Degree Apprenticeship Scheme 2025 - Control, Electrical & Instrumentation Design Engineering (Level 6)

Job Introduction

Job Description

There’s never been a more exciting time to be part of the nuclear sector. New opportunities are being created all the time. At NNL, you’ll be in the ideal place to capitalise on this momentum, face new challenges and develop a long, successful and meaningful career. 

We’re an organisation that’s here to experiment and push the limits of what’s possible. So, if you’re keen to excel in your chosen field, this is the place to do it. Because at NNL, anything is possible.

NNL is not like any other business, and our apprenticeships are like no other. Our apprentices are our future, which is why we have a dedicated programme which supports you in your personal development whilst you complete your apprenticeship.

To join the NNL apprenticeship scheme you’ll already have a good academic background and should have attained or be on track to achieving 5 GCSE's 9-4 (A-C) including Maths, English & Science. You will also have a Level 3 qualification, such as A-levels, or completed an advanced apprenticeship in a STEM related subject. 

You must be 18 years or over by September 2025.

To be eligible for this apprenticeship you must:

• Not be enrolled on another funded apprenticeship or another funded further education or higher education programme at the time you start your new apprenticeship.
• Only apply if the Nuclear Scientist & Engineer, Level 6 apprenticeship standard, is unrelated to any qualifications you already hold at the same or higher level. The apprenticeship you are applying for must be unrelated in subject and content from the qualification you already hold. 

You will have the right to work in the UK, have lived in the UK for at least 5 years and be able to achieve SC level security clearance.

We’re looking for people who can be part of our future. People who want to succeed and have the commitment and motivation to get there. People who ask questions and demand answers, who’ll be open to learning and work hard.

We’re looking for bright, enthusiastic achievers who’ll want to be part of our mission to grow the nuclear industry.

Main Responsibilities

NNL is where your solutions solve real-world problems. As a Control, Electrical and Instrumentation (CE&I) Design Apprentice you will be a key member of the engineering design team. 

Your duties will involve: 

• Developing your skills through practical hands-on work in a wide range of Control, Electrical and Instrument design topics. 
• Learning how NNL’s operating facilities work, engaging with our people, and developing an understanding of the business.  
• Supporting with the delivery of CE&I engineering in a nuclear environment
• Support the development of First Of A Kind (FOAK) solutions, presenting opportunities for innovate thinking whilst relying on proven safety design principles and technologies
• Developing a broad understanding on a range of topics to respond to different types of work packages
• Developing your knowledge of the design lifecycle and how it supports the wider process of delivering safely into nuclear sites to the satisfaction of site license holders and regulators

Working within nuclear brings with it a highly regulated and complex environment brings along unique challenges as the potential consequences of poor engineering can have significant impact on people and the environment.

On this apprenticeship you will be following the Nuclear Science and Engineering, Level 6 standard. 

For the first year of your apprenticeship, you will spend your time at our college providers training facility.

To welcome you into the business, your programme will start with a tailored induction. This will give you an understanding of the business, the programme you will follow and what we’ll expect from you during your apprenticeship. Following your induction, you’ll be supported through your apprenticeship journey focusing on personal development. This covers a range of skills from time management to team working. We’ll learn about you together.

We even have a dedicated apprentice advisor who is there to ensure that you are settling into your apprenticeship at NNL, both in the workplace and at college.

As part of the selection process for the apprenticeship programme you should expect to complete a short online assessment. Successful candidates will be invited to attend an assessment centre which will assess technical and behavioural competencies. The assessment centre for this role will be held in March 2025. 

If successful you will receive a conditional offer of employment, you will also be required to achieve the appropriate security and medical clearances. 

You will start your apprenticeship scheme in September 2025.  

Why join us?

NNL isn’t just a place where you can do career-defining work that makes a real-world impact. It’s also a place where you’ll feel appreciated and valued. We’re creating an inclusive workplace where everyone is free to be themselves and feel like they belong. We put your wellbeing first, we push you to reach your potential, and we do everything possible to help you feel safe, supported and inspired.

We also offer a range of employee benefits:

• Annual Leave: Benefit from 25.5 days of leave, plus 4 extra days to be taken during Christmas shutdown, plus Bank Holidays.
• Company Bonus: Be rewarded for your contributions.
• Reduced gym membership with discounts of up to 25% from 3,700 gym and leisure providers across the UK
• Cycle to Work: Stay active and eco-friendly.
• Access to ‘Mydiscounts’ which has a range of special offers and discounts from more than 200 suppliers, including medical insurance and dental insurance. 
• Enhanced Sick Pay Benefits: Receive support during illness or injury.
• Health Care: Health savings plan which allows you to claim money back on visits to the dentist, optician and/or physiotherapist (limits apply).
• Employee Assistance: Access support for personal and professional challenges.
• Learning Opportunities: Enhance your skills through excellent development programmes.
• NNL offers attractive pension plans. An auto enrollment scheme for those who are aged 22 or older, or if you are below the age of 22 you can choose to opt-in to the scheme. If you contribute 5%, NNL contributes 15%. Alternatively, if you choose not to contribute (0%), NNL will still contribute 10%. 
• Life Assurance: Ensure peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
• Sector leading Family-Focused Policies: celebrate life events, including enhanced maternity and paternity leave and a week off for your marriage.

About The Company

NNL is an incredible place to work. A place where people do things that have never been done before. A place where people push boundaries to further themselves, the business and society as a whole.

This is a place where personal and professional opportunities are limitless. If you want to change the world, if you want to tackle climate change, if you want to help advance medical science, if you want to help put things in space, if you want to answer the big questions, if you want to work with extraordinary materials, if you want to meet great people, learn new skills, challenge yourself, work flexibly, and build a long successful career with the power to make a real impact… you can do it all here.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

NNL has a vision for Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (ED&I) where NNL aims to be an inclusive workplace that attracts diverse talent through transparent and equal policies and procedures, providing reasonable adjustments as appropriate. We want you and the diverse mix of people that we employ, customers that we service and stakeholders that we influence to feel valued. We encourage a workplace culture where everyone can thrive with a sense of belonging and the ability to access to workplace in a way which works for you.

Recruitment Agency Notice

We operate a strict Preferred Supplier List (PSL) for the provision of recruitment services. Only agencies on our PSL may provide CVs and only when the role is released to them by our recruitment team. We will not accept unsolicited CVs from suppliers not currently on our PSL. We explicitly reserve the right to add candidate details from unsolicited CVs from non-PSL agencies into our own candidate database and to pursue/hire such candidate(s) without any obligation, financial or otherwise, to the agency concerned.

United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory