Engineering Apprenticeship

Who is eligible?
You must be a UK national and have resided in the UK for the previous five years. If you hold dual nationality, of which one component is British, you may be required to relinquish your non-British nationality if your application is successful. Some posts are not open to dual nationals. This is because of the sensitive nature of our work, and the need to deploy apprentices flexibly across a range of MBDA work and projects. If your application to MBDA is successful, we’ll need to check your eligibility, which means seeing your birth certificate and/or passport and educational certificates. Security vetting will also be undertaken.

Where will I be working? Will I be required to move?
Engineering Apprentices are based at Lostock and Stevenage and are not required to work at different sites as part of the development programme. However the opportunity may arise, and if so will be at the discretion of you and your training advisor.

How is the training scheme structured?
During this four-year programme you will develop professional expertise in areas including design, engineering, manufacturing and test, and through day release you will study towards a HND at either Wigan College (Lostock) or Oakland's College (Stevenage).

Will I be doing 'real work'?
Unlike some apprentice schemes in other businesses where you would only be 'shadowing' a worker, you will be given real work. This will enable you to gain experience, but it also means that the company will gain some valid work from you in return.

What company benefits will be available?
Benefits include:

Competitive salaries with regular reviews
Pension scheme
Private health care scheme
Employee car scheme
Sports and social activities (dependent on site)
Flexible working hours (dependent on site)

(Please see the Benefits section of the website for further details)

Will I receive any training?
MBDA is committed to providing comprehensive training for all our apprentices, both technical and professional.
(Please see the Personal Development section for more details)

Will I have the opportunity to work overseas?
We are a European company with customers all over the world. Very occasionally our apprentices have the opportunity to spend a short time abroad, although this doesn't happen for everyone.

Will you help me to relocate?
We offer information and guidance on local accommodation at most of our main sites, but no financial recompense.

What hours will I work?
Your contract will require you to work for 37 hours a week. Dependent upon the site you choose, you may be eligible for flexible working, which allows you to vary your start and finish times.

What is the dress code?
Depends on where you work. This varies from formal to smart-casual.

Will you pay my expenses if I come to an assessment centre?
No. Financial recompense will not be paid.

How much will I get paid?
Salary pay is very competitive. Your starting salary is dependent upon age when joining the company.

How many holidays will I get?
Your annual entitlement is 25 days a year plus 8 statutory and public holidays.
If you are based at Lostock, local site holiday arrangements apply.

Will I be allowed to take holidays in my first 6 months with the company?
Yes of course. Holiday entitlement runs from January to December, so the amount of holidays you get will depend on when during the year you join. The taking of holidays on college days is not encouraged.

What is the closing date for applications?
The closing date for applications is 28th May 2010. We recommend that applicants apply before Christmas to ensure inclusion on an interview day.

I applied last year, but was unsuccessful, can I apply again?
There is no reason why you can't apply again if you were unsuccessful one year, as long as you can demonstrate that something within your application has changed.

Can I visit the company before I apply?
At present, we have no plans to make this a standard part of our offering to candidates. We do, however, attend many university career events.

How many people are you recruiting this year?
In 2010 MBDA has 5-10 apprentice vacancies to fill

Will I be expected to work overtime?
As an apprentice you will generally not be required to work over time. There may be occasions however, when a specific task or project requires you to work overtime.