There are many different engineering apprenticeships which focus on different, specialised areas of the profession. For the lowest grade of apprenticeship alone, which is Level 2, there are 19 separate apprenticeship standards. We will talk you through some of the interesting and varied opportunities that are offered in engineering and help you to choose which career path may suit you the best.
Engineering Apprenticeship – Level 2
As mentioned above, there are nineteen different versions of the Engineering Apprenticeship. This particular apprenticeship level is the most popular of all the apprenticeships and is the lowest in terms of academic attainment level.
The Level 2 apprenticeships are referred to as “Intermediate” apprenticeships because they are pitched somewhere between school and further education level and are the equivalent of 5 GCSEs at A-C grade, or 9 to 4 on the new scale.
Some of the engineering apprenticeship options at this level are:
- Engineering Operative
- Building Services Engineering Installer
- Building Services Engineering Ductwork Installer
- Rail Engineering Operative
- Land-based Service Engineer
- Lean Manufacturing Officer
- Water Network Operative
Engineering Apprenticeships – Level 3
Level 3 in terms of academic achievement is the next step up from Level 2 and is equivalent to 2 good A-Level passes, a Btec or Level 3 NVQ. This is also referred to as an “advanced” apprenticeship and provides a good grounding in your subject of choice, in this case, engineering.
There are a number of different opportunities at this level and a few of them are listed below.
- Engineering Technician
- Engineering Fitter
- Healthcare Engineering
- Specialist Technician
- Civil Engineering Technician
- Gas Engineering Operative
- Heritage Engineering Technician
- Bus and Coach Engineering Technician
Engineering Apprenticeship – Level 4
Apprenticeship Level 4 is the equivalent of a Higher National Certificate (HNC) in terms of educational attainment level and falls into the category of “Higher” apprenticeships. These are more advanced than Scottish Highers.
Some of the job titles are included below:
- Space Engineering Technician
- Building Services Engineering Technician
- Construction Site Engineering Technician
- Road Transport Engineering Manager
- Engineering Manufacturing Technician
- Engineering Surveyor
- DevOps Engineer
Engineering Apprenticeships – Level 5
The next step up from Level 4 and this time the educational attainment level is one level below the undergraduate degree level, so is equivalent to a Higher National Diploma (HND). This still falls into the category of “Higher” apprenticeships and we have listed some more for you below.
As we have been moving through the different categories, there have been fewer and fewer apprenticeships per level. The lowest levels garner the most applicants, so by the time you get to level 5 and up, there aren’t as many apprenticeships.
- Rail and Rail Systems Engineer
- Food and Drink Engineer
- Post Production Engineer
- Metal Recycling Technical Manager
- Nuclear Technician
Engineering Apprenticeship – Level 6
Level 6 is the Undergraduate Degree level in terms of education and this is very popular because it means that you don’t have to pay university tuition fees in order to be awarded a degree at the end of your course. This is a superb way to circumvent the system and avoid a very large degree of debt with which to start your working life. We have listed a few of the engineering apprenticeships below:
- Electro-Mechanical Engineer
- Nuclear Reactor Desk Engineer
- Civil Engineer
- Aerospace Engineer
- Fire Safety Engineer
- Manufacturing Engineer
- Project Control Professional
Engineering Apprenticeships – Level 7
Equivalent to a Postgraduate or Master’s degree level, this is the pinnacle of apprenticeship achievement. Being awarded a Master’s Degree is no mean feat and something that is only open to the sharpest of minds. Entrance to apprenticeships at this level will be particularly fierce because of the excellent opportunities awaiting those who are able to successfully complete the apprenticeship and be awarded the Master’s Degree for the work that they have put in.
Some of the potential apprenticeships at this level have been listed below.
- Power and Propulsion Gas turbine Engineer
- Rail and Rail Systems Principal Engineer
- Geo-Technical Engineer
- Electronic Systems Principal Engineer
- Process Automation Engineer
- Systems Engineer
- Outside Broadcast Engineer
Apply Today for an Engineering Apprenticeship
If you have read all of the above and think that a civil engineering apprenticeship in one of the many available flavours might be for you, have a quick look at the reasons to start an apprenticeship page in order to get your ducks in a row and then look at our civil engineering apprenticeship vacancies.
Brush up on your CV writing skills before applying and sort out a good cover letter template that you can use. It doesn’t have to be 100% unique each time you write to apply, as nobody is going to run your letter through CopyScape or any of the other anti-plagiarism sites on the internet.
If you are an engineering apprenticeship employer and are looking at targeting apprentice candidates, please feel free to buy some job credits to advertise on our apprenticeship jobs board. This will help you to get started finding new apprentices to enhance your business.
