Surface Ships has a 7,000 strong team working out of Bristol, Glasgow and Portsmouth – all helping to design, manufacture and support the most advanced warships in the world.
Our portfolio includes fast, agile 9.5 metre boats fit for special forces, the Type 45 Destroyers and the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy – the biggest ships ever to be built in the UK.
For overseas customers, we are building ships for the Trinidad & Tobago Coast Guard to track down pirates off the Caribbean and we're constructing Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Royal Navy of Oman – not to mention the new joint venture we have set up in the Middle East and Fast Attack Craft being built in partnership for the Hellenic Navy in Greece.
And we don’t stop there. Another important part of what we do is ‘through life support’ for these complex warships. That means giving our customers expert help to maintain, repair and modernise their ships throughout their service life, as well as fit new systems onboard and provide vital training and naval facilities management.
Glasgow/Portsmouth - What we can offer you
We offer craft and technician engineering apprenticeships at Glasgow and Portsmouth. Join us and you will gain an unbeatable mix of hands-on experience and academic learning while you earn.
Providing you with the technical knowledge to excel in your chosen profession is at the heart of our apprenticeship scheme, but it's only the start.
You will also gain functional skills such as team working, communication, IT and problem solving – everything you need to be a success in the workplace.
Health and Safety is a vital part of your training, to protect you and your colleagues, helping to keep your working environment safe throughout your career in BAE Systems.
Your apprenticeship can take up to four years, depending on which route you choose. We offer flexibility to adapt to your skills and pace of learning, with pay increases linked to successful completion of each stage of your training.
This is the foundation of your career with BAE Systems, but for many this is not the end of your further education. There are opportunities, with the support of the Company, to study up to degree level and onto Chartered status in your chosen profession.
Craft Apprentices
(minimum three years)
What:
train to become an electrician, engineer, joiner, painter, plumber/pipe worker, steel worker or welder
Year one:
mixture of work experience and college, where you'll gain a Performing Engineering Operations (PEO) qualification
Year two & three:
spent in our operations team, working towards an S/NVQ 3 in your chosen trade. Plus you'll attend college on day release to gain a Technical Certificate to underpin your knowledge
What you'll need:
Five GCSEs at grades A-E (or UK equivalent) including English, Maths and a Science subject.
Technician Apprentices
(minimum three years)
What:
train to become a detail design engineer, a combat systems engineer or a test and commissioning engineer
Year one:
full time at local college, gaining PEO and a Higher National Certificate in Electrical / Mechanical Engineering
Year two:
complete four placements across the engineering function, while studying for first year of Higher National Diploma (HND) in Engineering Systems
Year three:
consolidate engineering experiential learning in appointed role, complete the HND and start S/NVQ 3 in Technical Support
Year four:
complete S/NVQ 3
What you'll need:
Six GCSEs at grades A-C (or UK equivalent) including English, Maths and Physics. Plus three A Levels (or UK equivalent) at grade C or above in English, Maths and Physics.
How to apply
Portsmouth: Click here to apply for an apprenticeship at our Portsmouth site.
Glasgow: Click here to apply for an apprenticeship at our yards on the Clyde.
