Quality Practitioner Apprenticeship

About AWE

We are AWE. We're a team of remarkable people achieving an extraordinary mission: keeping the nation safe and secure.

Our work is critical. We are responsible for delivering the next warhead for the UK's nuclear deterrent; working at the forefront of nuclear technologies that keep the nation safe.

AWE's support for the government's strategy takes many facets: from supporting the weapon programme for the nuclear deterrent, supporting the UK's counter terrorist programme, identifying where there may be nuclear tests taking place around the world, and building an expert group of individuals in order to give the UK real depth in nuclear science and technology.

Start an extraordinary career at AWE; grow your skills, learn from industry experts and become part of a community at one of the most unique companies in the UK.

About The Role

Being a Quality Practitioner Apprentice is a varied and exciting career, with each day being different to the next; from facilitating risk prevention events, undertaking audits through to using innovative solutions to solve significant business problems and drive continuous improvement.

Through a series of placements within the Quality function, you will gain experience of the management and review of the companies processes and procedures and their use. Using this experience you will ensure we fulfil our contractual and regulatory requirements of our customers and stakeholders through quality planning, quality assurance, quality control and continuous improvement activities.

In addition to the vocational aspects of your training, we will further your knowledge of quality through academic studies. On successful completion of this apprenticeship, you will be eligible for professional registration to the Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) at practitioner grade.

About You

• IT Literate

• Good communication skills

• Excellent team working skills

• Health and safety aware

• Effective at following instructions

• Ability to concentrate for long periods

• A logical structured way of thinking

• Passion and motivation for your chosen profession

This role may appeal to you if you enjoy

• Having an eye for detail and an interest in improving things

• Reviewing documents and understanding their application in the real world

• Having a logical approach to understanding processes

• Having a hands-on approach to problem solving

Entry Requirements

• 5 GCSEs at grade 4/C or above including Maths and English

• 1 'A' Level or equivalent Grade C or above (preferred not mandatory)

• Applicants must be aged 18 or over, as of 31st August 2025, due to security clearance requirements

• You must be a British National to apply for a role with us.

The Benefits

• We offer our apprentices a starting salary of £22,250, increasing annually throughout your apprenticeship

• Market leading contributory pension scheme

• Generous holiday entitlement 270 hours a year (inclusive of Bank Holidays) plus every other Friday off

• Access to employee discounts portal, everyday savings on retail, hospitality and leisure.

• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services

Alongside these benefits you will get the opportunity to learn from some of the top leaders in their field whilst helping us to continue to deliver national nuclear security, threat reduction and counter-terrorism solutions.

Location - Reading / Basingstoke area

Start Date - Wednesday the 27th of August 2025.

Annual leave will not be granted from 27th August until 3rd October, due to mandatory inductions and the requirement for you to complete as part of your apprenticeship. Any leave approved after this point will depend on the training provider requirements for your apprenticeship and must be agreed in advance.

Duration - 18 months to 2 years

Recruitment Process

We recruit on a rolling basis which means as soon as our positions have been filled, the scheme will close to new applications. So, please apply as soon as possible to avoid missing out

These roles are governed by Health and Safety at Work Regulations and require all candidates to have an Occupational Health pre-employment medical held at AWE which follows the initial selection process. All candidates must be willing and able to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role and be willing and able to work in designated areas.

Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants.

Any inclusion information you provide us will be used to encourage and support you through the application process and will be held only for this purpose in accordance with GDPR.

Contact us

If you have questions during the application process, please reach out to the Early Careers Team at EarlyCareers@awe.co.uk

Please note that you must be a British Citizen to apply for a role with us.

Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants. Any inclusion information you provide us will be used to encourage and support you through the application process and will be held only for this purpose in accordance with GDPR.

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