Engineering Apprentice

Kickstart Your Engineering Career – Apprenticeship Opportunity

Location: PFWW South East Processing Centre, 3 Optima Park, Thames Rd, Dartford, DA1 4QX 
Salary: £17,474 - £28,042 (dependent upon age)
Hours/Shifts: 40 hours per week
Duration: 3 to 4 years
Qualification: Level 3 Engineering Technician Apprenticeship

Want a career that’s hands-on, exciting, and future-focused?

Join Royal Mail as an Engineering Apprentice and help shape the future of mail delivery. You’ll earn while you learn, work with cutting-edge tech, and gain qualifications that open doors to amazing opportunities.

Why you’ll love this apprenticeship

• No student loans – you get paid while you train.
• Real skills and experience from day one.
• Earn a nationally recognised qualification – Level 3 Engineering Technician.
• Join an award-winning programme – recognised as one of the best in the UK.

What’s the job like?

You will work on-site and study at college :

On-site, you will:

• Get stuck into toolbox talks and safety briefings.
• Work on mail sorting machines, conveyor systems, and robotics .
• Learn how to maintain, diagnose and fix automated systems .
• Take part in cool projects – from design to digital design and 3D modelling .
• Team up with experienced engineers and share ideas.
• End the day with a quick review to plan for tomorrow.

At college, you will learn:

• Electrical and mechanical engineering basics.
• Health and safety statutory regulations and rules.
• How to use PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers).
• How to locate and resolve complex mechanical / electrical faults.

Your Studies

As part of your apprenticeship, you will attend New City College London, New Rd, Rainham RM13 8GP for the academic elements of your programme. You will be expected to travel to college on the required days, and all travel costs from your work location to the college will be fully covered.

In your first year, you will spend 1 day each week at college, learning alongside your fellow apprentices and building the core skills needed for your role. The remainder of your week will be based in the workplace, giving you the chance to apply your learning in real‑life situations.

As you progress into years 2 and 3, your study pattern may change to reflect your development and the needs of the apprenticeship. The exact balance between college days and work‑based learning will be confirmed towards the end of your first year, ensuring the structure supports your growth and success.

Be part of something big

One of our apprentices helped deliver the biggest change to post boxes in over 170 years – adding automation so people can drop off small parcels directly into post boxes . That’s the kind of innovation you could be part of.

Who can apply?

• You need 5 GCSEs at grade 4/C or above (including Maths, English, and Science).
• Open to School leavers (16+), college grads, or career changers.
• Be curious, hands-on, and ready to learn.

Where could your career go next?

After your apprenticeship, you could progress into roles like:

• Maintenance Technician
• Engineering Team Leader
• Specialist Engineer
• There may be further opportunities to enhance your academic studies by undertaking HNC/HND or degree-level study

Join us and be part of a team that’s shaping the future of engineering at Royal Mail. Apply now to start your journey.

What Happens Next

After you apply, we’ll invite you to take a numerical and verbal reasoning so we can see how you work with words and numbers. If you move forward, you’ll be invited to complete a screening (this may be a chat or an online screening form) to learn more about you and answer any questions you have.

If selected at screening, you may join a group assessment where you’ll work with others on simple tasks. If successful, this will be followed by a competency‑based interview to talk about your skills and experiences. We’ll guide you at every step, so you feel ready and confident. We’re excited to get to know you!

We’re Here to Support You

We know a recruitment process can feel like a big commitment, so we’ll keep you updated at every stage and make sure you have everything you need to succeed. Most importantly, we want you to enjoy the journey and get a real sense of what it’s like to be part of our team.

We can’t wait to meet you.

Closing Date: Monday 2nd March 2026. Please note, this advert may close early if the appropriate number of applications has been reached.

Trust is the foundation of Royal Mail. We aim to be transparent about the qualities we seek and what a career with us entails, building trust from the start of your journey with us. Your interview is the first step, and we want you to shine. To help you prepare, we’ll provide your interview questions in advance, so you can have your best examples ready. At Royal Mail Group, we value trust and our people. 

Royal Mail Group is committed to inclusion and representing the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals. As a proud Gold signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant, we especially encourage applications from the Armed Forces community, including cadet instructors and spouses/partners.

We are committed to ensuring an inclusive recruitment process. If you require any adjustments to support you during the hiring process, please discuss these with your recruiter when contacted.

For more information on Royal Mail Group and our values please click here: