Advanced Maintenance Apprentice

An exciting opportunity to work within a fast paced and varied engineering environment, maintaining the plant and equipment on one of Europe’s largest and most complex oil refineries.

Responsibilities

Opportunities exist to undertake Apprenticeships in four trades: machinery, metals, electrical maintenance and instrument.

Machinery Apprentices will work in our workshops and out on the site, installing pumps, compressors, turbines and machine components. With the foundations of your training in traditional engineering, you will also use cutting-edge technology to embrace new ways of working.

Become a Metal Trade Technician and you’ll learn a wide array of skills. This is the area where you can get stuck in to some hands-on work. Here you’ll learn a combination of pipefitting and boiler making. You’ll learn to solve problems, fulfil your practical potential and watch your work come to life. You will work on and maintain the Refinery’s piping, heat exchangers, towers, drums and valves, making sure they remain robust, safe and operational. You’ll fabricate components in different metals from scratch, construct pipe-work systems and repair structures with state-of-the-art technology including various welding techniques. You’ll also learn how to work from drawings. All in all, you’ll help maintain the core of our operation and become a master craftsperson.

For Electricals, power is the key to everything at Fawley. Without it, we couldn’t do what we do, and as we use as much electricity as the whole of Southampton, we have our own power plant. You will develop skills that range from working with low voltage alarm systems right up to 11,000 volt motors. You’ll gain knowledge of substations, plant areas, switch gears and all the ins and outs of alarm and lighting circuits. All in all, you’ll gain fundamental skills for life in an area that’s fundamental to our business.

Instrument Apprentices will look after some highly complex pieces of kit. At Fawley, we use the latest, automated instruments to keep the oil at the right temperature, the optimum pressure and the correct flow. They are masterpieces of engineering and the technology behind them is always moving forwards, which means everything keeps getting safer and safer. Every day there’ll be new problems to solve, and you’ll need to grab every opportunity you can to learn what’s what. But the payback will be worth it because you’ll be left with skills that will open the doors of any large-scale production facility, anywhere in the world.

Future Prospects

Potential for permanent employment with ExxonMobil. Whichever area of engineering you choose for your apprenticeship, you’ll gain skills you can use for your entire career - and all over the world.

Reality Check

If you like working outside and getting your hands dirty but want to continue with your education then this could be the career for you.

Please note whilst this advert does state a “weekly wage”, you will be paid on a monthly basis, the starting salary is £16,044 per annum.

For more information on the ANMW, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates

Skills Required

• First and foremost you'll need to have a practical approach and a practical mind
• Evidence of practical skills or hobbies to demonstrate this would be an advantage

Qualities Required

• Enthusiasm and a determination to succeed
• Self-motivation, to ensure college deadlines are met, and an inquiring mind

Qualifications Required

5 GCSEs, grades A-C/9-4 (achieved or predicted), including maths*, English Language* and Science, or the equivalent.

*New grading structure should be a minimum of Grade 4 (or above). Shortlisted candidates will be invited to SETA to sit some aptitude tests.

Training Provided

• Science Industry Process/Plant Engineer (Degree) standard.
• Year 1 will be full time at SETA (the Southampton Engineering Training Association) completing practical training in the first year, plus study towards a technical Certificate
• Years 2 and 3 are based at the Fawley Refinery working towards completion of the Science Industry Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship Qualification