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Job Details
General Engineering Higher Apprenticeship 2025
R22920

Contract type

Full time

Discipline

Early Careers / Students

Location

Stevenage

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00 Job Description

General Engineering Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship 2025

Salary: £18,000 plus a £3,000 joining bonus

Work Location: MBDAStevenage

Learning Provider Location: Cambridge Regional College, Cambridge Campus

Security clearance:

British Citizen or a Dual UK national with British citizenship. 

Restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work may apply. As a minimum and after offer stage, all successful candidates will need to undergo HMG Basic Personnel Security Standard checks (BPSS), which are managed by the MBDA Personnel Security Team. 

Closing date for this role is midnight on Friday 24th January

The opportunity:

At MBDA, we inspire team innovation to solve some of the biggest challenges. This means you'll learn from the brightest minds, who are always there to encourage and support you.

Our collaborative approach and culture of sharing knowledge will be key to your development. We trust each other to thrive; support one another to learn, and when you join us, you'll bring a different perspective to how we see the future.

This is a fantastic opportunity for you to join an apprenticeship scheme that has developed winners of some of the most prestigious apprenticeship awards in the UK. As an Engineering Apprentice you will work in an open-plan working environment with state of the art testing and manufacturing facilities and laboratories aimed at aiding your learning and development.

Programme structure:

You will study towards a Level 4 Diploma Engineering Manufacturing Technician at Cambridge Regional College, with a blend of virtual and face to face delivery, and work within our business on rotational placements for 4 years. This way of studying allows you to earn academic and nationally recognised qualifications as well as gain hands on learning experience within a professional and friendly workplace. We will also help you to achieve Professional qualification through the IMechE, IET or RAeS.

You will be at college 1 day per week learning your basic skills with your remaining time spent on placements, typically lasting three to six months.

Placements within the business include;

  • Mechanical Design

  • Missile Design incl. Hardware-In-The-Loop

  • Manufacturing

  • Integration and Systems Validation

  • Customer Support

  • Environmental Engineering

  • Quality

  • Procurement

  • Drawing Office

Find more details about the course here: https://www.camre.ac.uk/course/engineering-manufacturing-technician-level-4-apprenticeship-standard/APPEMT4S/

What we're looking for from you:

1) 5 x GCSES at Grade 4-9. Must include Maths at Grade 5 or above as well as English Language, Science or Technology

2) In addition to 96 UCAS points achieved through:

  • 3 x A Levels in any subject at Grade C or above

  • T level qualification at Pass

  • An Engineering BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma at grade MMM (OR a Foundation Year)

This role has specific qualification and subject criteria so please make sure you carefully check your eligibility against this criteria before applying otherwise your application will not be considered.

Please note: We look at entry criteria based on your top three full A Levels or equivalent qualifications (BTEC/T Level). We do not include UCAS points gained from an Extended Project Qualification. Additionally, as an employer we set our own entry criteria based on the requirements of this role. This means that the criteria above may differ from the university/college standard.

Our company:

MBDA is a leading defence organisation. We are proud of the role we play in supporting the Armed Forces who protect our nations. We partner with governments to work together towards a common goal, defending our freedom.

What we can offer you:

  • Fully funded qualification starting September 2025
  • Paid travel expenses to and from your place of study
  • Annual pay reviews
  • 25 days annual leave (plus holiday purchase) and up to 15 days flexi leave
  • Study leave during exam periods

We respect new perspectives and experiences, and we value our collaborative ways of working. We are committed to growing and supporting diversity in our workforce and ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity to reach their potential. MBDA is proud of our employee-led networks including Gender Equality, Pride, Neurodiversity, Ethnic Diversity, Menopause Matters, Parents and Carers and Armed Forces.

We recognise that everyone is unique, and we encourage you to speak to us should you require any advice, support or adjustments throughout our recruitment process.

Follow us on LinkedIn (MBDA), X (@MBDA_UK), Instagram (MBDA_UK) and Glassdoor or visit our MBDA Careers website for more information.



#LI-LC1

00 Application Process

1. Submit an application

Our application form contains a few factual questions, some questions relating to the role you have applied for and a section for you to tell us all about you! 

2. Online assessment - Part One

Next in our process is part one of our online strengths assessment, completely tailored to our business and early careers schemes. After completing our assessment you'll receive a personalised report.

3. Online assessment - Part Two

Part two of our online assessments include three video recorded tasks which are authentic work scenario based activities which you could be doing on your programme - we refer to these as job simulations.

4. Assessment centre

Our strength based assessment centre is a half day virtual experience! You’ll get to work on a range of tasks, meet current programme members and people from the department you have applied for. All candidates receive feedback on their performance.

5. Offer

We’ll call you within a week of your assessment day to talk through your feedback and the finer details of your offer, as well as next steps.

00 Benefits & Rewards

Annual Bonus

Annual Bonus

Every year in February, we reward our dedicated employees with an annual bonus. Exact amounts and percentages will vary by job grade and on business performance. This can be discussed/explained further with a member of the Resourcing team during your application process. 

We are proud to say that we were able to award our annual bonus to employees even through tough economic times in recent years, when other employers were less fortunate. 

 

25 Days Annual Leave (plus holiday purchase)

25 Days Annual Leave (plus holiday purchase)

Employees receive 25 days of paid annual leave per calendar year, in addition to all statutory and public holidays.

This increases to 26 days after 10 years of service and 27 days after 30 years. You can enjoy more time off by purchasing up to an additional five days holiday through payroll.

Dynamic Working

Dynamic Working

We trust our people to agree, within their teams, where and when they can be most effective. Our Dynamic Working policies allow individuals great levels of flexibility around the hours they work and where they work. Depending on your role and function, this may include options for paid overtime, dynamic leave (time in lieu) and more. 

When applying, please check the job advert for details, then make sure to discuss what to expect with your recruiter. 

Enhanced Parental Leave

Enhanced Parental Leave

We recognise that having or adopting a child is a significant life event for our employees and as a family friendly employer we offer a range of enhanced family leave provisions to support employees before, during and after a period of leave.

Our enhanced parental leave offers up to 26 weeks for maternity, adoption and shared parental leave. Enhancements are available for paternity leave, neonatal leave and fertility testing and treatments.

We also offer 2 weeks enhanced pay for paternity leave, and neonatal care leave for up to 12 weeks where a period of extended hospital care is required after birth. Employees also have access to support whilst undergoing fertility testing and treatments. 

Lifestyle - Discounts & Vouchers

Lifestyle - Discounts & Vouchers

Discounts – The Discounts platform includes a great range of features such as: discounts, instant vouchers, reloadable cards, easy saver cards, cashback, mobile app and Wellbeing Centre.

 

Costco - Permanent employees of MBDA qualify for Costco’s individual membership.

 

Technology Vouchers – Purchase the latest gadgets and white goods up to the value of £2,500 and spread the cost over 12 months.

 

Charity Donations - Donate up to five charities each month, with full tax relief on all donations.

 

MyCar Scheme – The MBDA MyCar Scheme offers employees the opportunity to access up to two new vehicles via a salary sacrifice arrangement including an all-inclusive package.

 

Holiday Purchase – Purchase up to 5 days' extra holiday whilst making tax and National Insurance savings, spreading the cost over 12 months.

 

Gyms & Social Clubs

Gyms & Social Clubs

Healthworks Gym Membership - The Healthworks on-site gym at our Stevenage site offers a range of facilities and equipment, alongside a variety of classes available during the week.

 

Annual Gym Membership – Take advantage of discounted membership at over 3,600 of the UK's leading gym chains, leisure centres, hotel health clubs, independent gyms, boot camps and yoga studios.

 

The Club –The Club provides a fantastic opportunity to enjoy great social activities - from theatre trips, days out, to sporting activities.

Pension & Finance

Pension & Finance

Our MBDA Retirement Savings Plan is a 'Defined Contribution' plan in the Mercer Master Trust, administered by Scottish Widows. The standard contributions are 4% of an employee's base salary and 6% employer contributions. You can increase both employee and employer contributions by up to 2%.

 

Financial Awareness – Employees have access to free financial webinars hosted throughout the year, along with access to a financial education website which provides plenty of useful hints, tips and guidance on managing financial wellness.

 

Share Incentive Plan - Acquire shares in our UK Shareholder, BAE Systems PLC, the scheme is tax efficient on shares purchased.

 

Mortgage Advice – As part of our financial wellbeing initiative employees can access free of charge mortgage advice and webinars.

 

Season Ticket Loan – Employees can borrow the value of public transport season ticket for bus or train journeys to and from work and spread the cost over 12 months.

 

Critical Illness – To help reduce the financial impact after being diagnosed with a critical illness, employees receive a tax-free lump sum payment that can be used for any purpose including covering medical expenses, adjustments to lifestyle and more.

Share Incentive Plan

Share Incentive Plan

The Share Incentive Plan (SIP) is available for you to join and reinforces our commitment to long-term share ownership amongst our employees.

Free Financial Advice

Free Financial Advice

We know money matters in life, so we want to make sure our employees are both paid what they deserve, and also have access to resources that can help them plan for the future.

Through selected partnerships, we offer a range of free seminars, held throughout the year, to help you make good financial decisions for now and the future.

Extracurricular Learning Budget

Extracurricular Learning Budget

You can receive up to £150 towards the cost of approved courses each year including group language lessons.

Health and Wellbeing

Health and Wellbeing

Employee Assistance Programme - The Employee Assistance Programme is free, independent, confidential and is available 24 hours a day/365 days a year. Employees have access to short-term counselling (which includes up to 8 structured face to face, telephone or virtual sessions).

 

Voluntary Private Medical Insurance – Private Medical Insurance offers three healthcare plans to suit your individual requirements for you and your family.

 

Funded Private Medical Insurance - Eligible employees (Grade C & Above) are enrolled as standard into the company funded Private Medical Insurance benefit.

 

Dental Insurance – The Dental Insurance benefit provides the option to claim cash back on everyday dental expenses such as, minor treatments, routine examinations, restorative treatment and more. There are six levels of cover available, with each level providing increased claim limits.

 

Healthcare Cash Plan - The Healthcare Cash Plan benefit provides the option to claim cash back on everyday healthcare expenses such as optical, dental, health and wellbeing and more. There are six levels of cover available, with each level providing increased claim limits.

 

Healthcare and Leisure – The Healthcare and Leisure benefit provides the option to claim cash back on everyday healthcare expenses such as medical fees, dentist fees, opticians and also provides access to special deals and concessions on sporting and recreational facilities.

 

Employee Assistance Programme

Employee Assistance Programme

Our employees' wellbeing is our priority. That's why everyone at MBDA UK can access free, confidential advice on a range of financial, personal and workplace issues, available 24/7.

00 Information

Training and Development

You’ll be able to choose between a variety of online learning platforms such as Percipio, YouLearn, Career Builder and Video Gateway. Each one is tailored to a specific type of learning. Speak to your line manager to find out more. 

We encourage new learning and will provide up to £150 in financial support per year if you wish to participate in further study in your own time. You’ll have access to our Learning Gateway, which hosts the formal course catalogue and is where you can select the right training for your role and future development. The catalogue displays which courses are being delivered virtually or are classroom based. If you want to lead a team, you might be interested in our management training, designed for people of all experience levels. 

Dynamic Working

The way we work is changing and your schedule will reflect that. For non-executive employees, we have a flexi-time scheme that allows you to choose, within certain parameters, when you start and finish each day and how you can use time you have accrued. If you have worked the time, you are also able to accrue and take up to 15 days of Flexi-leave per annum, in addition to the 25 days of annual leave provided and bank holidays.

Security Clearance

All employees at MBDA are required to hold UK Security or BPSS Clearance. 

For further information, please view our Security & Vetting page.

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00 Apply for this role

General Engineering Higher Apprenticeship 2025 R22920

Contract type

Full time

We have detected you are using an IP outside of the UK

Before continuing your application, please note that as a defence industry employer, restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work will apply.

If you do not meet the necessary requirements, any application you submit will be rejected.

We only recommend continuing your application if you are confident of your right to work for us.

Please refer to our Security & Vetting policy for further information.