This is a great opportunity for anybody with a passion for engineering, looking to start a career in the Water Industry. It’s a chance to work towards a degree while gaining practical experience in an engineering environment, and learning while you earn.

What you’ll be doing as an Electrical Higher Apprentice

Joining our engineering team, you’ll undergo a formal Level 6 apprenticeship in engineering through workplace learning. You’ll study for a degree in engineering by day release at Newbury College.

You will be part of the Electrical discipline teams that help Thames Water achieve its Asset Management Planning (AMP8) ambitions to 2030 and beyond. Apprentices will learn on the job and with targeted training courses with direction and support from senior engineering personnel.

You will be:

  • Supporting the development of engineering solutions and associated technical requirements.
  • Supporting improvements to Thames Water Technical Asset Standards.
  • Contributing to design sign-off and providing input to technical assurance activities during the delivery, commissioning, and handover of assets.
  • You’ll get hands-on experience 4 days a week and spend 1 day at Newbury College a week gaining the theoretical background to your degree.

By the end of the apprenticeship, you will have achieved a Level 6 Apprenticeship Standard in Product Design Development in Engineering. Qualification included in the standard: HNC/HND & BSc (Hons) or BEng (Hons) in Engineering.

When you join, you’ll become part of our thriving apprentice network and enjoy a comprehensive and tailored induction programme. This will be followed by a bespoke development programme to support your personal and professional development and enhance your career progression. As part of this, you’ll get involved in a range of activities and gain knowledge in areas such as mental health and wellbeing, sustainability and health and safety. In addition, you’ll join a variety of events, including our annual raft race.

From day one, we want you to do more than just show up – we want you to fully engage with every aspect of our development programme as these experiences aren’t just extras, they’re opportunities for your growth and development, and for forging meaningful personal and professional connections.

We work with organisations like the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN) to make sure we continue to offer the very best apprenticeships and graduate programmes, so you can be confident you’re getting a first-class start. Developing engineers can also work towards the competencies set out by the Engineering Council’s UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC) through the Monitored Professional Development Scheme (MPDS).

If you’re into big plans and challenges, you’ve come to the right place:
Real purpose, real support, real opportunities… it’s your journey and it begins at Thames Water.

Start date: 2nd September 2024

Base Location: Hampton Coal Wharf TW12 2ES

Working hours: 36 hours per week

Programme Length: 60 Months

Training provider details:  University Centre Newbury (UCN), Newbury College

Entry requirements: 5 GCSE grade C or above and 3 A Levels, Grade C or above (or predicted grades) to include Technology or an Engineering related subject. Please note that if you already have an Engineering degree you will not be eligible for this apprenticeship.

Other immediate demands: A full UK driving licence (If using your vehicle, you will require business use on your insurance policy at your own cost).

What you should bring to the role  

  • Have a real drive and motivation to manage your learning and working life.
  • Be focused, well organised, have excellent time management skills and have the dedication to succeed.
  • Have great teamwork skills but also be able to work independently, putting customers at the heart of everything you do.
  • Communicate effectively and be able to challenge when a problem arises.
  • Be a champion for Health & Safety within the workplace for both you and your colleagues, helping us maintain our great reputation.
  • Be ready to apply everything you learn in your day-to-day role and any projects outside of this.

What’s in it for you?

If you want a career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the environment for future generations, an apprenticeship position at Thames Water could be perfect for you.

It’s a chance to work towards a degree while gaining practical experience, earning while you learn.

  • Competitive starting salary of £20,000.
  • Annual Leave : 24 days holiday. (Plus bank holidays)
  • Contributory pension – Defined Contribution - Maximum of 12% -2x employee contribution.
  • Personal Medical Assessments – Open to all once a year.
  • Wider benefits scheme including our benefits hub, which is packed full of offers and information to save you money and support your wellbeing.

Who are we?  

At Thames Water, our purpose is crystal clear - to deliver life’s essential service so our customers, communities and planet can thrive.
  
Water is life’s great leveller. Every living thing needs it, every single day. From people to plants, birds to bees, farms to factories, we all need it to thrive, and we’re committed to taking care of it for us all.
  
But keeping water flowing is becoming harder. From scorching summers to wetter winters, extreme weather affects everything from our pipes to our local rivers. We must keep millions more kettles boiling, public services operating, washing machines spinning, showers running and more, so every drop is more precious than ever. Are you ready to play your part?

Working at Thames Water  

At Thames Water, we recognise that people are at the heart of our business. To help us succeed in providing life's essential service, we need a range of skills and capabilities, representative of society throughout our business.

We seek to attract and retain a cultural mix of people who can offer different but complementary attitudes, values, talents, and knowledge. We understand the importance of appreciating and harnessing the unique skills, experiences, backgrounds, and differences that each individual brings.

Our over-arching diversity and inclusion aim is to ensure Thames Water is a diverse and inclusive great place to work. We encourage applications from everyone and offer extra support for those who need it throughout the recruitment process.

Find out more about working at Thames Water.  

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business, meet colleagues and earn some extra money along the way.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.