Shrewsbury Apprenticeships

At Caterpillar Shrewsbury we are proud of our apprenticeships which provide a safe and supportive environment for you to put your newly-acquired knowledge and skills into practice. If successful in joining us, you will gain valuable experience in real work environments giving you a head start in your career and allowing you to build on your capabilities. You will also gain an Advanced qualification which is transferable and recognised within the industry.

Based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, our facility has over 100 years of manufacturing experience and now specialises in a wide variety of military, rail and Cat machine engines, transmissions and drive line systems.

Our apprenticeships are aimed at developing the specialist engineering skills needed for our business. Therefore, the specific roles vary year-on-year. This provides you with the choice and the options to develop your desired career.

Recruitment Update

Applications for our 2025 scheme go live in January 2025.

In the meantime, please register your interest here: UK Apprenticeship - Caterpillar.

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RM Tooling
LR - installing gear train on CV12 Challenger 3
Female employee tightens bolt onto part in the factory
Male employee positions Faro Arm machine in Inspection Laboratory
Male employee drops liquid into a beaker in a laboratory
Male apprentice inspects a range of parts in the factory
Male employee analyses data on three computer screens in Test Corridor
Male apprentice torques nut onto a very large engine in the factory
Male employee adjusts a bolt on an engine

A paid job where you will learn while simultaneously gaining valuable experiences in a work environment. Alongside on-the-job training, you will spend at least 20% of your working hours completing classroom-based or online learning with a training provider which leads to a nationally recognised qualification. 

From day one, you’re set up to thrive at Caterpillar: helpful training, relatable mentors, global experience, competitive salary package, work-life balance, and endless growth opportunities.

Caterpillar Shrewsbury is responsible for the design, development, manufacturing and integration of engines and drivetrain packages to meet the needs of tracked and wheeled military products globally. Caterpillar Shrewsbury  also provides remanufacturing services of industrial military engines, components and transmissions.

  • You will earn a very competitive salary and benefits package, designed to reward you for contributing to our success, while you learn in the workplace. This salary will increase annually when you successfully complete each academic year. You will find the salary in the relevant vacancy.
  • You will gain valuable experience in real work environments working with highly skilled team members giving you a head start in your chosen career and/or allowing you to build on your capabilities.
  • You will finish with a nationally recognised qualification that could provide you with a competitive difference. We will fund cover the costs of your education to enable you to achieve a professional qualification in your chosen field. You will also be eligible to be professionally recognised by the IMechE (Institute of Mechanical Engineers).
  • You will meet like-minded apprentices and have many opportunities to socialise, be involved in team and site projects and attend company supported events

You will also gain a Level 3 Advanced Diploma relevant to your chosen career area, such as Engineering Technician or Machining Technician. Our four-year Advanced Apprenticeship programme includes:

  • For the first 10 months you will work a five-day week which will be a blend of days in college and in work. You will achieve a Level 2 qualification, which will include additional units specific to our business.
    • This provides an excellent foundation of basic skills and theory for a career in manufacturing and engineering, and offer an opportunity to put these into practice at work.
  • For the following two years you will work our standard day release (one day per week) to complete BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma
    • Three days per week in work with one day per week day release. Work-based learning with on-the-job training allows you to learn from our skilled workforce whilst bringing new and innovative practices to our business. This phase includes a structured rotation plan where you will gain experience in a number of operational areas of the business.
  • At Caterpillar, we are proud of our five core values: Integrity, Excellence, Teamwork, Commitment and Sustainability. We ask that those applying for this apprenticeship can demonstrate these personal qualities as well as the following:
  • Good hand-eye coordination and dexterity
  • Be interested in mechanical and electrical engineering

The academic requirements for entry onto the course of study are:

  • You must be aged 16 or over by time of employment and there is no upper age limit.
  • You must not be in full-time education by time of employment.
  • You must have attained the relevant qualifications (or equivalents) as outlined in the vacancy you are applying for and be able to evidence them.
    • Our apprenticeship schemes require you to have attained three GCSE grades (or predicted grades) of A*–C/4–9, including Maths, Science and English (or equivalent). For Machining and Technical Engineering, you are required to have attained five GCSEs at the above grades.
  • You must not have completed any prior training or a previous apprenticeship similar or the same as the vacancy you are applying for.
  • You must be eligible to complete an apprenticeship in England, UK, as per the relevant government funding rules.
  • You must not have completed any prior training or a previous apprenticeship similar or the same as the vacancy you are applying for.

If you are concerned about prior training and the qualifications you have, please contact HRShrewbury@cat.com with details.

We offer a range of benefits, and your salary will increase as you achieve your academic milestones and gain experience. You will find the salary in the relevant vacancy details when you apply.

Our standard working hours are a 37-hour week, Monday to Thursday, although you may be asked to work a different pattern to accommodate college attendance. (If you are under 18, your daily hours of work may be reduced to comply with Working Time Regulations.)

It's simple. When the advert is live, we will add the link to Caterpillar Careers where you can submit your application to apply.

Thank you for applying! Here is typically what happens next. The specific timelines for our apprenticeship offerings can be found in the relevant vacancy.

Stage One – Online Application: The first stage of the process is to complete the online application on or before the closing date. Your application will be assessed against the information you provide within your answers so, please take time to consider and construct your answer with detail and use the word count provided.  After the close date all applications will be reviewed. This will take some time; however, all applications will receive a response.  

Stage Two – Assessment Centre: The half day assessment centre (i.e. interview) will look at a range of behaviours such as teamwork, decision-making, communication, and problem-solving. Each will consist of a group exercise, an interview and a presentation. Details will vary depending on the career area/role you are applying for. We aim to make these days fun, inclusive and as relaxed as possible. 

Stage Three – Offer: After the assessment centre, the Caterpillar team will review the feedback and extend offers to our preferred candidates, we aim to do this as quickly as possible.

We will keep in contact with you and provide induction and other information before your employment start date. 

We wish you the very best of luck and look forward to hearing from you.

Please email us at HRShrewsbury@cat.com.

We are more than happy redirect your question to the relevant person and we value all feedback as it allows us to continuously improve our processes.