Engineering & Maintenance Degree Apprenticeship

• What do I need to consider? 

  As an Engineering & Maintenance degree apprentice you will learn how to assess the condition of equipment, developing maintenance and intervention strategies to help the facilities reach their strategic goals.

  You fault find and perform analysis to discover root causes and enact improvement strategies where needed.

  You will engage and work with other organisations across the site to deliver engineering improvements and projects by becoming a key plant stakeholder. You will be exposed to new and exciting technologies such as UAV’s, ROV’s and rapid prototyping at our innovation and engineering centre of excellence. You will develop problem solving and delivery skills in a 6 week sprint project solving a real site problem with a group of your peers, colleagues and supply chain workers.

• Where will my training be delivered?

  You will undertake a 3-month induction programme based at our local off-site training facility.

  Work placements will be based on either the Sellafield site or one of our various satellite offices. Academic Learning will take place 1 day a week at our training providers off-site training facility. In addition, some pathways will undertake a Practical Engineering Operations at our local off-site training facility.

• What qualifications will I obtain?

  The Degree Apprentice Programme consists of 2 phases;

  • Level 5 ST0380 Nuclear Technician Apprenticeship
  • Level 5 Foundation Degree/ Higher National Diploma (HND) in Engineering or Science aligned to your chosen pathway

  For candidates with the potential to progress further:

  • Level 6 ST0289 Nuclear Scientist and Nuclear Engineering Apprenticeship
  • Level 6 Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (BEng) or Science (BSc) aligned to your chosen pathway, over a further 2-year period.

  *Specific qualifications are subject to change and may be replaced with an equivalent

• What are the entry requirements? 

  Degree apprenticeships target A-Level students or equivalents. Entry requirements include:

  • Minimum of 5 GCSEs at Grades 9 to 4 (Grades A* to C) including Mathematics, English Language and 1 Science or Engineering subject.
  • Mathematics GCSE at Grade 6 (Grade B) is essential or Grade C, at A Level Mathematics.
  • Minimum of 96 UCAS points at A-Level, T- Level,
  • One STEM subjects is required (e.g. Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Physics or Science or Engineering)
  • Other Level 3 STEM qualifications may be considered.
  • Vocational equivalents at level 3 or higher will also be considered as equivalent to UCAS points.

• Additional Requirements 

  Candidates will be required to achieve appropriate security and medical clearances; these will be instigated on receiving a conditional offer of employment.

Thomas
Engineering & Maintenance Degree Apprentice

How did your background such as your skills/studies influence your career route?

I studied mathematics, physics, and chemistry at A-Level, which gave me a strong technical foundation. In a previous role, I also managed maintenance and calibration, which sparked my interest in engineering and helped guide me toward this career path.

Did you relocate to take part in the scheme/programme?

Yes, I relocated around 200 miles from the Midlands. It was a big change, and navigating everything from renting to settling into a new area was a learning experience — but one that’s helped me grow both personally and professionally.

How did you find joining Sellafield alongside a large intake of other early careers starters?

Honestly, it was one of the best parts of the experience. Starting alongside a large group of early careers colleagues made it easy to build friendships and connections with people who were in the same boat, which really helped with settling in