Aerospace Mechanical Degree Apprenticeship (Level 6)

The opportunity

At Leonardo Helicopters UK, we have a fantastic new opportunity for an Aerospace Engineering Mechanical Degree Apprentice (Level 6).

Our Aerospace Engineering Degree Apprenticeship programme caters for those who are interested in the practical and theoretical aspects of supporting a fleet of helicopters, helping to maintain airworthy and available aircraft, along with performance analysis of our products.

Over the 5 year scheme, you will experience a number of placements across the Engineering department, with the ultimate aim of moving you into a final placement area based on business requirements and the skills displayed during the apprenticeship.

During the Degree Apprenticeship, you will:

• Start with an Induction into Leonardo, as well as a Yeovil College Induction, to ensure that apprenticeship requirements and expectations are fully established.

The structure of the Apprenticeship programme will be as follows:

• Year 1: Part time at Yeovil College (3 days per week) to start the Level 4 modules of the BEng Aerospace degree (knowledge/classroom based) 1 day per week. 2 days per week spent doing L2 equivalent upskilling in CAD/ AM/ Composites and Cobotics for 1 semester. Work placements at Leonardo helicopters 3 days a week from the start of Semester 2. Starting the Level 4 competence (work-related) qualification in Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing. From Feb, Start EPA portfolio compilation and complete Evidence 1 and 2
• Year 2: Work placements at Leonardo Helicopters (4 days per week) and continuing the Level 4 competence (work-related) qualification in Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing. Attend Yeovil College (1 day per week) to complete the Level 4 BEng degree units and start the Level 5 units. Continue with EPA portfolio compilation and complete Evidence 3 and 4.
• Year 3: Work placements at Leonardo Helicopters (4 days per week) and continuing the Level 4 competence (work-related) qualification in Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing. Attend Yeovil College (1 day per week) to complete the Level 5 BEng degree units. Continue with EPA portfolio compilation and complete Evidence 5 and 6.
• Year 4: Work placements at Leonardo Helicopters (4 days per week) and finish the Level 4 competence (work-related) qualification in Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing. Attend Yeovil College (1 day per week) to start the Level 6 BEng degree units. Continue with EPA portfolio compilation and complete Evidence 7 and 8. Achieve EPA Gateway at the end of the academic year.
• Year 5: Work placements at Leonardo Helicopters (4 days per week) and attend Yeovil College (1 day per week) completing the Level 6 BEng and EPA Honours project. Submit EPA portfolio and undertake EPA professional discussion. Each Apprentice on this route will need to complete an End Point Assessment as defined in the Apprenticeship Standard, this will take place in the final months of the program.

Throughout the apprenticeship apprentices may be placed in some or all of the following departmental areas:

• Structural Design
• Rotor Design
• Transmission Design
• Materials Laboratory
• Structural Mechanical Test and Evaluation
• Electrical Design
• Avionics
• Power Generation Systems
• Electro-magnetic Environmental Effects
• Systems Engineering
• Manufacturing Engineering

What you’ll bring

• Age 18+
• 96 (240 pre 2017) UCAS points or above at A-Level or equiv., to include Mathematics plus at least one STEM based subject.
• GCSE grade B/5 in Maths, plus 5 GCSEs at grade A-C inc. Eng Lang & Double Science or equivalent.

Desired skills

• Knowledge/experience of Engineering
• Thirst for continuous improvement
• Eye for detail
• Ability to work in cross-functional teams
• Good communication skills (written & verbal)
• Good IT skills

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

Security Clearance

At Leonardo, many of our roles are subject to security and export control restrictions set by UK Government Security requirements and customer obligations. As a result, and in line with the UK Government Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) requirements, all successful applicants will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record declaration information and employment and/or education history verification for the previous five years.

For staff operating in more sensitive posts, there is an additional range of personnel security controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV). As part of this process, a range of factors may be considered, including an individual's background, travel history, nationality, previous nationalities held and other information relevant to the vetting assessment.

To be eligible for National Security Vetting at SC level, applicants will generally be expected to have continuously resided in the UK for the previous five years. For DV clearance, this is typically ten years. In some circumstances, time spent overseas may be accepted, with additional overseas checks. Additional vetting requirements may apply upon appointment.

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