As an apprentice Mechanical Fitter you will learn a wide range of engineering skills. You will have the ability to install, commission, maintain and repair a variety of equipment. Having been trained to use many types of hand and machine tools a mechanical fitter may even make the replacement part themselves. The scope of their work is wide from working on engines, pumps, hydraulic systems and valves etc through to complex systems. A mechanical fitter constantly faces new challenges as engineering problems are always arising that need to be overcome, and changes in technology mean that there is a need to constantly adapt existing skills to understand new materials and technology.

As an electrical fitter / electrician you will be taught how to use electrical engineering drawings and specifications to strip, rebuild, test and maintain a wide variety of electrical equipment and machines. You will be shown how to install, connect and commission complex electrical circuits and how to use these skills in different applications across the complete Babcock business. You will also complete the relevant technical certificates.

An electrical technician will have a slightly broader role than the electrical fitter. He/she might find themselves in either a design role using CAD (computer aided design software), or in a commissioning role, setting a system or plant to work. They may also become involved in the design, installing, testing and repair of instrumentation and control systems. Electrical Technicians generally have higher academic qualifications and normally progress onto HNCs, Foundation Degrees and Degrees.

As a Fabricator apprentice you will be trained to manufacture metal structures and equipment from raw materials such as metal plate, tube and sectional metals (T bar, channel etc). A Fabricator will be expected to work with Steel and Aluminium in a wide range of thicknesses from 1mm to metal plate of 50 mm or more. During your training you will learn how to interpret engineering drawings and how to manufacture products using cutting / burning , machining, metal forming and welding techniques.

As a Marine Pipefitter you will manufacture pipes in a wide range of materials and sizes you will also weld and braze. You will learn the skill to manufacture a pipe from a drawing and this will provide a daily challenge as rarely are two pipes the same and the complexity of their shape and manufacture varies enormously. Marine pipefitters work with a variety of materials that may one day be plastic or the next stainless steel, all of which have many different characteristics and come in sizes ranging from just a few mm in diameter up to 600mm or more. A marine pipefitter has the satisfaction of creating a pipe from scratch and seeing it take its place in complex locations.

As an Aeronautical Engineer you will be trained in broad engineering principles during your first year (Performing Engineering Operations at Level 2). Dependent on your performance (academic and practical) during the first year you will be streamed into either Avionics & Electrical, Propulsion & Airframe or another given trade. Avionics & Electrical engineers get to work on fast jet electrical and avionics systems, both on an off the aircraft. This can range from their radios, altimeters, gyros and aircraft control systems. Propulsion and airframe engineers work predominately on the fuselage, landing gear and Rolls Royce Adour jet engines.

As a plumber you will be trained to install and maintain domestic heating and sanitary systems. All trainees will progress to a level 2 academic and practical (NVQ/SVQ) qualification. If you perform well during your training you will progress onto a Corgi qualification which will allow you to work on gas installations as well as an Oftec qualification which will allow you to work on Oil Fired installations. These are level 3 qualifications.

As an Outfitter (Joiner) you will be trained to manufacture and assemble a wide range furniture and fittings using traditional Joinery skills and modern manufacturing techniques. You will learn to work with natural wood, manufactured wood products (Plywood MDF etc) and composite materials, you will also be trained to install your completed assemblies ready for use.

As a Painter you will learn how to apply varying types of coatings to many different surfaces, in all types of areas. Using brush, roller or spray methods, high-class finishes will be attained both in purpose built workshops and in other workplaces. You will also gain knowledge of paint materials and corrosion - why it occurs and how to prevent it.

Apprentice Welders receive instruction on a variety of welding techniques that will eqip them to undertake the welding of a large range of materials. Types of welding taught will be MMA, MIG, TIG and the oxy-fuel welding processing. You will gain nationally recognised welding qualifications in this range of processes and materials as part of the apprenticeship.

Apprentices will be taught how to survey, plan, install and test rail track renewals. This will include an appreciation of welding, signalling and overhead line and signalling systems. At the end of their training apprentices will be appointed to a technical or junior supervisory post.

Apprentices will be trained to install, test and commission a range of signalling systems. The underlying qualifications are electrical and all training will be in accordance with IRSE (Institution of Railway Signalling Engineers) principles.

Apprentices will be trained to install, test and commission a range of communications and information systems across the rail network. This could be anything from remote monitoring systems to passenger information displays. As with the signalling apprentices, the underlying qualifications are electrical and all training will be in accordance with IRSE (Institution of Railway Signalling Engineers) principles.