Key Takeaways
- Undertake a Level 6 Graduate Apprenticeship in AI and Data Science with Glasgow Caledonian University.
- Earn a salary of £24,000 per annum while gaining hands-on experience in AI and engineering.
- Develop skills in machine learning, software engineering, and data validation.
- Applications close on 17 February 2027.
- Must have the permanent right to work in the UK and be able to obtain security clearance.
About the Role
As an AI Engineer Apprentice, you will develop the technical knowledge, practical skills and professional behaviours needed to design, build, test and deploy dependable AI-enabled solutions.
Working as part of our AI and engineering community, you will contribute to live projects across the machine learning lifecycle, collaborating with software, data, systems and domain specialists to turn needs into secure, maintainable solutions.
Your responsibilities may include:
- Preparing, exploring and validating data for machine learning use cases
- Developing and evaluating machine learning models and AI-enabled software components
- Writing clean, tested and documented code using appropriate engineering tools and practices
- Supporting model integration, deployment, monitoring and performance improvement
- Contributing to technical reviews, experiments and structured problem solving
- Working with experienced engineers and researchers on live projects
What You Will Learn
Throughout the apprenticeship, you will gain experience and knowledge in:
- Professional engineering behaviours, teamwork and industry best practice
- Programming, software engineering, version control and automated testing
- Data preparation, feature engineering and data quality techniques
- Machine learning methods, model selection, training and evaluation
- Deployment patterns, MLOps, monitoring and lifecycle management
- Cloud, compute and development tools used to deliver AI solutions
- Responsible AI, security, privacy, safety and regulatory considerations
- Structured approaches to troubleshooting, experimentation and continuous improvement
Degree Apprenticeship Programme
You will study towards an AI and Data Science Graduate Level Apprenticeship qualification with Glasgow Caledonian University, developing the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to build and apply artificial intelligence responsibly in an engineering environment.
The programme is delivered through a blended learning approach, combining:
- On campus study
- Live virtual lectures
- Online learning resources
- Self-directed study
Programme structure:
The BSc (Hons) AI and Data Science (Graduate Apprenticeship) will equip you with the knowledge and skills required to succeed in your role within Thales. Providing a strong foundation across data and AI, this programme will help you to learn how to manage, explore, analyse, understand and visualise data, alongside technical skills such as software development and machine learning.
Delivered over 4 years, you will achieve:
- Year 1: Certificate of Higher Education in Computing
- Year 2: Diploma of Higher Education in Computing
- Year 4: BSc (Hons) AI and Data Science (Graduate Apprenticeship)
Entry Requirements
To apply, you will need:
Highers
- 96 UCAS points
- Four Highers (BBCC) including Maths or Computing
- A foundation apprenticeship will be equal to one Higher at B
- A modern apprenticeship SCQF Level 6 in a relevant discipline will be equal to two Highers at B
Benefits
- Competitive salary of £24,000 per annum
- Performance-related pay uplifts
- Holiday entitlement of 201 hours a year (plus a company day and bank holidays)
- Contributory Company Pension
- 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)
Recruitment Process
- Apply Online - submit your application online to register your interest.
- Upload Your CV
- Check your emails for the invitation to apply – this will come from recruiting@jobalerts.thalesgroup.com
- Complete Your Application – follow the link provided in the email to complete your application.
- Complete Online Tests - undertake the online assessments.
- Virtual Assessment Centre - candidates who progress will attend a virtual assessment centre.
- Job Offer – successful candidates will receive a job offer from Thales.
Assessment centres for shortlisted candidates will be held between February - May 2027. Induction week for all Graduate and Apprentices will take place from Monday 6 September - Friday 10 September 2027.
Security Requirements
Because of the work we do at Thales, all roles are subject to security requirements. 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), 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.