Vocational.uk The route, drawn out

Engineering & Manufacturing

Engineering Design & Draughtsperson

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

Steady demand Level 3 apprenticeship
Typical pay once qualified
£28,000 – £46,000
Training length
3 years
Apprenticeship standard
Engineering design and draughtsperson
Where to train
297 providers listed

The route, drawn out

DWG 440B · 5 stops · 3 years to qualify
  1. Day one Start as an apprentice from £15.6k
  2. Year 2 Training continues, pay rises min. £21.2k+
  3. 3 years Fully qualified around £28k
  4. +3–5 years Experienced up to £46k
  5. Then Design engineer, then senior design engineer next step

The first figures are legal minimums: the apprentice rate (£8.00/hr) and the National Minimum Wage for 18–20s and 21+ from April 2026, on a 37.5-hour week. Qualified and experienced pay are indicative UK ranges — most employers pay apprentices above the minimum.

What the job is

Design technicians produce the models, drawings and data that manufacture and construction depend on. You work in CAD, apply standards and tolerances, and make sure a design can actually be made and maintained.

It suits people who enjoy engineering but prefer a desk and a screen to a workshop floor, and it is a strong route into full engineering roles through HNC and degree apprenticeships.

A typical day

  • Produce 2D drawings and 3D models in CAD to standards
  • Apply dimensioning, tolerancing and materials specifications
  • Amend designs from feedback and change requests
  • Maintain drawing registers and version control
  • Work with manufacturing to check designs can be built

How you get in

  • GCSE grade 4 (C) or above in maths, English and ideally a science
  • Spatial awareness and precision
  • Comfortable with computers and technical detail
  • A portfolio or design coursework helps at interview

Where it leads

  • Design engineer, then senior design engineer
  • HNC, HND or degree apprenticeship in engineering
  • Specialise in FEA, simulation or BIM
  • EngTech and IEng professional registration

Where to train for this

297 colleges and training providers on our list cover Engineering Design & Draughtsperson training. Open your region to see them, then check current intakes with the provider directly.

East Midlands 18
East of England 18
London 17
North East 19
North West 36
South East 30
South West 22
UK-wide 36
West Midlands 28
Yorkshire and the Humber 24
East Scotland 6
North Scotland 8
West Scotland 9
North Wales 2
South Wales 11
West Wales 2
Northern Ireland 8
Channel Islands 2
Isle of Man 1

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