Summary
Our Composites Engineering Technician Apprenticeship is an engaging, exciting and well-respected 4-Year Programme based in Clevedon. This could lead to one of the following areas of technical expertise: CNC, Composites Layup, Preform, Quality Inspection and Assembly.
Wage
£15,000 a year
Starting at £7.55 per hour for a 16 year old. Rising to over £25K per annum, age dependent. This is currently being reviewed and likely to increase.
Training course
Composites technician (level 3)
Hours
16 and 17 year olds - 36.5 hours/week. 18+ years - 39 hours/week. Mon to Thurs, 8am to 4.30pm. Fri, 8am to 12.30pm.
36 hours 30 minutes a week
Start date
Monday 1 September 2025
Duration
4 years
Positions available
4
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you’ll do at work
Year 1: The majority of your first year will be working off-site at Weston College 3 days each week. Towards the end of the first year, you will undertake a return-to-site Induction, followed by training at Ipeco on-site within: Core Skills, Inspection, Stores, Layup, Preform, Assembly, Press and CNC.
You will achieve EAL NVQ Level 2 Diploma in Composites Engineering.
Commence your BTEC Level 3 Diploma in & EAL NVQ L3 Composites Engineering.
Year 2: You will experience more practical training within the workplace at Ipeco, via rotating placements. During your work placements, you will document work that you complete, and review this regularly with your Ipeco training supervisors. You will also attend Weston College for one day each week and build upon your Year 1 learning and development. Training and experience will be in: Layup, Preform, Assembly, Inspection Control and Planning Control.
You will continue your BTEC Level 3 Diploma & EAL NVQ L3 in Composites Engineering.
Year 3: You will experience further Ipeco placements in Pre-Form and our new Press, Project Management and Process Management. During your focused placements, you will continue documenting work that you have completed, and review this regularly with your Ipeco training supervisors. You will still attend Weston College for one day each week and complete your assignments.
You will achieve your BTEC Level 3 Diploma & EAL NVQ L3 in Composites Engineering.
Year 4: This is where you will commence on-the-job training in your final department(s), with a View to Placement (VtP). Your final placement will be subject to Ipeco’s availability at the time, along with perceived future business needs, linked with where you feel more suited and skilled. You will complete your Project as well as your End Point Assessment (EPA) and receive your Final Apprenticeship Certificate.
Where you’ll work
Ipeco Composites Centre
Unit 15 Windmill Hill Business Park
Windmill Road
Clevedon
BS21 6SR
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
College or training organisation
WESTON COLLEGE OF FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION
Your training course
Composites technician (level 3)
Equal to A level
Course contents
* Review drawings, instructions, or information to understand task.
* Plan work. Identify and organise resources.
* Identify hazards and risks in the workplace.
* Apply health and safety procedures in compliance with regulations and standards.
* Apply environmental and sustainability procedures in compliance with regulations and standards.
* Apply sustainability principles for example, in choice of materials, minimising waste.
* Prepare and use mould tools.
* Select and check hand tools, equipment and machinery including calibration record.
* Use or operate hand tools, equipment, and machinery.
* Store mould tools, hand tools, and equipment.
* Select, check, and prepare materials for example, weigh resins, cut reinforcement.
* Follow quality control processes during manufacture for example, check for contaminants, record batch numbers or expiry dates.
* Apply laminate to mould for example, cut, add darts, corner definition, orientation, position, and order.
* Complete preparation for and start curing process for example, select and apply consumables for example vacuum bag, infuse with resin, add heat or pressure.
* Extract product from mould (break out).
* Conduct final product quality assurance procedure. For example, conduct grading parameters checks (size, appearance, weight), and take samples for laboratory testing.
* Identify issues for example, de-laminations, inclusions, surface defects, surface imperfections, and maintenance requirements.
* Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
* Segregate resources for reuse, recycling, and disposal.
* Record or enter data - paper based or electronic. For example, process and production records, traceability records, and quality assurance records.
* Interpret data for example, defect data and geometrical measurements. Use data to validate suggestions.
* Investigate a problem to identify the underlying cause. Identify a solution to the problem.
* Apply continuous improvement techniques. Devise suggestions for improvement. For example, improving the energy consumption or waste profile of processes and procedures to improve the sustainability or carbon footprint of a product, process, or task.
* Apply team working principles.
* Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
* Communicate in written form in the workplace for example, handover notes or emails, non-conformances, design change requests.
* Use information technology for work tasks. Comply with GDPR and cyber security regulations and policies.
* Plan how to meet personal development needs. Carry out and record planned and unplanned continued professional development (CPD) activities. Evaluate CPD against plans made.
* Review drawings, instructions, or information to understand task.
* Plan work. Identify and organise resources.
* Identify hazards and risks in the workplace.
* Apply health and safety procedures in compliance with regulations and standards.
* Apply environmental and sustainability procedures in compliance with regulations and standards.
* Apply sustainability principles for example, in choice of materials, minimising waste.
* Prepare and use mould tools.
* Select and check hand tools, equipment and machinery including calibration record.
* Use or operate hand tools, equipment, and machinery.
* Store mould tools, hand tools, and equipment.
* Select, check, and prepare materials for example, weigh resins, cut reinforcement.
* Follow quality control processes during manufacture for example, check for contaminants, record batch numbers or expiry dates.
* Apply laminate to mould for example, cut, add darts, corner definition, orientation, position, and order.
* Complete preparation for and start curing process for example, select and apply consumables for example vacuum bag, infuse with resin, add heat or pressure.
* Extract product from mould (break out).
* Conduct final product quality assurance procedure. For example, conduct grading parameters checks (size, appearance, weight), and take samples for laboratory testing.
* Identify issues for example, de-laminations, inclusions, surface defects, surface imperfections, and maintenance requirements.
* Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
* Segregate resources for reuse, recycling, and disposal.
* Record or enter data - paper based or electronic. For example, process and production records, traceability records, and quality assurance records.
* Interpret data for example, defect data and geometrical measurements. Use data to validate suggestions.
* Investigate a problem to identify the underlying cause. Identify a solution to the problem.
* Apply continuous improvement techniques. Devise suggestions for improvement. For example, improving the energy consumption or waste profile of processes and procedures to improve the sustainability or carbon footprint of a product, process, or task.
* Apply team working principles.
* Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
* Communicate in written form in the workplace for example, handover notes or emails, non-conformances, design change requests.
* Use information technology for work tasks. Comply with GDPR and cyber security regulations and policies.
* Plan how to meet personal development needs. Carry out and record planned and unplanned continued professional development (CPD) activities. Evaluate CPD against plans made.
Your training plan
* You will be pursuing a Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard as a Composites Technician, through Weston College.
* As part of this program, you will attend Weston College as instructed by the college.
* An assessor will conduct on-site observations to evaluate your progress, as well as support you in college throughout your apprenticeship.
* At the conclusion of your program, your qualification will be assessed through an End Point Assessment.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
* 2 other GCSEs (grade 4/C)
* English (grade 4/C)
* Maths (grade 4/C)
* Science (grade 4/C)
Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.
Skills
* Attention to detail
* Initiative
* Good work-ethic
* Time management skills
* Experience of using hand tools
* Quality awareness
* Health and Safety Awareness
Other requirements
An engineering qualification would be desirable.