Design Technician Apprentice

Summary

SMC is looking for motivated individuals with a genuine passion for engineering and a focus on customer satisfaction. Based in Milton Keynes, you’ll join our European Technical Centre (ETC), a key hub supporting customers across Europe with product design and technical expertise across a wide range of industries.

Wage

£16,920 a year

Annual Salary

Training course

Engineering design technician (level 3)

Hours

Monday - Friday (Times to be confirmed).

40 hours a week

Start date

Sunday 30 August 2026

Duration

4 years

Positions available

1

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

You’ll work alongside experienced engineers to deliver high-quality, responsive technical support, while collaborating with SMC teams across Europe, our Engineering Headquarters in Japan, and manufacturing sites in the UK, Italy, and the Czech Republic. This ensures designs follow best practice and are ready for efficient production.

This is a varied, hands-on role offering real challenges, the chance to build valuable skills, and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on both your own development and the success of the business.

What will the apprentice be doing?

• Learn how products are designed, including choosing materials, components, and finishes
• Build and modify equipment using drawings and step-by-step instructions
• Understand how pneumatic and electrical systems work and how to design them
• Test products to make sure they perform well and last over time
• Use and look after workshop tools and equipment
• Learn about important safety and industry regulations and how to follow them
• Support customers by answering questions and helping solve problems
• Develop confidence in communicating with both technical and non-technical people

About you:

• You are a motivated and reliable individual with a strong interest in engineering and how things work
• You have good problem solving skills, attention to detail, and a willingness to learn both practical and theoretical concepts
• A basic understanding of maths and science is important, along with the ability to follow instructions and work safely
• You are a team player who can also take initiative when needed, communicate clearly, and stay organised
• Most importantly, you show enthusiasm, commitment, and a positive attitude towards developing your skills as part of an engineering apprenticeship. Oh, and good timekeeping is a must!

We reserve the right to close applications earlier than the specified closing date if volume has been reached.

Where you'll work

Vincent Avenue
Crownhill
Milton Keynes
Buckinghamshire
MK8 0AN

Training

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

Training provider

MILTON KEYNES COLLEGE

Training course

Engineering design technician (level 3)

What you'll learn

• Apply health and safety procedures and safe systems of work in compliance with regulations and standards.
• Work in accordance with the design process, company management systems, policies and procedures.
• Review and interpret technical information and requirements from different sources such as specifications, engineering drawings, concepts, stakeholders.
• Identify and assess factors that affect designs such as materials, application, location, risk and environment.
• Select materials and parts.
• Propose and evaluate ideas for sustainable engineering concepts to solve engineering challenges.
• Develop solutions that can be manufactured or built, and proven, operated and maintained during their operational life and decommissioned or recycled at the end of their operational life.
• Provide feedback on engineering designs.
• Apply quality assurance procedures to engineering drawings or models, including own designs and those of peers.
• Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
• Produce written documents, schedules and reports.
• Identify, organise and use resources to complete tasks with consideration for cost, quality, safety, security and environmental impact.
• Identify inaccuracies or discrepancies in drawings and specifications and propose solutions.
• Incorporate changes to an existing design as a result of any modifications made during the as-built implementation.
• Create concepts for system layouts and associated components.
• Read, interpret and establish design intent.
• Determine the correct tolerances for components of the design.
• Follow equality, diversity and inclusion procedures.
• Perform simple calculations to use in design drawings.
• Use measuring techniques for reverse engineering.
• Option 1. Produce general arrangements of electrical power.
• Option 1. Produce detailed drawings of electrical power components such as wires connection, voltage, capacity, main switches.
• Option 1. Identify cable types and application.
• Option 1. Use digital tools such as CAD and BIM to produce electrical power project deliverables such as output drawings and electrical designs.
• Option 2. Produce general arrangements of control and instrumentation designs.
• Option 2. Produce detailed drawings of control and instrumentation components such as cable numbers, wire colours, junction block numbers and panel identification.
• Option 2. Identify different cable types and appropriate application.
• Option 2. Use digital tools such as CAD to produce control and instrumentation project deliverables.
• Option 3. Produce general arrangements of mechanical designs.
• Option 3. Produce detailed drawings of mechanical components such as part dimensions, shape and manufacture.
• Option 3. Use digital tools such as CAD to produce mechanical project deliverables.
• Option 4. Produce general arrangements of piping design.
• Option 4. Produce detailed drawings of piping components such as pipework, ducts and fittings and including supports and skids.
• Option 4. Use digital tools such as CAD or Plant Design Management Systems to produce piping design project deliverables.
• Option 5. Produce general arrangements of structures showing multiple materials such as steel, concrete, masonry, timber.
• Option 5. Produce detailed drawings for multiple materials such as steel, concrete, timber or masonry.
• Option 5. Use digital tools such as CAD and BIM to produce structural project deliverables.
• Apply health and safety procedures and safe systems of work in compliance with regulations and standards.
• Work in accordance with the design process, company management systems, policies and procedures.
• Review and interpret technical information and requirements from different sources such as specifications, engineering drawings, concepts, stakeholders.
• Identify and assess factors that affect designs such as materials, application, location, risk and environment.
• Select materials and parts.
• Propose and evaluate ideas for sustainable engineering concepts to solve engineering challenges.
• Develop solutions that can be manufactured or built, and proven, operated and maintained during their operational life and decommissioned or recycled at the end of their operational life.
• Provide feedback on engineering designs.
• Apply quality assurance procedures to engineering drawings or models, including own designs and those of peers.
• Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
• Produce written documents, schedules and reports.
• Identify, organise and use resources to complete tasks with consideration for cost, quality, safety, security and environmental impact.
• Identify inaccuracies or discrepancies in drawings and specifications and propose solutions.
• Incorporate changes to an existing design as a result of any modifications made during the as-built implementation.
• Create concepts for system layouts and associated components.
• Read, interpret and establish design intent.
• Determine the correct tolerances for components of the design.
• Follow equality, diversity and inclusion procedures.
• Perform simple calculations to use in design drawings.
• Use measuring techniques for reverse engineering.

Training schedule

• Engineering Design Technician
• Training with Milton Keynes College
• Ongoing support and training with SMC

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

• Maths (grade 9-5)
• English (grade 9-4)

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

Skills

• Communication
• Motivated
• Team Player