Level 3 Apprentice Field Service Engineer – Mechanical (Bio Operations) in Urmston

Overview

Are you ready to live your future? Do you want to be part of building a greener, healthier, and stronger North West? Come and join us! With a range of award-winning roles on offer, you’re sure to find your perfect career here at United Utilities. We’ll provide you with industry-leading skills and the experience you need to succeed in your chosen field.

Who are United Utilities?

United Utilities is accountable for water and wastewater services in the North West of England. From 2025-2030 we will undertake the largest investment in water and wastewater services in the North West in 100 years – that’s more than £13 billion worth of projects. Now, more than ever, we need inspiring future talent to help make the North West stronger, greener, and healthier.

Whatever area of our business your interests lie in, our award winning apprentice programme will give you first-class training and support, aligned with an in-depth understanding of your chosen business area – so that you can develop the skills you need to progress your career as you make a real contribution to the communities we serve.

Working in the North West means there’s a lot of ground to cover. You could have the opportunity to work in the heart of the Lake District, or you could sample a taste of city life. As well as our main office in Warrington we also recruit for a variety of roles based across the North West; we have 575 wastewater treatment works and 96 water treatment works in areas from Crewe in Cheshire to Carlisle in Cumbria. Whichever scheme you join, you’ll be at the heart of bringing innovation and positive change to the water industry.

Life as a United Utilities Apprentice

Our apprentices are well looked after, with a generous salary, 26 days of leave (excluding bank holidays), a £500 contribution towards learning to drive, and many more benefits. You’ll have a dedicated mentor and manager to support you every step of the way. All we ask is that you’re willing to learn, work well as part of a team, and manage your time and workload effectively.

As a Level 3 Apprentice Field Service Engineer – Mechanical (Bio Operations), you’ll learn how to:

• Strip, inspect, repair and rebuild mechanical equipment.
• Understand how pumps, valves, actuators, gearboxes and centrifuges function and run.
• Use your hands and tools to monitor and repair equipment.
• Treat sludge as it comes into the site and how our thermal hydrolysis process creates gases and “class A” treated sludge.
• Safely isolate equipment and work in a safe environment.
• Perform planned maintenance on different pieces of equipment.

A Bit More About The Role

Your apprenticeship will last 48 months, and successful apprentices will achieve a Level 3 Water industry asset maintenance technician (mechanical) standard, endorsed by the Institute for Apprenticeships. During your first year, you’ll spend 3 days per week over an 8-month duration during term time at the Bolton Technical Training Centre. If you do not live near, accommodation will be reimbursed/provided by United Utilities during this period, excluding weekends. Once you’ve completed your apprenticeship you’ll be asked to join part of a formal standby rota, which may require you to do some out of hours work. Don’t worry your training will prepare you for this, but we do advise that you apply for a vacancy that’s relatively easy for you to get to, as we would need you to travel to the site easily. You will need to be mobile in this role, we’ll contribute up to £500 towards driving lessons and tests to help to get you on the road!

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for someone keen to gain hands-on experience, develop practical skills, and achieve the standards needed to succeed in this role. You’ll be expected to:

• Manage a work/college balance.
• Work and communicate within multiple teams/work areas.
• Take responsibility for own learning and workload.

You’ll need to have:

• 5 GCSEs or equivalent, grades A-C or grades 9-4, which must include Maths, English and a Science or Technology subject.

Why choose us to kickstart your career?

• Secure your future – Every apprentice is guaranteed a permanent position at the end of their scheme*
• A springboard to your career – You’ll receive structured training, a dedicated mentor, and high-quality learning to help shape your career
• Inspire the next generation – You’ll have the chance to represent United Utilities at key events across the region, engaging with young people to bring careers in the water industry to life
• Reward and benefits – There are lots of perks, including a competitive starting salary of £20,000, which will increase each year based on performance
• Be part of the UU family – You’ll have the chance to network, bond, and learn from your colleagues and fellow apprentices

We need fantastic people to help us deliver a great service to the public. We are committed to reaching and recruiting from every community, supporting our employees to achieve their full potential, and ensuring everyone feels valued and included, regardless of gender, age, race, disability, sexual orientation, or social background.

Additional Information

It is essential that you live within a reasonable commuting distance of the base location of your apprenticeship. As part of your induction, you will attend a five-day residential trip to the Lake District. This is a fantastic opportunity to develop your skills in a beautiful setting with your fellow apprentices. Accommodation and boarding will be provided. During your apprenticeship, you may need to travel to your place of study. If you’re not local to your place of study, accommodation will either be provided or reimbursed by United Utilities during this period (excluding weekends).

Depending on the role that you are applying for, our recruitment process may require you to complete:

• An Online application form
• Online tests
• An in-person interview (and presentation) or assessment centre
• A technical test

Important Notes

If you are offered a job with us, a number of pre-employment checks will need to be carried out before your appointment can be confirmed. Any offer of employment with United Utilities will be subject to a satisfactory report from the Disclosure Scotland/ the Disclosure and Barring Service. Please only apply for one apprenticeship role. Part of the assessment process will be to detail why you have applied for your selected apprenticeship vacancy. Please note that we are unable to offer Visa sponsorship for this role. You must have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least three years before starting the apprenticeship.