salary: £24,000 per annum
Employee type: Permanent
Location: Reading
Working Schedule: Monday – Friday, 37 hours a week (8 hours Monday‑Thursday, 5 hours Friday)
Are you passionate about engineering? Do you have an inquisitive mind? Join Thales’ Apprenticeship Programme and develop your skills while earning a competitive wage. Thales UK designs, develops, and supplies secure information and telecommunications systems for defence, security and civil operators.
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
Our exciting Software Engineering Apprentice role will develop your software skills to become a confident, positive and versatile engineer with well‑honed technical knowledge. You will support the team to deliver real‑world software solutions to deadlines and within budget, with opportunities to get involved across the entire development lifecycle.
Key skills and experience you will develop
* Programming skills in industry‑standard languages such as Python, C++, C, Go
* Experience working in multi‑disciplined agile environments alongside experienced engineers
* Familiarity with business‑management tools for managing requirements and formal documentation
* Exposure to new tools and infrastructure used in the development engineering environment
* Development of secure, quality software solutions that adhere to timescales and budget constraints
* Experience in different technical domains, such as software‑defined radio and electronic counter‑measure systems
* Opportunity to develop creative and bespoke software solutions
* Organisational skills with well‑rounded communication and relationship‑building abilities
* Digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and data analytics
Apprentice Programme
You will enrol onto the Level 6 Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship with Warwick University, following the Software Engineering pathway. For the duration of this 4‑year programme, you will combine university studies with practical application, working within our software function in Reading. The programme is delivered via a block‑release model, with 4 days per week in the business and 1 day per week dedicated to apprenticeship studies. At the end of the apprenticeship you will qualify as a software engineer within a Thales UK business, holding a BSc in Digital and Technology Solutions plus the Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship qualification.
Requirements
* 112 UCAS tariff points at A Level (grades BBC), including grade C or above in Maths and at least one other relevant STEM subject (Engineering, IT, Computing, Web & Telecoms, Physics, Electronics)
* 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 a year (first two years)
Please note: 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 to Friday 11 September 2026.
Closing date: 11:59 pm on Thursday 12 February 2026. Applications will close at the stated date and time.
Security clearance
Due to the nature of the work at Thales, all roles are subject to security restrictions. Successful candidates must possess the permanent right to work in the UK and will be required to undergo Government security clearance at BPSS Level and obtain full Security Clearance (SC) before starting employment.
SC clearance requires residence in the UK for the last five years. Further information can be found on the UKSV website.
Equal opportunities
Thales is an equal‑opportunities employer. We embrace diversity and inclusion, and we provide an inclusive and barrier‑free recruitment process. Reasonable adjustments and support are available for neuro‑diverse applicants or those with a disability or long‑term condition.
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