FREE GUIDE – ENGINEERING APPRENTICESHIPS
A practical guide for engineering and manufacturing employers starting a scheme — or questioning whether their existing one is up to scratch.
How to Build an Engineering Apprenticeship Scheme from Scratch
A practical guide for engineering and manufacturing employers — starting a scheme, or questioning whether their existing one is up to scratch.
Everything you need to build a scheme that actually works
Whether you are starting from scratch or questioning whether your current scheme is delivering, this guide gives you the practical framework used by the UK's leading engineering apprenticeship employers.
Five decisions every engineering employer needs to get right
These are the building blocks of every high-performing engineering apprenticeship scheme. Get them right and everything else follows.
Understand your 'why'
Employers who treat apprenticeships as a strategic workforce investment rather than a recruitment tactic achieve the most long-term success. Start with a Skills Gap Analysis and Succession Plan to identify where your business needs to build capability over the next five years.
Find the right courses and training provider
Every apprenticeship is built around a government-approved standard. Once you have identified the right standards for your roles, find an approved training provider with a track record in your sector. The best providers work with you, not just alongside you.
Build the internal structure
Identify someone internally who genuinely owns the apprentice experience. This employer oversight is often the single biggest factor in whether an apprentice thrives or fails. The external training provider delivers knowledge — the internal structure delivers everything else.
Set salary, progression and expectations clearly
One of the most common early mistakes is treating apprentices as low-cost labour. Apprentices who feel valued, well paid and on a visible progression path are far more likely to complete their programme and stay with the business afterwards.
Think about how you will attract the right people
The strongest employers go beyond posting vacancies. They open their doors to school visits and work experience, engage with careers events, and let their existing apprentices tell their own stories. Word of mouth from apprentices who are proud of where they work is the most powerful recruitment tool available.
How Brick Kiln Composites built their scheme from scratch and achieved Gold Accreditation
Brick Kiln Composites is a specialist manufacturer supplying high-precision composite components to Formula 1 teams and the automotive sector. In 2025 they built their first formal apprenticeship programme from scratch, following the five-step framework in this guide.
The result: three productive apprentices working on real F1 customer components from day one, and Gold Accreditation as an Excellent Employer in 2026.
What it looks like when you get it right
The apprenticeship has been really beneficial to me as it allows me to gain hands-on experience within the industry with full training, whilst also earning a competitive salary. I look forward to developing my career further with the team.
Oliver Bran Composite Technician Apprentice, Brick Kiln CompositesBeing able to build components for leading F1 teams and high-end automotive cars is an amazing experience. The opportunity to underpin this with theory, supported by other high-performing companies, is amazing.
Rory Britten Composite Technician Apprentice, Brick Kiln CompositesThe scheme at BKC is far better than ordinary college. I have learnt a lot whilst also getting paid and getting a head start in the working world.
Zac White Composite Technician Apprentice, Brick Kiln CompositesDownload the free guide
Everything you need to build an engineering apprenticeship scheme that retains talent and delivers results.
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