Babcock International
Defence engineering and critical support services across land, sea and air.
Defence & EngineeringApprenticeshipDegree ApprenticeshipGraduate SchemeIndustrial Placement
View live opportunities →About Babcock International
Babcock keeps some of the UK's most complex assets running — submarines, warships, military vehicles, airbases and emergency services fleets. Early-career hiring is heavily weighted towards hands-on engineering in dockyards and depots.
Plymouth and Rosyth are the two biggest apprenticeship intakes, with dedicated training centres where first-year apprentices learn fabrication, mechanical fitting and electrical skills before joining a live programme.
Because most work is defence-related, roles usually require UK nationality and security clearance, and the pace is governed by safety and quality sign-off rather than speed.
Why work here
- One of the largest engineering apprenticeship programmes in the UK, with recognised training academies.
- You work on real, safety-critical assets in your first year rather than shadowing.
- Clear technician-to-engineer progression, including funded degree study for strong apprentices.
- Regional roles across the South West and Scotland, so you are not tied to London costs.
STEM roles they hire
Mechanical fittingElectrical engineeringNaval architectureProject controlsSystems engineeringWelding & fabricationSupply chainCyber & digital
Entry routes
Craft Apprenticeship (Level 3)
- Starts
- September
- Duration
- 4 years
- Degree needed
- No
- Salary
- £17,000 rising yearly
Degree Apprenticeship
- Starts
- September
- Duration
- 5 years
- Degree needed
- No
- Salary
- £20,000+, fees paid
Graduate Engineering Programme
- Starts
- September
- Duration
- 2 years
- Degree needed
- Yes
- Salary
- £30,000+
Industrial Placement
- Starts
- July
- Duration
- 12 months
- Degree needed
- Preferred
- Salary
- £20,000 pro rata
Salary and benefits
Apprentice year 1£17,000 – £19,000
Graduate£30,000 – £34,000
Qualified engineer£40,000 – £52,000
- Pension with employer matching
- Funded professional qualifications
- Overtime and shift premiums
- Employee share scheme
Application tips
- 1.Say clearly why defence interests you — motivation matters more than perfect grades here.
- 2.Mention any practical work: car maintenance, CAD projects, cadets, DofE expeditions or workshop experience.
- 3.Check the nationality and security clearance requirements before applying to submarine or nuclear roles.