Any application for a full-time course submitted after 16 June will be treated as a late application.
What can this course lead to?
Completion of the Apprenticeship is designed to be recognised by relevant Professional Engineering Institutions at the appropriate level of professional registration (EngTech).
You may choose to progress onto a Higher/Degree Level Apprenticeships, full-time learning programme or a range of further employment opportunities.
Who is it for?
Eligibility and Employer Requirements
Please only apply for this course if you already have a suitable employer to support you throughout your Apprenticeship. If you do not currently have an employer, you can apply for Apprenticeship vacancies by visiting Peterborough College Apprenticeship Vacancies.
- Are You a Good Fit for this Apprenticeship?
- Do you enjoy solving problems in order to fix things?
- Have you got a talent for keeping things working smoothly?
If so, this Apprenticeship may be the perfect fit for you. About the Role Mechatronics Maintenance Technicians ensure that plant and equipment perform to the required standard to facilitate production targets regarding Safety, Quality, Delivery and Cost within High-Value Manufacturing environments.
The work covers a broad range of activities, including:
- Installation
- Testing
- Fault finding
- Ongoing planned maintenance of complex automated equipment
Responsibilities and Pathways
As an Apprentice, you will be responsible for the quality of your own work, possibly others’, and must ensure that work is completed safely while meeting stakeholder quality, time, and budget requirements. You will also maintain the efficient running of plant and equipment.
From Year 2, you can choose between two separate pathways: Electro/Mechanical Bias or Electrical Bias, depending on your role and desired specialist outcome.
Other specialist pathways, including Machinist, Product Design and Development Technician and more are available at Peterborough Regional College.
Eligibility Requirements
You can apply for an Apprenticeship if you are living in England, over 16, and not in full-time education. You must be in paid employment for the duration of your Apprenticeship and cannot be self-employed or a volunteer. Employers must pay you at least the minimum Apprenticeship wage for a minimum of 30 hours a week.
What is covered?
On this Apprenticeship you will gain the knowledge, skills and behaviour required for the following Mecatronics Maintenance Technician duties:
- Duty 1 Accept responsibility for the task and complete any preparatory documentation or opening of electronic recording that may be required to commence the task.
- Duty 2 Plan and prepare the maintenance activities to cause minimal disruption to normal working, agree planned actions and obtain any required permits or permissions required to carry out the task. Communicate and report issues affecting equipment availability that may impact on operations.
- Duty 3 Select, obtain and prepare all resources required to carry out the task for example: tools, materials, documentation, permits. Carry out pre-use checks of equipment, tools and other resources.
- Duty 4 Set up safe systems of work ensuring that statutory regulations and organisational compliance requirements are met.
- Duty 5 Manufacture, repair or refurbish components using a range of hand and machine tools.
- Duty 6 Perform mechatronics maintenance activities ensuring all parts and consumables used in the maintenance activity comply with manufacturers specifications.
- Duty 7 Revise, edit, update and store documentation. Comply with organisational policies and legislation regarding document and electronic storage.
- Duty 8 Carry out planned preventative maintenance including functional, static and operational checks on complex equipment and assets.
- Duty 9 Apply condition monitoring techniques or use condition monitoring results (for example oil, vibration, thermal, NDT) to determine equipment condition.
- Duty 10 Use a range of test and measuring equipment (including both electrical and physical measures) and appropriate calculations required to carry out the task and to aid in fault diagnosis.
- Duty 11 Return equipment to operational condition, re-connect any ancillary equipment and services, and carry out required functional, static, quality and operational checks to confirm equipment serviceability and fitness for purpose.
- Duty 12 Restore workplace and leave in a safe condition. Hand over completed work to responsible parties confirming completion of maintenance activities.
- Duty 13 Carry out continuous improvement and identify possible opportunities for improvements and efficiencies which add value to business activities.
- Duty 14 Communicate with stakeholders to achieve work goals.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Individual employers will set selection criteria, inclduing GCSEs at grade C/4 and above including English, maths and science.
You will also require a suitable supportive employer who will guide you through your Apprenticeship. If you do not have an employer already you can apply for Apprenticeship vacancies are advertised on our website – https://www.peterborough.ac.uk/apprenticeships/apprenticeship-vacancies/
We strongly advise you to complete a minimum of 2 weeks work experience with your employer prior to the start of your Apprenticeship to ensure it is a suitable organisation for your needs.
Apprentices will be rigorously assessed on the skills, knowledge, and behaviours necessary for the Engineering Technician Standard and required to complete ongoing assessments and the Level 3 Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering (Development Knowledge)
Additionally, a Skills Assessor will be available to guide and support you for the entire duration of your Apprenticeship.
Coursework and Assignments
You are required to submit coursework and assignments that cover the academic syllabus at college. Furthermore, you must provide evidence of the practical work you undertake in the workplace. This is to ensure that you achieve the correct level of competency to be considered for the end-point assessment.
Learners may be required to purchase a uniform and/or equipment, depending on the employer’s guidelines.
As a Mechatronic Maintenance Apprentice, you may be expected to do shift work in challenging environments, both inside and outside. Your environment can be noisy, dirty and sometimes cold. Standard tasks for Apprentices in the first 6 months of the Apprenticeship will include filter changes and filling up oil.
You could be expected to work late night and weekends to accommodate business needs. An Apprentice will work on average 37 hours a week; however, this may vary throughout the year depending on seasonal trends and workloads. Engineering Apprentice average salary varies between £12,000 and £28,000 a year, depending on skills and experience.
The course is a combination of academic knowledge — you will be working to A-Level standard for Maths and Science — and valuable hands-on experience. If you are considering a pathway to university, this course would be a suitable stepping stone; however, it would also allow you to build your understanding from the shop floor, which is invaluable for many employers.
As an Employed Status Apprentice, you will:
- Earn a wage – the national minimum wage for Apprentices is £6.40 per hour as of April 2024, although many Apprentices earn more than this. Please note you must be a paid employee of the business; you cannot be self-employed or a volunteer.
- Have a contract of employment – this must be given to you at the start of your employment.
- Get paid holidays – these will be detailed in your contract of employment.
- Receive training – it is crucial to the success of your Apprenticeship that your employer supports you with regular training. The Apprenticeship standard states you must complete a minimum of 20% off-the-job training, which can also include training at Peterborough Regional College and training within the workplace. You will also be expected to build a portfolio and complete tasks on One-file and Google Classrooms.
Start date: 15/09/2025
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The Apprenticeship is expected to last for 42 months. Additional time may be required to complete your independent End-Point assessment. It is imperative that you have a contract of employment for the entire duration of your Apprenticeship programme.
Full-time courses are fully funded for 16 to 18-year-olds. For age 19+, various funding options are available.
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