Compressed Air & Vacuum Technician (CAVT) Apprenticeship

Summary

The programme builds practical engineering competence, technical knowledge, and safety awareness to support reliable, efficient, and compliant system performance.

Aligned to real operational settings, the apprenticeship supports productivity, energy efficiency, and continuous improvement across compressed air and vacuum applications.

Annual wage

- £16,640 to £26,436.80 a year Minimum wage ratesDependant upon age

Training course

- Compressed air and vacuum technician

Hours

- Permanent (Full Time) Monday – Friday (8am – 5pm)40 hours a week

Start date

- Monday 1 February 2027

Duration

- 27 Months

Positions available

- 2

Work

As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands‑on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

What you’ll do at work

You will receive a combination of academic and practical training designed to develop your skills from basic engineering right up to the forefront of technology within the compressed air industry. You will receive training from various sources including a dedicated learning and development officer, The British Compressed Air Society, Cogent Skills, Experienced engineers and manufacturers alike. We have the in‑house facility to deliver both academic and practical training as well as in‑the‑field opportunities (accompanied by experienced engineers)

You will spend 1 day per week receiving classroom training delivered by Cogent skills, 1 day per week training from our in‑house learning and development officer and 2‑3 days per week working along‑side experienced engineers in the field. Time will also be allocated to completing independent learning commitments tasked as part of the apprenticeship. Further into your development, time will be spent with other mentoring staff to develop a broader understanding of the compressed air industry as a whole.

Where you’ll work

- STAFFORD PARK 1, TELFORD, TF3 3BD

Training

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

College or training organisation

- COGENT SSC LIMITED

Your training course

- Compressed air and vacuum technician - Equal to Level 3 (A level)

Course contents

• Install compressed air or vacuum equipment, piping, electrical connections and control systems.
• Commission compressed air or vacuum equipment and/or components.
• Lock off and isolate equipment; electrical and mechanical.
• Decommission and disconnect specified equipment or components, for long term shut down or disposal for example. Categorise equipment for reuse, disposal or recycling and when necessary, complete storage measures to prevent deterioration.
• Maintain and service compressed air or vacuum equipment or components.
• Diagnose; rectify faults and/or repair of compressed air or vacuum equipment, components and systems.
• Inspect pressure/vacuum vessels, their safety devices and/or other equipment.
• Select and use hand tools, specialist tools and instruments, including test equipment. Check tools and identify and report tool defects where necessary. Store of tools and equipment.
• Plan and prepare for work, for example task delegation, work-flow, route planning and time management. Obtain and check parts.
• Report and record work activity, for example asset management records, work sheets, checklists, waste environmental records and any legal reporting requirements.
• Adhere to heath and safety regulations, legislation and safe working practices; identify risks, hazards and control measure.
• Read and interpret technical and safety documentation, for example risk assessments, method statements, permits to work, operation and maintenance manuals and wiring diagrams.
• Communicate with stakeholders - internal and/or external, for example customers, colleagues, managers and the general public.
• House-keeping, including restoring the work area on completion of the activity, returning any resources and consumables, disposal of waste, re‑cycling/re‑using where appropriate.
• Use IT, for example document creation, communication and information management.
• Install compressed air or vacuum equipment, piping, electrical connections and control systems.
• Commission compressed air or vacuum equipment and/or components.
• Lock off and isolate equipment; electrical and mechanical.
• Decommission and disconnect specified equipment or components, for long term shut down or disposal for example. Categorise equipment for reuse, disposal or recycling and when necessary, complete storage measures to prevent deterioration.
• Maintain and service compressed air or vacuum equipment or components.
• Diagnose; rectify faults and/or repair of compressed air or vacuum equipment, components and systems.
• Inspect pressure/vacuum vessels, their safety devices and/or other equipment.
• Select and use hand tools, specialist tools and instruments, including test equipment. Check tools and identify and report tool defects where necessary. Store of tools and equipment.
• Plan and prepare for work, for example task delegation, work‑flow, route planning and time management. Obtain and check parts.
• Report and record work activity, for example asset management records, work sheets, checklists, waste environmental records and any legal reporting requirements.
• Adhere to heath and safety regulations, legislation and safe working practices; identify risks, hazards and control measure.
• Read and interpret technical and safety documentation, for example risk assessments, method statements, permits to work, operation and maintenance manuals and wiring diagrams.
• Communicate with stakeholders - internal and/or external, for example customers, colleagues, managers and the general public.
• House-keeping, including restoring the work area on completion of the activity, returning any resources and consumables, disposal of waste, re‑cycling/re‑using where appropriate.
• Use IT, for example document creation, communication and information management.
• Install compressed air or vacuum equipment, piping, electrical connections and control systems.
• Commission compressed air or vacuum equipment and/or components.
• Lock off and isolate equipment; electrical and mechanical.
• Decommission and disconnect specified equipment or components, for long term shut down or disposal for example. Categorise equipment for reuse, disposal or recycling and when necessary, complete storage measures to prevent deterioration.
• Maintain and service compressed air or vacuum equipment or components.
• Diagnose; rectify faults and/or repair of compressed air or vacuum equipment, components and systems.
• Inspect pressure/vacuum vessels, their safety devices and/or other equipment.
• Select and use hand tools, specialist tools and instruments, including test equipment. Check tools and identify and report tool defects where necessary. Store of tools and equipment.
• Plan and prepare for work, for example task delegation, work‑flow, route planning and time management. Obtain and check parts.
• Report and record work activity, for example asset management records, work sheets, checklists, waste environmental records and any legal reporting requirements.
• Adhere to heath and safety regulations, legislation and safe working practices; identify risks, hazards and control measure.
• Read and interpret technical and safety documentation, for example risk assessments, method statements, permits to work, operation and maintenance manuals and wiring diagrams.
• Communicate with stakeholders - internal and/or external, for example customers, colleagues, managers and the general public.
• House-keeping, including restoring the work area on completion of the activity, returning any resources and consumables, disposal of waste, re‑cycling/re‑using where appropriate.
• Use IT, for example document creation, communication and information management.

Your training plan

The Level 3 Compressed Air & Vacuum Technician Apprenticeship is delivered through a blended model designed to integrate with day‑to‑day engineering operations.

Delivery Model

• 1 day per week online knowledge delivery
• Regular online progress reviews
• Scheduled workplace visits for face‑to‑face assessment and support
• Workplace‑based competency development
• Industry‑recognised training aligned to sector standards
• Apprentices apply learning directly in their role, developing practical skills while maintaining operational performance. Ongoing reviews ensure progress aligns with business needs and individual development.

Requirements

Desired qualifications

• GCSE English (Grade 5 or C and above) desirable
• GCSE Maths (Grade 5 or C and above) desirable

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills -

• Communication skills
• Team working
• Aptitude to learn
• Retain new training
• Commitment to the course
• Ambition to develop
• Long‑term career in industry
• Social skills
• Full UK Driving Licence

About this company

Established in 1994, Telford Compressed Air Services Ltd. is an industry leading, independent industrial compressed air service provider. We specialise in end‑to‑end management of industrial compressed air systems. Services include, Design, supply, installation, maintenance and 24/7 engineering support to our customer base.

www.tcascompressors.co.uk

Company Benefits

Pension Scheme

• Employer Amount - 4%
• Employee Amount - 5%

Holiday Entitlement

• - 20 (Plus Bank Holidays)

Disability Confident

• A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long‑term health condition. This includes non‑visible disabilities and conditions.
• You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

• Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay .
• The Apprenticeship will be delivered with view to employ successful candidates on a full‑time basis as an Engineer.

Ask a question -

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

TELFORD COMPRESSED AIR SERVICES LTD

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000060703.

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