2026 Manufacturing Apprentice - Level 3 Engineering and Manufacturing Support Technician

Location: Cheadle, United Kingdom

Thales people provide armed forces customers with operational advantage at every decisive moment throughout the mission. Defence and armed forces customers rely on us to deliver the full range of defence mission systems solutions at land, sea, and air. Our platforms extend across the battlespace including Above and Sonar, Electronic Combat, and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance systems.

Together we offer fantastic opportunities for committed employees to learn and develop their career with us. At Thales UK, we research, develop, and supply technology and services that impact the lives of millions of people each day to make life better, and keep us safer. We innovate across the major industries of Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space. Your health and well-being matters to us and that’s why we offer you the flexibility to do what’s important to you; whether that’s part time hours, job sharing, home working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times. Where possible, we support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions.

2026 Manufacturing Apprentice - Level 3 Engineering and Manufacturing Support Technician

Start Date: 07 September 2026

Salary: £24,000 per annum

Employee type: Permanent

Location: Cheadle

Working Schedule: Monday – Thursday, 37 hours a week (9.25 hours a day)

Do you have an inquisitive mind? Are you interested in how things work? Do you want to be part of an Apprenticeship Programme that will develop and challenge you? Do you want a fantastic opportunity to be part of a growing business learning key skills and developing the mind in the Industrial landscape? If so, read on to see what Thales has on offer…

What the role has to offer:

• Earn while you learn
• Job specific training experience
• Recognised qualifications
• Permanent role from day one
• Tuition fees for university or approved training providers are fully covered

Our manufacturing apprenticeship in Cheadle is a fantastic opportunity to learn our business from the ground up, giving you an insight, which will be invaluable regardless of if you chose to stay in manufacturing or if you move into a different function. The programme will allow you to rotate through a series of different placements, so you can see what you enjoy the most and where your strengths lie.

You will learn the key skills required for working in the manufacturing areas; assembly techniques, wiring and looming, soldering and ESD safety. You will receive all the relevant equipment and software needed to work throughout Thales.

Year 1 of the apprenticeship focusses mainly on learning, spending 3 days a week at Trafford College and 1 day in the workplace, following a set curriculum to give you the skills required for your future career. Year 2 allows you to embed those skills and is predominantly based on site working with our experienced technicians, learning in role while continuing at college on day release to complete a BTEC and NVQ. Year 3 will offer the opportunity to rotate through other business functions where you will gain experience and knowledge in different manufacturing departments, while you work your way to end point assessment.

Apprentice Programme

As a Manufacturing Apprentice, you will enrol onto a Level 3 Engineering and Manufacturing Support Technician Apprenticeship at Trafford College over a 3.5-year duration. Delivered via a day release delivery model, you will complete your academic studies at college each week and then come back to the workplace to apply what you have learned. The End Point Assessment will consist of a work-based project report and a professional discussion. Upon completion of the programme, you will have achieved a Level 3 Diploma in Engineering and Manufacturing Support Technologies, plus a Level 3 apprenticeship qualification.

Requirements:

• 5 GCSEs grade 9-4 (A-C) including English, Maths and a Science subject

Benefits

• 201 hours annual leave (plus a company day and bank holidays)
• Company Pension
• Health Care Cash Plan
• Life Insurance
• Discount Portal
• Performance-related pay uplifts
• 80 Hours Volunteering (first two years)

Please note, assessment centres for shortlisted candidates will be held between February - May 2026.  Induction week for all Graduates and Apprentices will take place from Monday 7 September - Friday 11 September 2026.

Closing date: Our applications will close at 11.59pm on Thursday 12 February 2026, this is the only time we will be accepting applications this year. Please