Technical / Engineering Apprentice
The company
From day one, Thakeham has been driven by a clear vision: to transform the way people think about new-built developments.
Over 20 years later, that ethos is still very much alive, reflected in our numerous awards and reputation in the sector. Today, Thakeham employs close to 250 people and has a forecasted revenue of £199 million in 2024/25.
An infrastructure-led community creator and strategic land promoter, Thakeham is committed to partnerships, innovation and creating amazing places to live and work. We are industry-leading in sustainability and biodiversity. We were one of the first to introduce Zero Bills homes in partnership with Octopus Energy.
We pride ourselves on our ‘Infrastructure first’ approach, ensuring communities release the benefits of new development at the outset, rather than later in the process. We deliver social, affordable and retirement housing for a wide range of housing associations and local authorities.
People are Thakeham’s most important asset, and this is reflected in the way we operate. We are proud to be listed in the Top 100 Best Large Companies to Work For 2024.
Our people enjoy excellent rewards and working conditions in an exciting and growing business. We offer exciting career opportunities, and are keen to develop, guide and support our employees, regardless of what stage they are in their careers.
We value diversity and encourage people to bring their full authentic selves to work. A Gold Armed Forces Covenant signatory and supporter of armed force’s charity Building Heroes, Thakeham operates a Talent for Development outreach campaign for military veterans and college leavers.
Work and fun should not be mutually exclusive and Thakeham offers a range of social events such as quiz nights, BBQs and all staff parties. We run informal lunch and learns and take on charity challenges such as the Housebuilder Challenge. We encourage people to volunteer in their communities, offering two paid days per year to do so. Where roles allow, our summer hours policy in June, July and August allows people to enjoy longer weekends with their loved ones. A flexible approach to working is available all year round.
At Thakeham we build communities, together.
The department
Thakeham Advanced is a completely new Thakeham Division which has been specifically created to transform the way we design and deliver our homes and communities.
In order to drive class leading levels of innovation and change we have brought all of our design, technical and engineering departments into this new group to collaborate and innovate and as one of our apprentices in Advanced you will be given exciting opportunities to work within, and alongside, all of these teams.
As an apprentice in Advanced you will receive experience and training broader than anything seen in any one role before which will set you up for a truly exciting career in this industry. You will be given the opportunity to challenge and change the status quo of how we do things whilst being well supported throughout your apprenticeship with training and mentoring.
Our ultimate vision is to design zero carbon homes of the highest quality which are capable of being manufactured off site in our own highly automated production facility and which have been designed from the outset to be modular and rapidly assembled on site: all whilst maintaining the architectural integrity and aesthetic appeal of our current products. In addition, we continue to evolve our approach on site via Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and as one of our apprentices you would have the opportunity to get involved with, or even lead, some of these projects.
- The Design team are responsible for the layout of our schemes and the architectural design of our homes from master planning through to planning application.
- The Engineering department oversees all civil infrastructure aspects of development including ground, road, drainage, and utilities in addition to associated matters such as air quality, noise, lighting and rail.
- The Technical department’s core responsibility is to oversee the detail design and delivery phases of our projects to enable procurement and production of the project’s buildings and surrounding infrastructure and to ensure compliance with all building regulations.
- Our newly formed Project Management team who have responsibility for co-ordinating all of out activities across the teams.
- The Detailed Design department creates construction level technical design information and supports our construction teams during site delivery.
The role
The successful candidate will;
- Be directly involved on live projects with an opportunity to work on research and development as well as delivery projects
- Be committed to furthering their education through a post graduate apprenticeship, gaining eligibility to register as a Chartered Engineer or similar qualification.
- Attend team meetings
- Review data and information with ability to question, challenge and analyse
- Work on ad hoc projects as directed
- Liaising with all members of the Advanced Division and the wider business as experience develops
- The role holder will be expected to get involved with all aspect of the Advanced Division when required; we have a team approach to everything we do
This list is not exhaustive. Tasks will be allocated to reflect increasing levels of development and experience.
The required skills
- An honours degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics subject.
- An acceptable Level 2 qualification in English and Mathematics. Acceptable qualifications include GCSE with grade C/4 or above and Functional Skills with Pass.
The benefits
- Competitive salary
- Salary sacrifice car scheme
- Annual holiday allowance 26 days increasing to 27 after 3yrs service and 28 after 5yrs service (plus bank holidays)
- Life assurance
- Private medical insurance
- Health screening
- Pension scheme
- Bonus scheme
- Flexible working hours in a modern office environment / Working from Home Policy
- Excellent development and progression opportunities for the right candidate
- Company Social events
Plus a whole range of other employee benefits that we can tell you all about, our employees are rewarded for their performance, attitude and results.
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We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment and treating people fairly. We will treat all job applicants and employees equally regardless of age, race, religious belief, colour, ethnic or national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation or disability. We welcome applicants from all sectors of society and we are committed to promoting an inclusive environment for all.
