Equipment Maintenance Apprentice - 3-Year Apprenticeship Programme - Start in September or October 2026

Work Schedule

Environmental Conditions

Job Description

Apprenticeship Duration: 3 years

Training Provider: In-Comm Training

Training Location: Aldridge Training Academy

Workplace Location: Thermo Fisher Scientific, Birmingham

Engineering Cohort Start Dates: September 2026 and October 2026

Working Hours: Monday to Friday, 08:00 – 16:30 (40 hours per week excluding breaks)

About the Apprenticeship

This is a full-time Level 3 Mechatronics Apprenticeship delivered in partnership with In-Comm Training and designed to provide both practical workplace experience and structured engineering training.

The apprenticeship programme lasts three years, beginning in either September or October 2026.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you’ll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every single day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while helping to take science a step beyond by developing solutions for some of the world’s toughest challenges, like protecting the environment, making sure our food is safe or helping find cures for cancer.

As an Equipment Maintenance Apprentice within the Protein Diagnostics (PDX) division, you will support the maintenance of highly specialised laboratory and manufacturing equipment used to produce diagnostic assays and instruments.

The PDX division (formerly The Binding Site) develops products used in diagnosing diseases such as blood cancers and immune disorders, so reliability, precision, and compliance are critical.

Role Overview

We are recruiting for two Equipment Maintenance Apprentices to join our Protein Diagnostics (PDX) Division in Birmingham.

This is a full-time Level 3 Mechatronics Apprenticeship delivered in partnership with In-Comm Training, designed to develop the next generation of engineering and maintenance professionals.

The apprenticeship programme will run for three years, combining practical workplace experience with structured engineering training. During the programme, you will gain experience working on a variety of laboratory, manufacturing, and automated systems while developing the technical skills required for a successful engineering career.

From the beginning of the apprenticeship, you will receive structured support, mentoring, and a personal development plan to help you build both technical and professional competencies.

What You Will Learn

Throughout the apprenticeship, you will develop knowledge and practical experience in:

• Mechanical Engineering Principles

• Electrical Engineering Fundamentals

• Mechatronic and Automated Systems

• Fault Finding and Diagnostics

• Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM)

• Equipment Calibration and Setup

• Manufacturing and Laboratory Equipment Maintenance

• Health, Safety and Engineering Compliance

• Continuous Improvement Principles

• Process and Automation Technologies

Apprenticeship Structure

First 10 Months – Full-Time Training Academy

For the first 10 months of the programme, apprentices will be based full-time at the In-Comm Training Academy in Aldridge, attending Monday to Friday. During this period, you will develop the core engineering knowledge and practical skills required for a career in equipment maintenance and engineering.

Training will include:

• Mechanical and electrical engineering fundamentals

• Maintenance techniques and fault finding

• Health and safety practices

• Engineering principles and workshop skills

• Mechatronics systems and automation technologies

Remaining Apprenticeship Period

Following completion of the foundation training period, apprentices will transition into the workplace at Thermo Fisher Scientific while continuing their apprenticeship studies once a week.

This phase will typically include:

• Working within the engineering team at Thermo Fisher Scientific

• Dedicated apprenticeship training on Wednesdays (morning or afternoon sessions)

• Ongoing development of practical engineering skills and workplace competencies

Successful completion of the programme will lead to a nationally recognised Level 3 Mechatronics qualification.

What You Will Do

As an Equipment Maintenance Apprentice, you will support the maintenance and reliability of highly specialised laboratory and manufacturing equipment used in the production of diagnostic assays and instruments.

Typical duties will include:

• Assist with planned preventative maintenance (PPM) on Laboratory instruments (e.g. analytical systems, assay equipment) ; Production and packaging machinery

• Support fault finding on mechanical, electrical, and automated systems

• Help with equipment setup, calibration, and shutdown processes to support daily production targets

• Work in line with: GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards, Health, Safety & Environmental (EHS) policies

• Ensure maintenance activities are properly documented and traceable

• Follow SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for all tasks

• Continuous Improvement

• Support engineers with: Equipment upgrades, Process improvements, Reducing downtime and improving reliability, Contribute to achieving quality, delivery, and cost targets

Candidate Requirements

Essential Criteria

• GCSE Grade 4/C or above in Maths, English, and Science (or equivalent qualifications)

• A genuine interest in Engineering and Technology

• Ability to meet apprenticeship eligibility requirements

• Willingness to attend both training and workplace locations throughout the apprenticeship

• Genuine interest in pursuing a long-term engineering career

Desirable

• Previous hands-on experience through hobbies, projects, school activities, or employment

• Interest in mechanical, electrical, automation, or manufacturing technologies

• Practical engineering or technical experience