Aerospace Degree Apprentice

GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster, and greener! Fueled by great people whose expertise and creativity set the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies. And we’re committed to putting sustainability at the center of everything we do, opening up and protecting our planet. With over 16,000 employees across 33 manufacturing sites in 12 countries, we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.35 bn. in 2023. There are no limits to where you can take your career.

Job Summary

An Aerospace Engineer Degree Apprenticeship will prepare you for a career within our engineering and design teams over a four-year program. Examples of target occupations/functions listed below:

Design Engineering

Design Engineers are involved from the early phases of concept development right through to design, supporting in-service product repairs and upgrades. You will work closely with our customers to provide innovative solutions to a variety of wing-related components, sub-assemblies & complex integrated assemblies.

Analysis

Analysis Engineers work closely with all engineering functions. Key activities include loadsets, sizing, optimization, strength, and test reports.

Manufacturing Engineering

Manufacturing Engineers operate across the whole business, from product concepts through to design, procurement, manufacturing, and end-product support. As a Manufacturing Engineer, you will work closely with Design, Engineering, Operations, Procurement, Customers & Suppliers to achieve world-class cost, quality, & delivery objectives.

Apprentice Programme Structure

Year 1: The majority of your first year will be spent working offsite at college. Towards the end of the first year, you will undertake a return-to-site induction followed by onsite GKN training.

Years 2 & 3: You will undertake Business Familiarisation, which involves working to a rotation plan in Design, Analysis, Materials & Processes, Component/Assembly Production, Manufacturing Engineering, and Quality. All work carried out within placement areas will be recorded in work packs and reviewed monthly with your GKN Training Advisor. You will return to college/university on day-release to continue studying in the classroom for your Degree.

Year 4: You will be assigned to your final placement and will spend the year specializing in this area. You will also finalize your Degree and Level Four Competence Qualification during this time, as well as complete your End Point Assessment.

Key Responsibilities

• To observe the company’s terms and conditions of employment.
• In both work and training, be diligent and punctual and attend courses, keep records, and take tests to be determined by the company in order to achieve the training objectives and quality gates.
• To behave in a responsible manner and in accordance with the requirements of Health & Safety legislation relating to the individual’s responsibilities.
• To promote the company’s name and image with respect and diplomacy.
• To successfully complete all activities documented in the Aerospace Engineer Degree Apprentice Training Agreement.

Qualifications

3 A Levels – must include Maths and Physics or Chemistry (All Grade C or above)

Or

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Engineering – must include Further Maths and Mechanical Principles units, and grades must be Merit or Distinction.

Please note: for engineering equivalent qualifications you must specify units contained within the qualification and also specify the grading achieved for each unit i.e., Pass/Merit/Distinction. Also, Level 3 Tech Extended Diploma Qualifications must contain Further Mathematics and Mechanical Principles units. Failure to give this level of detail will result in your application being automatically rejected.

We’ll offer you fantastic challenges and amazing opportunities. This is your chance to be part of an organization that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry and is committed to pushing the boundaries even further. And with some of the best training on offer in the industry, who knows how far you can go?

A Great Place to work needs a Great Way of Working

Everyone is welcome to apply to GKN. We believe that we can only achieve our ambitions through a coming together of diverse minds who enjoy collaborating in an inspirational environment. Through our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and belonging, and by living our five powerful principles we’ve created a culture where everyone feels welcome to contribute. It’s a culture that won us ‘The Best Workplace Culture Award’. By embracing and celebrating what makes us unique we encourage everyone to bring their full self to work.

We’re also committed to providing an accessible recruitment process, so if you require reasonable adjustments at any stage during our recruitment process, please get in touch and let us know.

We are the place where human dreams, plus human endeavor, shape the future of aerospace innovation and technology.