Manufacturing Apprentice - Cheadle

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.

Training course Maintenance and operations engineering technician (level
3)

Hours Monday – Thursday, 37 hours a week (9.25 hours a day).

Start date:

7 September 2026

Duration: 3 years 6 months

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands‑on experience.

• 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.

Dolphin House
Ashurst Drive
Stockport
SK3 0XB

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

THE TRAFFORD AND STOCKPORT COLLEGE GROUP

Maintenance and operations engineering technician (level
3)

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 end-point assessment.

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 in order 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.

GCSE in:

5 GCSEs incl Maths, English & a Science (grade 9‑4 (A‑C))

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

• Analytical skills
• Logical
• Initiative

Together, we create the ingenious technological systems and innovations that impact and improve people's lives every single day. Even if you haven't heard the name Thales before, you've definitely benefited from our inventiveness. We reinvest 20% of our sales in Research & Development in the UK. We support businesses, organisations, and governments in addressing tomorrow’s major challenges by developing advanced Defence, Security, Cybersecurity, Digital Identity, and Aerospace solutions, in the most sustainable, responsible, and ethical manner.

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

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.

You will move into a permanent manufacturing role in Cheadle.

Closes on Thursday 12 February 2026

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.