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.

We work with learning providers who have modern facilities, who understand our business and tailor your learning to help you be successful at work. Our four-year Advanced Apprenticeship programme includes:

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Shrewsbury Apprenticeship
Shrewsbury Apprenticeship
  • 12 months full-time at college to achieve a Level 2 qualification, which will include additional units specific to our business. This incorporates a number of weeks where you will be in-company full-time with planned on-the-job training.
    • This provides an excellent foundation of basic skills and theory for a career in manufacturing and engineering.
    • During this period, you will be regularly visited by Caterpillar Shrewsbury leaders and you will spend a number of weeks working on site, to ensure that we build a relationship with you and that you feel part of our business and become familiar with the site itself.
  • Two years’ 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.
  • Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, you will be a qualified Engineering Technician. You will also be professionally recognised by the IMechE (Institute of Mechanical Engineers).
  • Our current apprentices regularly represent our business at various Future Talent events and have also participated in other internal projects and external opportunities to build their abilities, such as the World Skills competition and the Army Reservists Challenge.

Our Apprenticeships 

Our apprenticeship offerings are aimed at developing the specialist engineering skills needed for our business. Therefore, the specific roles can vary year on year. This provides you with the choice and the options to develop your desired career. Disciplines may include:

  • Engine Assembly, Transmissions Assembly, Engine Test
  • Machining
  • Fabrication and Welding
  • Maintenance, Environmental Management
  • Quality Management, Component Inspection
  • Technical Engineering – Design, Development, Project Management

Note: the structure of our schemes, which include qualifications, delivery models, schedules, and content will differ dependent on discipline, course and college partners and business requirement

What do I need to apply?

At Caterpillar, we are proud of our five core values: Integrity, Excellence, Teamwork, Commitment and Sustainability. We ask that those applying for this apprenticeship possess 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 16 or over with the relevant qualifications (or equivalent)
    • All of 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 be able to evidence these qualifications
  • There are no age restrictions on any of our apprenticeship schemes
  • You must be eligible to live and work in the UK
  • You must not be in full-time education at the start of the apprenticeship, 1st September
  • 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 this aspect and the qualifications you have, please contact HRShrewbury@cat.com with the details of your existing qualification

Benefits of employment with caterpillar

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.

When working at our facility, you will work a 37-hour week, Monday to Thursday. (If you are under 18, your daily hours of work may be reduced to comply with Working Time Regulations.) When at college, you will work a five-day week.

How to apply

We do not currently have any open vacancies but please visit us again early next year when we will begin recruiting for our September 2024 intake.

I’ve applied. What happens next?

Thank you for applying! Typically, the process takes around six weeks following the closing date:

  • Application Form Screening - Your application will be passed through a rigorous screening process by our third-party service provider or UK Recruitment Team.
  • Assessment Centre - This will consist of group exercises, a practical exercise, an interview and a presentation. Details will vary depending on the discipline applied for.

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

I have a question or would like to provide feedback.

Feel free to 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.