Software Engineering Apprentice - Level 6 Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship in Crawley

Location: Crawley, United Kingdom

Thales is a global technology leader with more than 83,000 employees on five continents. With over 7,500 people in the UK, operating across defence, space, aerospace, and digital security, we help build a future we can all trust. Thales supports the security and stability of our nation by providing extraordinary technology to our customers, as well as delivering social value to the UK with our products and services.

Start Date: 06 September 2027

Salary: £24,000 per annum

Employee type: Permanent

Working Schedule: Monday – Friday, 37 hours a week (8 hours Monday – Thursday, 5 hours Friday)

Turn your curiosity into a career. If you are passionate about engineering, eager to learn, and looking for a degree apprenticeship that combines academic study with exciting on-the-job experience, we would love to hear from you.

Benefits of the programme:

• Earn a salary while studying for your degree.
• Gain firsthand experience in a real engineering environment.
• Receive job-specific training and development.
• Achieve a recognised engineering qualification.
• Secure a permanent role from the start of your apprenticeship.
• Have your university tuition fees fully paid.

About the Role

As a Software Engineering Apprentice, you will develop the technical knowledge, practical skills and professional behaviours needed to become a confident and capable engineer. Working as part of our Software Engineering team, you will support the delivery of software solutions, ensuring projects are completed on time and within budget.

Your responsibilities may include:

• Programming skills in industry standard languages such as C++ and Java
• Experience of working in multi-disciplined agile environment alongside experienced engineers
• Familiarity with business management tools for managing requirements and formal documentation.
• New tools and infrastructure used for the development engineering environment.
• Development of secure, quality software solutions that adhere to timescale and budget.
• Domain specific knowledge and application of mathematics skills to model and develop real-world solutions across industries, such as aerospace and underwater systems and software defined radio and electronic counter measure systems (dependant on which business area you are aligned to).
• Opportunity to develop creative and bespoke software solutions.
• Organisational skills with well-rounded communication and relationship building abilities.
• Digital Technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics.

What You Will Learn

Throughout the apprenticeship, you will gain experience and knowledge in:

• Professional engineering behaviours and industry best practice
• Understanding and working with complex engineering systems
• Different engineering roles and activities across live projects
• The Software Lifecycle and key engineering processes
• Requirements capture, requirements management and system design techniques.
• Software Engineering tools and practices
• Testing, integration, and verification activities
• Structured and methodical approaches to problem solving and investigation.

Degree Apprenticeship Programme

You will study towards a Level 6 Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship with Exeter University, following the Software Engineer pathway. This 3.5-year programme will introduce apprentices to a broad range of digital disciplines over the first two years of the programme, including data, computer security, software development, networks, programming and AI. In Year three you will move into your specialist pathway of Software Engineering, focussing on the principles, methods, and models that underpin professional software engineering practice. You will also undertake a work based Synoptic Project, before completing your End Point Assessment. On completion of the apprenticeship, you will achieve a BSc in Digital and Technology Solutions, as well as the Level 6 Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship.

The programme is delivered through a blended learning approach, combining:

• On campus teaching (around 22 days across the whole programme)
• Distance learning (1 day per week during term time)
• Online workshops/classes
• Guided self-study

Throughout the 3.5-year programme, you will combine university study with practical workplace experience, developing both academic knowledge and professional engineering skills.

Entry Requirements

To apply, you will need:

• Three A Levels Grade B or above or, BTEC Extended Diploma (DDM) or, T Level (Merit) or, Level 4 Digital Apprenticeship, as defined by Skills England
• Minimum of five GCSEs at Grade 4/C or above Must include: English Language Mathematics

Please note that applicants who already hold a relevant degree will not be eligible for this programme. Software Engineering and Computer Science are both relevant degrees.

Benefits

• Competitive salary of £24,000 per annum
• Performance-related pay uplifts
• Holiday entitlement of 201 hours a year (plus a company day and bank holidays)
• Contributory Company Pension
• Health Care Cash Plan
• Hybrid/flexible working options
• Employee assistance programme
• Learning and development support
• Employee discounts and wellbeing initiatives
• Life Cover
• 80 Hours Volunteering per year (first two years)

Please note, assessment centres for shortlisted candidates will be held between February - May 2027. Induction week for all Graduate and Apprentices will take place from Monday 6 September - Friday 10 September 2027. Closing date: Our applications will close at 11.59pm on Wednesday 17 February 2027, this is the only time we will be accepting applications this year. Please note, we will be in contact by the end of February 2027 with details of next steps.

Because of the work we do at Thales, all roles are subject to security requirements. To be considered for this position, you must have the permanent right to work in the UK and be able to successfully complete and maintain UK Government security checks, including Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) screening and Security Clearance (SC), which is a government background check, before starting employment. To be eligible for SC clearance, you will typically need to have lived in the UK continuously for the last five years. As part of the vetting process, you will be asked to provide evidence of your identity, right to work in the UK, any time spent overseas during the last five years, and your employment and/or education history.

Thales is an equal opportunities employer and diversity, and inclusion are integral to the success of Thales. At Thales, we ensure equal opportunities, pay and working conditions for all. The benefits we offer include private medical insurance, buying or selling annual leave, cycle to work schemes, employee discounts, paid volunteering day, stocks and shares, annual bonus and much more depending on the role. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued for who they are and the unique strengths they bring.