Apprentices FAQs

Atkins, SNC-Lavalin and Faithful+Gould have united to become AtkinsRéalis. AtkinsRéalis is a world-leading design, engineering and project management organization. We create world-class sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology. We’re transforming the world’s infrastructure and energy systems, growing partnerships with our clients and bringing the most complex projects across the world to life. Our global team of 36,000+ employees speak over 70 languages and represent 130 nationalities across six continents.

Our apprenticeship opportunities go live during November and typically close at the end of February. Please refer to individual adverts for closing dates. Our apprenticeships are incredibly popular, so apply early as some roles may close sooner than the advertised closing date.

In the meantime, you can join our Talent Community to receive emails with tips and advice and to be notified when applications re-open.

We only accept one application per year, so make sure you read the job descriptions available to ensure you’ve selected the right choice for you.

Apprentice opportunities are available UK wide. Take a closer look at the roles on the careers pages to see what’s available and where.

Our entry requirements vary depending on the level of Apprenticeship you’re applying for and the learning provider supporting us in that location. Please look at the relevant job description for more information, however these entry requirements can and do change throughout the cycle but we’ve provided what we have now from the provider.

If you don’t meet the required grades following offer, please contact your recruiter as soon as possible to discuss further.

For our apprentice roles you’ll typically need to be living in the UK for 3 consecutive years or more prior to starting the apprenticeship and must hold, and be able to evidence, the Right to Work in the UK for the duration of the apprenticeship. For more detailed information please refer to our International Student page.

Unless you’re currently enrolled on the same apprenticeship we’re advertising, with the same training provider we plan to work with, we’re unfortunately unable to consider a transfer from your current apprenticeship.

Unfortunately, we’re unable to accommodate transfers from full-time university degree courses to our apprenticeship programme. Our decision around this is based on several important factors.

Firstly, the structure and delivery of degree courses and apprenticeships can vary significantly between universities. This variation means that a seamless transfer is not always guaranteed, and it may be challenging to align the two educational paths effectively. Additionally, as an apprenticeship employer, we’re committed to ensuring that all our apprentices receive a comprehensive and cohesive training experience. Accepting candidates partway through their degree would require us to address any gaps in knowledge or experience which could impact the quality and consistency of the apprenticeship training.

By joining AtkinsRéalis as an Apprentice, the world truly can be your oyster. Not only will you gain valuable 'on the job' experience and work towards professional qualifications but you'll also earn a meaningful salary from day one. Our Apprenticeship Programme is the ideal framework to enable enthusiastic people to drive their own career development. You’ll be supported and motivated to undertake self-directed learning to develop the skills and knowledge you need to progress in your career and work towards a professional qualification. Our programme features events, core training modules, professional development mentoring and on-the-job experience.

The typical start date for Apprentices is early September. If you’re offered a role with us, your recruiter will discuss the start dates with you.

The length of your Apprenticeship can depend on the Level you’re studying towards. Typically, it’s 2-3 years for Advanced and Higher Level apprenticeships and 4-6 years for Degree apprenticeships.

Once you’ve completed your initial apprenticeship, you’ll have an internal discussion with your line manager to review your options. If you wish to continue your education, there are options to be considered for progressions on to a higher level such as a Degree apprenticeship as well as becoming professionally qualified through the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC). This depends on achieving some key requirements during your study.

Our dedicated Learning and Development team will facilitate the enrolment process, but you’ll still need to complete the enrolment yourself. Typically, you’ll hear from the college/university by the end of June regarding enrolment details.

All Apprentices are permanently employed from day one with AtkinsRéalis.

The AtkinsRéalis Professional Apprenticeships scheme comprises Advanced Apprentices (Level 3), Higher Apprentices (Level 4-5) and Degree Apprentices (Level 6). For each Level, we offer a competitive salary which is advertised on our careers pages and discussed with you during the recruitment process.

Your salary will be dependent on Level of your apprenticeship and location. The following are the Apprentice salary ranges by Level for our 2025 intake:

Level 3 £22,500 - £24,500

Level 4 £23,500 - £25,500

Level 5 £24,500 - £26,500

Level 6 £26,228 - £30,784 - dependent on location and team

As a Real Living Wage Employer, we are committed to offering the Real Living Wage as a minimum starting salary for our Atkins Level 6 (Degree Level) Apprentices. This is in recognition of the value apprentices bring to our business, ensuring that whatever route you take to start or develop your career, you can expect a fair salary, with a clear and open pathway to progress.

Once you have visited our careers pages to read about us and our apprentice opportunities and you’re ready to make your choice, there are 4 short steps to our process, each as important as the other:

1. Start your online application giving us a bit of detail about you
2. Complete our online immersive assessment
3. Attend a virtual interview
4. Hopefully receive an offer

We don’t accept or need CVs or cover letters for our apprentice roles as everything we need is captured through the online application process. We’ll ask you for all the relevant details needed to assess your application and to create a fair and consistent process.

We’re looking for you to have a clear interest in AtkinsRéalis and motivation for the role you’re applying to. Make sure you demonstrate this through any related projects or modules you might have studied at school and college.

Our immersive assessment takes a ‘day in the life’ approach, blending different tasks to give you a feel for what it might be like to work for us. It’s designed to make the process smooth and engaging while helping you understand the kind of work and environment you could be part of.

To complete the assessment, you'll need:

• a device with a camera to record your responses. You can use a computer, phone or tablet. If you don’t have access to these devices please consider using facilities at your local library, school or university.
• good internet connection and minimal distractions

The assessment is split into two parts:

Part One: You’ll complete situational judgement, numerical, and verbal reasoning questions. It’s untimed and typically takes around 30 minutes. You’ll only have one chance to complete it, so make sure you’re in a quiet space and follow the guidance provided.

Review Stage: After Part One, your responses will be reviewed against the criteria for the role you’ve applied for. If you meet the requirements, you may be invited to Part Two.

Part Two: You’ll answer two short video questions designed to further assess your fit. If you’re shortlisted, you’ll be invited to a final video interview with the business.

You’ll have a chance to practice before recording your video responses, and the assessment is not timed - so you can work through it at your own pace.

Please contact [email protected] with a brief description of the issue and a screenshot if possible. We’ll be in touch as soon as we can to support you through the next steps. We’d always suggest you save your application as you work on it, and you’ll have the chance to edit it before you submit it.

We’re delighted to hear you’ve taken the first step on your journey with us and made your application. You’ll see live updates on your application by logging into your candidate area. You’ll also receive email updates, so keep an eye on your inbox.

Our Our Apprenticeship interviews typically take place between January and April.

Our interviews will remain virtual this year. This is your opportunity to show us your best and showcase your relevant skills and suitability for the role. This is also a great opportunity for you to learn more about the culture at AtkinsRéalis and to engage with the people who you may report into as well as people that may become your colleagues. Everything is done via Microsoft Teams.

For most roles, you’ll get a separate Teams invite for a short business presentation before your interview. During the presentation we'll tell you more about the role, what we do and what you can expect if you join us. You don’t need to prepare anything in advance for the presentation, but it’s a good idea to think about any questions you might want to ask during the session.

If you’re no longer able to attend, please contact us at [email protected] or contact your recruiter directly to let us know. Due to high volumes and the number of people involved in the process we’re unable to guarantee that we can re-schedule it for you.

We aim to update you either by phone or e-mail within two weeks of your interview. Your recruiter will give you more details of what timelines to expect.

Following the interview if you’re successful then you’ll receive a verbal offer. Your contract will take more time to arrive as we’ll need to confirm a few details for your apprenticeship with the college/university. You’ll receive your contract electronically and there’ll be regular tasks to complete. We’ll also invite you to register with our Connectr pre-boarding portal so you can start networking with other apprentices to help you prepare for your first day and your apprenticeship journey with us.

We acknowledge the advancement of generative AI and the opportunities it brings to our daily lives and you can use these tools, should you wish to, to prepare for your interview. However, these tools must not be used during the assessment and interview process, as we want to hear your authentic ideas which are more valuable to us than perfectly crafted responses. Instead rely on your own knowledge, experiences and thoughts when responding to questions. Integrity is one of our core values and we ask you to demonstrate your integrity during the process.

Yes, we’re proud to be a Disability Confident accredited employer, and we provide adjustments where needed as we want you to be the best you can be during the recruitment process. Please let us know as soon as possible regarding any adjustments you require so that we can put them in place at the right time to support you. Please contact us at [email protected] to discuss in confidence. Learn more to learn more about AtkinsRéalis as a disability confident employer.

We want you to perform at your best at all stages of our recruitment process and can make adjustments to support this. Examples of adjustments we’ve made in the past include, but are not limited to, providing assistive technology; extra time; changing the format of an assessment; scheduling an interview at a specific time; and ensuring there is access. For further information and to discuss how we can support you, please contact [email protected]. Learn more to learn more about AtkinsRéalis as a disability confident employer.

If you've a specific question related to disability, please contact [email protected]. All conversations are confidential.

We know it can be difficult sometimes to talk about personal things but we’re here to support you during the recruitment process. Please let us know as soon as possible if you require any adjustments or changes to the interview process so we can put them in place at the right time. Contact us at [email protected]. Learn more to learn more about AtkinsRéalis as a disability confident employer.