2027 Electronics Engineer Apprentice - Level 6 Electrical and Electronic Engineering Degree Apprenticeship

Thales is a global technology leader with more than 83,000 employees on five continents. With over 7,500 people in the UK, operating across defence, space, aerospace, and digital security, we help build a future we can all trust. Thales supports the security and stability of our nation by providing extraordinary technology to our customers, as well as delivering social value to the UK with our products and services.

Turn your curiosity into a career. If you're passionate about engineering, eager to learn, and looking for a degree apprenticeship that combines academic study with exciting on-the-job experience, we'd love to hear from you.

About the Role

An Electronics Engineering Apprenticeship at Thales is a hands-on entry route into engineering, where you learn electronics design, integration, testing, and troubleshooting while working alongside qualified engineers on real programmes. The exact scope can vary by team, the role centres on building and validating electronic solutions.

What You Will Do

• Support electronics design and development - Assisting with circuit design activities, component selection, schematic/layout reviews, or adapting existing designs.
• Build and integrate hardware - Working with breadboards/prototypes and progressing to production-relevant hardware (e.g., assembling modules, wiring, integrating sub-systems).
• Test and verify equipment - Using test equipment (e.g., oscilloscopes, mustimeters, signal generators) to validate functionality against requirements, debug faults, and document results.
• Troubleshoot and problem-solve - Investigating issues found during lab testing, system integration, or trials, then helping implement fixes or process improvements.
• Document engineering work - Writing test reports, maintaining records, updating documentation, and contributing to engineering reviews.
• Work in a safety/quality-focused environment - Following procedures, configuration control practices, and quality standards relevant to Thales and its programmes.

What You Will Learn

• Core electronics fundamentals (analogue/digital concepts, power, signal integrity basics, interfaces)
• Engineering processes (requirements, verification/validation, configuration management)
• Practical test methods and interpretation of measurement results
• Teamworking and professional engineering behaviours (reviews, clear reporting, traceability)

Typical environment & day-to-day

You’ll usually split time between:

• On-the-job training with engineers in labs/engineering teams (practical hardware/test work)
• Structured apprenticeship learning (college/college-equivalent coursework leading toward a qualification in engineering or electronics)

Degree Apprenticeship Programme

You will study towards a Level 6 BEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering Degree Apprenticeship with Exeter University.

In your first year you will be given a broad theoretical and practical knowledge across all core engineering disciplines, before progressing onto increasingly advanced topics later in the course.

Years one and two provide core fundamental knowledge of engineering principles, as well as applying mathematics to engineering problems. Years three and four are spent applying your knowledge to engineering problems.

You will complete a Technical Report and Presentation in the final year: an opportunity to apply your knowledge and skills to devise an engineering solution at a professional level in an area of engineering study that aligns to your role at Thales.

By the end of the programme, you will have achieved a BEng in Electrical and Electronic Engineering as well as a Level 6 Electrical and Electronic Engineering Degree Apprenticeship.

Programme structure:

Throughout the four-year programme, you will combine university study with practical workplace experience, developing both academic knowledge and professional engineering skills.

Lectures and workshops are delivered through a series of 2-week blocks spaced throughout your degree apprenticeship
Alongside campus taught lecturers, you will have access to digital resources and discipline experts to support your studies.

Entry Requirements

To apply, you will need:

A Levels

• Three A Levels at ABB, including a Grade B in Maths and a Science subject.

Or BTEC Extended Diploma (DDM)

• Applicants studying one of the following BTEC Extended Diplomas will be considered: Applied Science; Aeronautical Engineering; Building Services; Engineering Construction and the Built Environment; Civil Engineering; Operations and Maintenance Engineering; Computer Engineering; Electrical/Electronic Engineering; Engineering; Manufacturing Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Environmental Sustainability.

Or T Level (Distinction)

• Required Subjects: Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing; Engineering; Manufacturing; Processing and Control; Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering: Manufacturing only, Surveying and Planning for Construction. 

GCSEs

• Minimum of five GCSEs at Grade 4-9 (A-C)
• Must include:
  • English
  • Maths

Please note that applicants who already hold a relevant degree will not be eligible for this programme.

Skills and qualities that help

• A strong interest in electronics and how systems work
• Ability to follow technical instructions and procedures
• Curiosity and persistence when debugging
• Clear communication and attention to detail (especially for test data and documentation)
• Basic competence with tools (e.g., soldering/assembly, spreadsheets/measurement logs) is beneficial

Benefits

• Competitive salary of £24,000 per annum
• Performance-related pay uplifts
• Holiday entitlement of 201 hours a year (plus a company day and bank holidays)
• Contributory Company Pension
• Health Care Cash Plan
• Hybrid/flexible working options
• Employee assistance programme
• Learning and development support
• Employee discounts and wellbeing initiatives
• Life Cover
• 80 Hours Volunteering per year (first two years)

Thales Apprentice Recruitment Process

1. Apply Online - submit your application online
2. Upload Your CV
3. Check your emails for the invitation to apply – this will come from recruiting@jobalerts.thalesgroup.com
4. Complete Your Application – follow the link provided in the email to complete your application. You can apply for one primary role and up to 3 additional roles.
5. Complete Online Tests - undertake the online assessments designed to evaluate your suitability for the role.
6. Virtual Assessment Centre - candidates who progress from the online assessment stage will attend a virtual assessment centre, which will include group exercises, and competency-based interviews.
7. Job Offer – successful candidates who perform well throughout the recruitment process will receive a job offer from Thales.

Please note, assessment centres for shortlisted candidates will be held between February - May 2027. Induction week for all Apprentices will take place from Monday 6 September - Friday 10 September 2027.

Please note that roles may close earlier than the advertised deadline if we receive a high number of applications. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid missing out on this opportunity.

Because of the work we do at Thales, all roles are subject to security requirements.

To be considered for this position, you must have the permanent right to work in the UK and be able to successfully complete and maintain UK Government security checks, including Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) screening and Security Clearance (SC), which is a government background check, before starting employment.

To be eligible for SC clearance, you will typically need to have lived in the UK continuously for the last five years. As part of the vetting process, you will be asked to provide evidence of your identity, right to work in the UK, any time spent overseas during the last five years, and your employment and/or education history.

In addition, this role supports a UK Eyes Only programme and is therefore subject to government-mandated nationality restrictions. To satisfy the security clearance requirements for access to highly sensitive information, applicants must have been British citizens from birth and must not hold any other nationality. This requirement is determined by the UK Government and is a condition of programme access rather than an employment preference.

Thales is an equal opportunities employer and diversity, and inclusion are integral to the success of Thales. At Thales, we ensure equal opportunities, pay and working conditions for all. The benefits we offer include private medical insurance, buying or selling annual leave, cycle to work schemes, employee discounts, paid volunteering day, stocks and shares, annual bonus and much more depending on the role.

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