Operations Apprenticeship

Summary

As an Operations Apprentice at AWE, you’ll start building a career in a unique environment where you can learn how different parts of the business work together, including Operations, Manufacturing, Science and Engineering.

Wage

£16,750 a year

• A starting salary of £16,750 yearly, increasing to £24,500 in Year 2, with further annual salary increases throughout your apprenticeship, subject to satisfactory performance and achievement of apprenticeship milestones.
• Market leading contributory pension scheme
• Generous paid holiday entitlement of 270 hours per year, inclusive of Bank Holidays, plus every other Friday off as part of AWE’s flexible working pattern.

Training course

Process industry manufacturing technician (level 3)

Hours

9 Day fortnight. 33 Hours on the short week, 8 hours 15 minutes per day. 41 Hours on the long week, 8 hours 15 minutes per day. Monday -Thursday and Friday, 8 hours. Please note hours may alter due to your offsite training establishment training times.

37 hours a week

Start date

Wednesday 1 September 2027

Duration

3 years

Positions available

5

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

As an Operations Apprentice at AWE, you’ll start building a career in a unique environment where you can learn how different parts of the business work together, including Operations, Manufacturing, Science and Engineering.

You’ll help support the manufacturing and assembly work that contributes to the defence and security of the United Kingdom. You’ll gain hands-on experience in production and process operations, working in a highly regulated environment where safety is always the priority.

During your placements, you could get involved in a range of activities, such as:

• Spending time in different operational areas to understand the tasks people carry out, the processes they follow, and how work is completed to specific requirements
• Carrying out practical laboratory analysis, supporting administrative activities, and learning how teams monitor physical and environmental health
• Learning how experiments are carried out in our explosives operational areas, including the safety measures needed to do this work responsibly
• Understanding how daily tasks, weekly plans, and safe systems of work are organised so that activities across the site are completed safely and correctly
• Taking part in science-related work, such as pulsed power trials, where energy is built up over time and then released very quickly

This role can be physically demanding, so you’ll need to pass a medical assessment to check your general fitness and suitability to work with our unique materials. This includes having a BMI under 35, which is a legal requirement for wearing respiratory protection. Depending on your role, you may need to wear this protection while working.

Where you'll work

Atomic Weapons Establishment
Aldermaston
Reading
Berkshire
RG7 4PR

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

AWE PLC

Training course

Process industry manufacturing technician (level 3)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Review instructions or information to understand the task.
• Plan tasks. Identify and organise resources with consideration for safety, environmental impact, quality, and cost.
• Identify hazards and risks in the workplace and personal safety and mitigation measures.
• Apply health, safety, and environmental procedures in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidance.
• Follow environment emergency procedures. For example, make area safe, evacuate.
• Apply sustainability principles for example, minimising waste.
• Apply standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Check equipment.
• Select, check, and prepare raw materials for process for example, weighing, measuring, control and blending, conditioning, dissolving, and sanitisation.
• Set and adjust processing parameters such as temperature, pressure, speed or time, distance.
• Monitor process for example, take readings and conduct walk-arounds.
• Conduct the control of product streams to maintain specifics.
• Apply quality assurance procedures. For example, density checks, contaminant check, and take samples for laboratory testing.
• Apply intermediate or post-manufacturing procedure for example, labelling, packing, storage, visual inspection, discharge.
• Manage waste streams.
• Clean equipment for example, boil-outs, steam-outs, bake-outs, steam in place SIP, clean in place (CIP).
• Conduct calculations for example, conversations, tare weight, charge weights, yield calculations.
• Store tools and equipment.
• Identify equipment for handover.
• Apply signage and access restriction measures.
• Shut down the process and equipment.
• Isolate process and systems.
• Complete isolation checks.
• Empty equipment for example, drain, purge, vent, and de-pressure.
• Purge, fill, pressurise and leak test.
• Complete post maintenance equipment checks.
• Line-up equipment.
• Connect service connections such as water, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic for chemical or petrochemical processing.
• De-isolate process, mechanical and electrical systems.
• Complete pre-start up checks.
• Start-up plant and equipment.
• Re-start process.
• Record or enter information - paper based or electronic.
• Interpret data for example, process data, quality control and test procedure data.
• Interpret drawings and graphs.
• Identify issues for example, defects, deviations, process variance, and maintenance requirements.
• Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
• Apply problem solving and fault-finding techniques.
• Apply continuous improvement techniques. Make a suggestion for improvement.
• Use information and digital technology for example, management information systems, human machine interfaces, word processing, spreadsheet, email, virtual learning platforms, document sharing platforms. Comply with cyber security requirements.
• Produce written documents for example, handover notes or emails, non-conformances, design change requests.
• Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
• Apply team working principles.
• Plan how to meet personal development needs. Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development (CPD) activities.
• Review instructions or information to understand the task.
• Plan tasks. Identify and organise resources with consideration for safety, environmental impact, quality, and cost.
• Identify hazards and risks in the workplace and personal safety and mitigation measures.
• Apply health, safety, and environmental procedures in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidance.
• Follow environment emergency procedures. For example, make area safe, evacuate.
• Apply sustainability principles for example, minimising waste.
• Apply standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Check equipment.
• Select, check, and prepare raw materials for process for example, weighing, measuring, control and blending, conditioning, dissolving, and sanitisation.
• Set and adjust processing parameters such as temperature, pressure, speed or time, distance.
• Monitor process for example, take readings and conduct walk-arounds.
• Conduct the control of product streams to maintain specifics.
• Apply quality assurance procedures. For example, density checks, contaminant check, and take samples for laboratory testing.
• Apply intermediate or post-manufacturing procedure for example, labelling, packing, storage, visual inspection, discharge.
• Manage waste streams.
• Clean equipment for example, boil-outs, steam-outs, bake-outs, steam in place SIP, clean in place (CIP).
• Conduct calculations for example, conversations, tare weight, charge weights, yield calculations.
• Store tools and equipment.
• Identify equipment for handover.
• Apply signage and access restriction measures.
• Shut down the process and equipment.
• Isolate process and systems.
• Complete isolation checks.
• Empty equipment for example, drain, purge, vent, and de-pressure.
• Purge, fill, pressurise and leak test.
• Complete post maintenance equipment checks.
• Line-up equipment.
• Connect service connections such as water, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic for chemical or petrochemical processing.
• De-isolate process, mechanical and electrical systems.
• Complete pre-start up checks.
• Start-up plant and equipment.
• Re-start process.
• Record or enter information - paper based or electronic.
• Interpret data for example, process data, quality control and test procedure data.
• Interpret drawings and graphs.
• Identify issues for example, defects, deviations, process variance, and maintenance requirements.
• Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
• Apply problem solving and fault-finding techniques.
• Apply continuous improvement techniques. Make a suggestion for improvement.
• Use information and digital technology for example, management information systems, human machine interfaces, word processing, spreadsheet, email, virtual learning platforms, document sharing platforms. Comply with cyber security requirements.
• Produce written documents for example, handover notes or emails, non-conformances, design change requests.
• Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
• Apply team working principles.
• Plan how to meet personal development needs. Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development (CPD) activities.

Training schedule

The Apprenticeship duration is 36 months followed by the End Point Assessment.

More training information

Due to the security requirements associated with this apprenticeship, applicants must be British Nationals and be aged 18 or over by 31st August 2027.

Please note that the training provider for this apprenticeship will be an external organisation and is yet to be confirmed. We will share details once they are finalised. Training may be delivered through either day release or block release, depending on the provider and apprenticeship programme.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

5 GCSEs inc English and Maths (grade 4/C or above)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Communication skills
• IT skills
• Attention to detail
• Organisation skills
• Problem solving skills
• Administrative skills
• Analytical skills
• Team working
• Health and Safety
• Time Management

Other requirements

Start Date: 1st September 2027.

Annual leave will not be granted from 1st September until 1st October due to mandatory inductions you are required to complete as part of your apprenticeship. Any leave approved after this point will depend on the training provider requirements for your apprenticeship and must be agreed in advance.

These roles are governed by Health and Safety at Work Regulations and require all candidates to have an Occupational Health pre-employment medical held at AWE which follows the initial selection process. All candidates must be willing and able to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role and be willing and able to work in designated areas.

Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants.

If you choose to share information on your application form about support needs, learning differences, disabilities, health conditions or adjustments, we may contact you to understand how we can support you through the recruitment process. This information will only be used for this purpose and will be handled in line with GDPR.

Due to the security requirements associated with this apprenticeship, applicants must be British Nationals and be aged 18 or over by 31 August 2027.