2027 Project Planning and Controls Apprentice - Cheadle

What you'll do

This exciting Project Planning & Controls Apprenticeship will give you the skills and knowledge to be an effective team member within the Bid and Project Management Function at Thales. The apprentice programme will provide you with a strong understanding and working knowledge of planning, scheduling, monitoring and controls, building the foundations for future roles supporting or managing projects that deliver world leading solutions to our global customer base. The Bid and Project Management functions' key responsibilities are to support the project team, deliver the mission and ensure strong governance over bids and projects and oversee the implementation of consistent and assured processes.

Your responsibilities may include:

• Assisting with the creation and maintenance of the integrated master schedules for assigned projects
• Contributing to project reports and attend associated reviews
• Assisting in the deployment and reporting of risk and opportunity management
• Helping the project team ensure correct and effective project governance is applied
• Operating Thales UK tools to ensure effective management of the project schedule, budgets, risks and opportunities
• Committing to attend all elements of the apprenticeship including attendance on virtual training modules, 1-2-1 coaching calls, assignments, exams and mandatory Thales UK training activities to lay the foundations for your contribution to future growth of the business

Training

Throughout your apprenticeship, you will develop knowledge and skills in:

• Project planning, scheduling, monitoring, and control techniques
• Supporting effective bid and project delivery through project controls
• Applying governance, assurance, and project management processes
• Developing and maintaining integrated project schedules and plans
• Tracking performance, risks, costs, and progress against project objectives
• Supporting the delivery of complex, world-leading solutions for global customers

Through our higher apprenticeship you'll be making the most of your talents, getting to understand the Project Management Function from the ground up, and doing so with the help of one of the biggest and best names in the industry.

Throughout your apprenticeship, you'll receive on-the-job training tailored to work alongside your studies, giving you the hands-on experience needed to develop practical skills and knowledge.

The programme will be delivered via a virtual delivery model consisting of:

• Live virtual workshops
• 1-2-1 coaching calls
• Self-directed learning activities

This is a 2-year programme, working towards the Level 4 Project Manager Associate Apprenticeship standard, with our lead training provider. Upon successful completion of your End Point Assessment, you will roll off into the Thales UK Bid and Project Management job family into a Project Planner or Project Controller role.

We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who are motivated, committed and keen to learn. A self-starter who can manage their time, show initiative and has a genuine interest in project planning / controls and Thales. Successful candidates will show self-discipline and an aspiration to achieve the qualification.

After the apprenticeship

Upon successful completion of your End Point Assessment, you will roll off into the Thales UK Bid and Project Management job family.

Skills

• Communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Problem solving skills
• Logical
• Team working

Qualifications

• Essential: GCSE, 5 GCSE's including English and Maths (grade 9-4 (*A-C))
• Essential: A Level, 2 subjects (grade C, or Highers, or Merit)

Things to consider

To be considered for this position, you must have the permanent right to work in the UK and be able to successfully complete and maintain UK Government security checks, including Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) screening and Security Clearance (SC), which is a government background check, before starting employment.

To be eligible for SC clearance, you will typically need to have lived in the UK continuously for the last five years. As part of the vetting process, you will be asked to provide evidence of your identity, right to work in the UK, any time spent overseas during the last five years, and your employment and/or education history.

In addition, this role supports a UK Eyes Only programme and is therefore subject to government-mandated nationality restrictions. To satisfy the security clearance requirements for access to highly sensitive information, applicants must have been British citizens from birth and must not hold any other nationality. This requirement is determined by the UK Government and is a condition of programme access rather than an employment preference.

For further details of the evidence required to apply for security clearance please follow this link - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels

Benefits

• Holiday entitlement of 201 hours a year (plus a company day and bank holidays)
• Health Care Cash Plan
• Hybrid / flexible working options
• Employee assistance programme
• Learning and Development support
• Employee discounts and wellbeing initiatives
• Life Cover
• 80 Hours Volunteering per year (first two years)

About the employer

Together, we create the ingenious technological systems and innovations that impact and improve people's lives every single day. Even if you haven't heard the name Thales before, you've definitely benefited from our inventiveness. We reinvest 20% of our sales in Research & Development in the UK. Together we supply invention across 4 core areas: Aerospace, Space, Defence and Security, Digital Identity and Security.

Apprenticeship details

• Course: Associate project manager (level 4), Business and administration
• Apprenticeship level: Higher (level 4)
• Training provider: THE APPRENTICE ACADEMY LIMITED
• Expected duration: 2 Years
• Hours: 37 hours a week. Working week: Monday - Friday, 8 hours Monday - Thursday. 5 hours on a Friday.
• Start date: 6 September 2027
• Positions available: 1
• Wage: £24,000 a year