2025 Test and Repair Apprentice - Level 3 Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician Apprenticeship
Start Date: 01 September 2025
Salary: £16,000 (age 16-18), £21,000 (age 19+) per annum
Employee type: Permanent
Location: Crawley
Working Schedule: Monday – Friday, 37 hours a week (8 hours Monday – Thursday, 5 hours Friday)
Are you looking for an employer who will sponsor you through your qualifications, whilst providing valuable and exciting on-the-job experience within a global, innovative and industry leading organisation? If so, read on to see what Thales has to offer…
What the role has to offer:
What you’ll be doing:
Through our test and repair apprenticeship, you’ll be making the most of your talents, getting to understand the manufacturing function; and doing so with the help of one of the biggest and best names in the industry.
The first few weeks will be spent in assembly learning the key safe ways of working and the mechanical skills throughout the shop floor; assembly techniques, wiring and looming, soldering and Electro Static Discharge (ESD) safety. You will be set up with all the relevant tooling and software needed to work throughout Thales.
Once armed with appropriate skills you will move to a focussed sequence of learning. A rotation plan will start once you have completed your manufacturing key skills training, you will progress to working in test and repair using a lot of complex and interesting facilities. Through this time you will learn you will gain experience & knowledge in different types of customer equipment. You will spend time in other departments in manufacturing rotating through different disciplines of assembly & integration, test, repairs and fault finding and planning and manufacturing engineering.
Over this time you will have learnt many different skills in Mechanical and Electrical criteria’s within accordance with IPC 610 (Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies) / 620 (Requirements and Acceptance for Cable and Wire Harness Assemblies).
You will become a key member of the team, with technical knowledge and practical expertise in the use of both common and specialist tools and equipment, including the use of a variety of measuring, testing, diagnostic aids/equipment and processes to ensure individual components, assemblies and/or integrated systems meet the required specification.
Apprentice Programme
As a Test and Repair Apprentice you will be working towards a Level 3 apprenticeship following the Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician (MOET) standard. For the duration of this 3 year programme you will be given one day per week in which to complete your studies with a local college. For the other 4 days, you will be working in the business, applying your learning and gaining a breadth of experience
Who we’re looking for:
We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who are motivated, committed and keen to learn. A self-starter who is able to manage their time, show initiative and has a genuine interest in manufacturing and Thales. Successful candidates will show self-discipline and an aspiration to achieve the qualification.
Requirements:
5 GCSEs grade 9-4 (A-C), including English and Maths.
Right to Work in the UK for the duration of the programme.
Benefits
Please note, assessment centres for shortlisted candidates will be held between February and May 2025. Induction week for all Graduate and Apprentices will take place from Monday 01 September until Friday 05 September 2025.
Closing date: Our applications will close at 11.59pm on Sunday 16 February 2025, this is the only time we will be accepting applications this year. Please note, we will be in contact by the end of February 2025 with details of next steps.
