Our advanced apprenticeships are a perfect first step into the world of work. You’ll develop specialist skills, get hands-on real-world experience, and earn nationally recognised qualifications. We'll fund your qualifications and give you all the support and guidance you need to grow your career with confidence.
With a wide range of meaningful and rewarding roles to choose from across different locations and parts of our business, there really is something for everyone. With an advanced apprenticeship you'll get it all.
An apprenticeship with us gives you much more than skills and knowledge. Your work will make a valuable contribution to our purpose - protecting those that protect us all and creating a safer future. You’ll have real responsibilities on real projects from day one, playing a part in vital work that helps protect those that protect us.
With the freedom to explore our business, endless opportunities for development, and with genuine recognition and reward, you’ll build a career to be proud of.
What you can expect
Choose from an engineering, technical or business role
From day one you'll get the experience and insight from working on real-life projects
In return we’ll reward you with a competitive salary, generous leave and benefits including share schemes, discounts, and a pension. We take wellbeing seriously too, so we’ll help you get the work/life balance that’s right for you
On-the-job training and mentoring from our experienced professionals and at our in-house training facilities and partners colleges/universities
A chance to learn new skills and knowledge working on some of the world’s leading technologies and cutting-edge innovations
Explore our advanced apprenticeships
2023 applications now closed
Aircraft Maintenance Technician - Closed
The two year scheme consists of one year of residential training at the Maintenance Academy situated on Humberside Airport, followed by one year vocational training undertaken at a BAE Systems or RAF site in the UK.
The Boatbuilder Advanced Apprenticeship is typically a 48 Month (4 years) scheme, whereby during the first 3 years you will spend 1 day per week on-site at Brockenhurst College working towards achieving a boat building qualification and the remining part of the week in the Naval Base in Portsmouth. Boat Builders in Maritime Services typically manufacture, refit and repair existing small boats and maritime vessels. Boats may be made of composites, metals or wood so a boat builder can work with and understand the capabilities of a variety of materials. They can read and interpret engineering and technical drawings to produce moulds, jigs, plugs and templates to create complex shapes using a variety of measuring equipment, machines and hand tools.
The Advanced Business Administrator Apprenticeship is a two-year scheme and will offer you the opportunity to gain real experience working in the business areas which support all of our products. Through a combination of ‘off-the-job’ training, reviews and work placements, you will gain exposure to real challenges that support our business.
As a Support Engineer, the role will involve developing & applying your understanding of a range of Supportability Engineering Integrated Product Support (IPS) processes, tools, systems and techniques. Applying these to the review and analysis of supplier data against components, equipment’s and systems where you can develop support solutions to both in-service & future RN platforms.
During the period of the apprenticeship, apprentices learn appropriate skills and gain a strong grounding in engineering practices – using tools to carry out a range of tasks, operating safely in the workplace and working on complex products in our manufacturing functions.
The role of a Designer is broken down into three disciplines – Electrical, Mechanical and Hull & Outfit. As a Design Apprentice you will work together with the Engineers to develop and design Submarines from initial concept right through to build.
During the Design and Draughtsperson Engineering Apprenticeship you will learn how to utilise a range of Autodesk design programmes such as Autocad and Inventor, to produce and develop engineering drawings for electrical, mechanical and structures. You will be expected to utilise design engineering concepts to solve engineering challenges and develop effective solutions that meet the relevant standards and codes, using both paper and design software.
The role of the driller involves a variety of different activities. You’ll be working in workshops and on board submarines drilling holes using various types of drilling equipment, ranging from a small compressed air pistol drill to large scale industrial drills. Larger holes are bored using specialist boring bars and machinery, up to the sizes of 140mm.
As an Electrical Apprentice you will gain experience working from wiring diagrams, planned drawings and company procedures to install, terminate and test all electrical equipment developing high quality skills and techniques throughout in a hi-tech environment.
Engineering Fitters manufacture components or assemblies using machines, equipment or systems, to the required specification. For example, turbines, cranes, gearboxes, production lines, rigs and platforms. Fitters may typically have a mechanical, electrical, electronic, control systems, pipe fitting or instrumentation bias or operate across multiple disciplines depending on the type of assembly.
Fabricator / Steel Worker - Glasgow - Intake: August 2023
During the Fabricator Apprenticeship, you’ll be trained in the fabrication and installation of various sub-assemblies and major assemblies that are used to create our products. You will gain experience using a wide variety of tools and equipment covering marking out, thermal cutting and welding. You will learn to use equipment safely and efficiently to manufacture and install components to the highest degree of quality.
As a Marine Joinery Apprentice you will learn the skills and techniques required for manufacturing and refurbishing a wide range of wooden & sheet metal furniture and fittings. On site due to the modern day design of shipbuilding your main experience will come with metal work however you will also gain experience in woodworking throughout your apprenticeship.
The role of a Manufacturing Engineering at BAE Systems is based on core industrial engineering and mechanical engineering skills, integrating various facilities and systems in order to produce quality products.
There are a variety of machines that are used to manufacture the components, ranging from manually operated machines such as lathes and milling machines to full CNC machines such as the Tornado (CNC lathe) and the Storm (CNC mill). Many skills can be gained including turning, threading, milling, tapping and boring as well as having the chance to be able to operate a CNC machine.
The role of a Marine Painter includes working with tools and equipment that are used for the preparation of surfaces to enable specialised marine coatings to be applied. These coatings need to be applied within the correct environmental conditions within our Naval Ships site.
The Pipefitter role encompasses the positioning, assembly, fabrication, maintenance, repair of piping systems. This can include working in environments with systems that may carry water, steam, food, pharmaceutical, chemicals, gas, hydrocarbons or fuel which may be used in cooling, heating, lubricating and other processes.
Quality Technician - Glasgow - Intake: August 2023
As a Quality Apprentice, you will have visibility across all areas and levels within the Business and will have the opportunity to learn and implement assurance, verification and improvement activities across a variety of areas and with our Suppliers.
As a Radiography apprentice, you will join a highly experienced team working across a number of manufacturing facilities. You will learn about radiography testing methods both on the job and through gaining personal certification in non-destructive testing qualifications.
You will have a direct impact on the safety and health of our people and the effect we have on the environment around us, you will be supporting improvement projects, educational communications campaigns and working to influence behavioural change.
Sheet Metal Worker - Glasgow - Intake: August 2023
On our Sheet Metal Worker Apprenticeship, you'll be trained in the fabrication and installation of various components that are used to outfit our products.
The role of a Steelworker includes working from planned drawings to erect product framework. You will be involved in marking out, cutting and shaping components used in the framework of a BAE Systems product.
Supply Chain is an Integral Function responsible for researching, sourcing, buying, storing, maintaining and delivering critical products and services required for build. Whilst ensuring they are delivered to the correct requirements/specification, at the right time, for the right cost and to exacting quality standards.
As a Support Engineer, the role will involve developing & applying your understanding of a range of Supportability Engineering Integrated Product Support (IPS) processes, tools, systems and techniques
The Engineering Technician will undertake a range of different engineering activities aimed at developing the knowledge, skills and behaviours to meet the apprenticeship.
Trials and Commissioning Engineer - Glasgow - Intake: August 2023
As an Engineering Technical Apprentice – Trials and Commissioning, you will be involved in highly skilled work and gain experience within the Trials and Commissioning department.
During the Welding Apprenticeship you will learn how to weld plate and structural components to high standards of quality. This will involve the fabrication, construction or repair of fabricated plate, assemblies and structural components which are often used to fabricate larger components and assemblies.
Advanced apprentices work towards a nationally recognised qualification equivalent to A Levels, NC, HNC, or HND.
You’ll need a minimum of five GCSEs or National 4 (or equivalent) including Maths and English, as well as a Science subject to apply for an engineering or technical role.
You'll need to be curious, ready to be challenged, and committed to making the most of opportunities here.
We're an inclusive employer and we encourage people from a wide range of backgrounds to apply. Some roles at BAE Systems are subject to security and export control restrictions and your nationality or place of birth may limit the roles you can undertake.
We're committed to recruiting in the most inclusive way possible so we can welcome the best people from all kinds of backgrounds to our team.
The process begins with an online application. If you're successful, we'll invite you to perform a virtual assessment which will include gamified assessment challenges and video questions. The next stage of the process is either a virtual or face-to-face interview. Our main recruitment window runs from the beginning of November through to the end of February, and we recommend applying as soon as possible.
We want everyone to have the best chance of securing a place on our programmes. Here are some tips to help you make a great application:
Have a good think about which opportunity or business area best matches your interests and skills
Keep your application clear and concise – we want to be able to easily see your strengths and achievements
Give full details of your exam grades, any work experience and relevant interests outside of school or college – we want to see how the programme is right for you
Be sure to check your spelling and make sure you fill in all the sections of the application!
Got a question?
Not sure which programme is right for you? Want to know more about visa sponsorship or nationality restrictions? Or want to understand more about job roles here at BAE Systems? Have a question about your application?
If you want a chat with our team about anything else we're always here to help. Please contact the Apprentice Recruitment Team on 0208 068 2868 or email. Please note that we are able to discuss the application with the candidate only.