Apprenticeships in the United Kingdom

Should you be offered a role you will be  required to:

• Provide evidence of your right to work in the UK for the full duration of the programme;

• Be subject to a background check in line with our security requirements;

• Achieve the grades required (if not already achieved at the time of your application); and,

• For apprenticeships in England, you must be eligible for apprenticeship levy funding.

Our apprenticeship roles do not meet the minimum requirements set by UK Visas & Immigration to enable sponsorship of migrant workers. You can review the available options to come to the UK on the Home Office website.

Entry requirements vary depending on the specific programme you are applying for. Typically, for our Craft and Technician apprenticeships, you will need a minimum of five GCSEs at Grade 4 or C (or equivalent), which must include maths, English language, and a science. For our Degree apprenticeships, you will also need A-Levels or a BTEC (or equivalents). Please check the individual vacancy descriptions for the specific requirements for each role.

For equivalent qualifications, please first reference the GOV.UK page on equivalencies for more information. Decisions on validity of equivalence will be made by our education partners.

If you are currently working towards your qualifications please include your predicted grades on your application; if you are made an offer it will be conditional on achieving the required grades.

All applications must be made through our careers website, applications are not accepted by any other method.

The process begins with an online application form where you can tell us about your skills and motivation. As guidance we expect that:

• Digital, business, engineering, project management and procurement degree apprenticeships closed on 26 October
• Craft/level 3 apprenticeships in Bristol/Filton are likely to close between 6 and 30 November
• Craft/level 3 apprenticeships in Broughton are likely to close between 6 November and 15 December
• Craft/level 3 apprenticeships in Belfast are likely to close by 20 December
• Supply chain, customer services, facilities management and quality engineering degree apprenticeships are likely to close before 4 January
• Craft/level 2 apprenticeships in Stevenage are likely to close by 30 January

Please apply as early as possible to avoid disappointment, roles may close without warning - and before expected.

After you apply, you may be invited to complete an online assessment and a virtual or in-person interview. The online assessment, Arctic Shores, is usually sent to you within three working days, you will have three days to complete the assessment.

Assessment centres and skills days are expected as follows:

• Level 3 roles in Broughton - 26 January to 4 February and 15 to 19 February
• Level 3 roles in Filton - 8 to 10 February
• Level 3 roles in Belfast - 15 to 18 March
• Level 2 roles in Stevenage - 16 to 18 March
• All levels 4, 5 and 6 apprenticeships - assessment centres in March 2027

Level 2 and 3 roles require in-person assessments at our skills days, all other levels are assessed using online assessment centres - unless informed otherwise. You will only need to attend one assessment, that will not last longer than one da

Whilst there are no strict requirements, we recommend that cover letters should be no longer than one page and CVs should be no longer than two pages, but one page will suffice. 

You should ensure that qualifications you already hold are detailed with the attained grade, for qualifications you are currently working towards please include your predicted grade where available. If your grades (attained or predicted) are not included in your application it will be declined.

Please note that for Level 2 apprenticeships, grades may not be required for entry. You should check the job listing before applying.

Arctic Shores is a game-based assessment which Airbus uses to help understand a candidate's suitability for the position applied for. The assessment measures thousands of data points from candidate's behaviours and responses in various tasks which will then get mapped onto our bespoke 'fit profile', which is designed per programme based on behaviours that are established as key indicators of success in the role. 

Reasonable adjustments are applied before completing the assessment, there are instructions in the invitation to the assessment on how these can be requested. Further information about reasonable adjustments can be found on Arctic Shores' help centre.

If you need to defer the deadline your assessment is due, please send a written request to the email address that sent you the invitation (the email address will always end with "@airbus.com").

There is no limit on the number of positions you can apply for. However, please be aware that you can only progress in the selection process for one position at a time. We recommend reviewing all available opportunities and applying to those that best match your experience and aspirations.

We recognise that AI is a powerful tool, and you are welcome to use it to help research our company or refine your CV and application answers. However, all formal assessment stages must be completed entirely by you without real-time assistance from AI. We prioritise hiring based on your unique intellect, creativity, and experience—qualities that only you can demonstrate. This ensures a fair process for everyone and allows us to see your true potential. 

Read our guidelines here.

All our apprentices work towards nationally recognised qualifications. These range from Level 2 qualifications, equivalent to GCSEs, right through to a full Bachelor's or Master's degree for our Degree Apprenticeships. You will graduate not only with a formal qualification but also with years of hands-on industry experience.

You will be supported by a dedicated network of people, including your line manager and our Early Careers team. They will work with you to ensure you're developing the right skills and knowledge, both professionally and personally, throughout your programme.

Accommodation, commuting and relocation assistance is not available to successful apprenticeship candidates. Most sites will connect successful candidates with each other to enable shared housing and car sharing arrangements. Those pursuing degree apprenticeships will be enrolled at a university, but are not automatically linked with university accommodation providers - accommodation arrangements must be made separately to the apprenticeship programme.  

For public transport options, please search for the site's local transport authority or provider for more information.

Our goal is to develop our future talent, and the vast majority of our apprentices go on to enjoy long and successful careers with us in permanent roles. Your apprenticeship is the start of your journey, not the end.

Completing your apprenticeship is just the beginning. We are passionate about internal mobility and growth, and you will have many opportunities to continue your professional development, take on new challenges, and build a career that matches your ambitions. We'll provide you with the tools and support to help you keep learning and achieve your long-term goals.

Apprenticeships at our Helicopters business are anticipated to be published between mid-December and mid-January. Please check back regularly so as not to miss them.