Apprenticeship - Engineering Design Level 3

Summary

The Engineering Apprentice role is a developmental position within our engineering department, during the apprenticeship you will work 5 days per week, inclusive of 1 day per week for study at Peterborough College. On completion of this apprenticeship, you will obtain a Level 3 Engineering Design Technician qualification.

Wage

Competitive

Competitive wage offered

Training course

Engineering design technician (level 3)

Hours

During the apprenticeship you will work 5 days per week, inclusive of 1 day per week for study at Peterborough College. The working hours are 8:30am to 5:00pm (Monday - Thursday) and 8.30am to 3.30pm (Friday).

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Monday 5 October 2026

Duration

3 years 6 months

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

Our culture believes in POWERING YOUR POTENTIAL. We provide global opportunities to develop your career, make your community a better place and work with today’s most innovative thinkers to solve the world’s toughest problems.

We believe in flexibility for you to explore your passions while making an impact through meaningful work within our inclusive workforce. That’s what #LifeAtCummins is all about.

Are you curious about how things work, enjoy solving problems, and want to build a future in engineering? We are looking for an enthusiastic Engineering Apprentice to join our alternator business in Peterborough, UK.

In this role, you will make an impact in the following ways, with support from experienced colleagues and mentors:

• Learn from a range of engineering departments and contribute ideas that help shape alternator design
• Work collaboratively with design teams to create efficient, reliable and sustainable engineering solutions
• Build confidence managing projects across different teams, with guidance and support throughout your apprenticeship
• Support customers by helping configure and size products to meet their needs
• Take part in testing alternators to ensure they meet international codes and standards

To be successful in this role, you will need the following. If you meet most of the criteria and are excited by the opportunity, we encourage you to apply:

• GCSE grade 7 or above in maths and 5 or above in Science, with at least three additional GCSEs at grade 4 or above. A GCSE in Engineering or a similar technical subject would be helpful, but we also welcome applicants who can show their interest in engineering in other ways
• An interest in engineering, design, problem solving or STEM, which could come from school projects, extracurricular activities, hobbies, work experience, or personal projects
• Confidence with maths and science, along with curiosity, attention to detail and a willingness to learn
• A collaborative approach, with the ability to ask questions, share ideas, take ownership of tasks and contribute to team goals

Why Cummins:

As an apprentice at Cummins, you will have the chance to develop your skills and knowledge in a supportive and dynamic environment. Our programme is designed to provide a comprehensive learning experience that prepares you for a successful career in the industry.

Where you'll work

Fountain Court
Lynch Wood
Peterborough
PE2 6FZ

Training

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

Training provider

INSPIRE EDUCATION GROUP

Training course

Engineering design technician (level 3)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• 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 Level 3.

During the apprenticeship you will work 5 days per week, inclusive of 1 day per week for study at Peterborough College.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

• 3 other subjects (grade C/4 or above)
• Math's (grade 7 or above)
• Science (grade 5/B or above)

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

Engineering (grade C/4 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
• Customer care skills
• Problem solving skills
• Number skills
• Analytical skills
• Logical
• Team working
• Initiative
• Non judgemental