Employer scheme

Thames Water

The UK's largest water company, with apprenticeships in engineering, networks and wastewater treatment.

Reading South East England

Trades they train

Construction & Building

Groundworker

The first trade on site: dig, drain, concrete and lay the foundations everything else sits on.

Pay
£28k–£42k
Level
L2
Train
1.5 years
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Electrical, Plumbing & Heating

Electrician

Install, test, inspect and maintain electrical systems in homes, sites and industry — the best-paid of the…

Pay
£35k–£58k
Level
L3
Train
3.5 years
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Electrical, Plumbing & Heating

Gas Engineer

Install, service and repair gas boilers, fires and appliances — legally restricted work, so qualified people…

Pay
£34k–£55k
Level
L3
Train
2 years
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Electrical, Plumbing & Heating

Heat Pump & Low Carbon Heating Installer

Install and commission heat pumps, cylinders and low-temperature heating — the fastest-growing trade in the…

Pay
£33k–£50k
Level
L3
Train
3 years
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Electrical, Plumbing & Heating

Plumber & Heating Engineer

Install and maintain hot and cold water, heating systems, bathrooms and drainage in homes and commercial…

Pay
£32k–£52k
Level
L3
Train
4 years
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Engineering & Manufacturing

Engineering Design & Draughtsperson

Turn concepts into the 2D drawings and 3D models that everyone else builds from.

Pay
£28k–£46k
Level
L3
Train
3 years
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Engineering & Manufacturing

Engineering Fitter

Assemble, install and adjust mechanical assemblies and machinery so they run right.

Pay
£32k–£48k
Level
L3
Train
3 years
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Engineering & Manufacturing

Machinist / CNC Technician

Produce precision components on lathes, mills and CNC machines to tolerances measured in hundredths of a…

Pay
£30k–£46k
Level
L3
Train
3.5 years
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Engineering & Manufacturing

Maintenance Engineering Technician

Keep production plant running — mechanical, electrical and control systems, planned and reactive.

Pay
£35k–£52k
Level
L3
Train
3.5 years
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Engineering & Manufacturing

Metal Fabricator

Cut, form and assemble steel and sheet metal into structures, vessels and components.

Pay
£31k–£46k
Level
L3
Train
3.5 years
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Engineering & Manufacturing

Welder

Join metal by hand to a standard that can be X-rayed — a skill that travels worldwide and pays for it.

Pay
£32k–£55k
Level
L2
Train
1.5 years
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