To maintain and certify aircraft.
Apprentices learn to maintain and certify aircraft and their components across mechanical, electrical, and avionics systems. Training covers scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, fault diagnosis, component inspection, and safety checks, all within a heavily regulated environment governed by CAA, EASA, or military equivalents. Apprentices also learn to select and control tools, handle maintenance consumables correctly, interpret technical logs and work schedules, and complete the documentation required for handover and airworthiness records. Health and safety compliance, including working at height and in confined spaces, runs throughout.
Working on a shift pattern, apprentices carry out inspections, remove and refit components, and test aircraft systems using built-in test equipment and ground support equipment. They read manufacturers' maintenance manuals and work cards to determine what needs doing, then record all activity in technical logs and handover documents, paper or electronic. They liaise with flight crew, cabin crew, and engineering colleagues to communicate the work completed. Depending on the employer, the working environment may be a hangar, an outdoor apron, or a specialist workshop.
Completing this apprenticeship opens roles including aircraft maintenance technician, avionics components technician, mechanical components fitter, and, in the military, aircraft weapons technician. With experience and further licensing through the CAA or EASA, technicians can progress to Category B certifying roles, which carry sign-off authority for returning aircraft to service. Employers range from regional airfield operators and MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) facilities to major commercial airlines, aircraft manufacturers, and the armed forces. Experienced technicians often move into supervisory or quality assurance positions.
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Completing this apprenticeship typically leads directly into roles such as Aircraft Maintenance Technician, Aircraft Maintenance Fitter, Mechanical Components Technician, or Avionics Components Technician. Those who complete military pathways often enter as Aircraft Weapons Technicians or equivalent service trades. Graduates working toward a CAA or EASA Part-66 licence may hold a Category A certifying technician role, which carries responsibility for certifying maintenance tasks on aircraft before return to service.
Within three to five years, technicians commonly progress to Category B1 or B2 licensed engineer status under Part-66, which significantly expands the scope of work they can certify. From there, two broad tracks open up: a technical specialist route into roles such as Avionics Engineer, Structures Inspector, or Non-Destructive Testing Engineer, or a supervisory route toward Shift Leader, Maintenance Supervisor, or Quality Assurance Inspector. With further experience, senior positions such as Continuing Airworthiness Manager or Maintenance Planning Engineer become achievable.
Employers span both the civil and military sectors. On the civil side, hiring comes from commercial airlines, regional carriers, MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) organisations, business aviation operators, and helicopter operators serving offshore energy and emergency services. Military opportunities exist across the armed forces and defence contractors. Employers range from small independent airfield maintenance businesses to large international operators with multiple base and line maintenance facilities across the UK.
Learning takes place on the job, with the apprentice developing the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to maintain and certify aircraft within a regulated environment. Before final assessment, the employer and training provider confirm the apprentice is ready, a stage commonly referred to as gateway. At gateway, the apprentice must have met any English and maths requirements and have sufficient evidence of workplace competence. Final assessment then confirms they can perform the role to the required standard. Given that assessment models for many standards are currently being updated, check the standard's gov.uk page for the current specification.
Because the sector is heavily regulated, building a thorough record of workplace evidence throughout the programme matters more than a last-minute effort. Apprentices should document real tasks from the start, covering scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, fault rectification, safety compliance and documentation. Working closely with the employer and training provider to track progress against the full knowledge, skills and behaviours framework means there are no gaps when gateway approaches. Keeping calibration certificates, job sheets and inspection records organised as they are generated is far easier than reconstructing them later.
Look for providers with an achievement rate above 65% as a baseline; given the safety-critical, regulated nature of this work, anything above 75% is a stronger indicator that apprentices are genuinely completing to the required standard. Providers should have access to real aircraft or licensed training airframes, not just classroom simulations, and should demonstrate familiarity with CAA, EASA and military regulatory frameworks. Employer satisfaction scores above 80% matter here because close employer involvement in scheduled and unscheduled maintenance scenarios is central to this standard. Check that tutors and assessors hold, or have recently held, relevant aircraft maintenance licences or industry registrations.
Be cautious if a provider cannot show where their graduates have gone, specifically whether completers are working in licensed or certifying technician roles. Vague answers about how they deliver tool control, technical documentation, and fault rectification skills in a practical setting are a concern. If the provider's assessors have no current industry connection, the gap between their training and CAA or EASA expectations may be significant. A high volume of starts coupled with a declining or below-average achievement rate in an aviation cohort is a serious warning sign in a sector where incomplete training has direct safety consequences.
Entry requirements are set by individual employers and training providers, so they vary. Most expect GCSEs in maths and English at grade 4 or above, or equivalent qualifications. Some employers, particularly in military aviation, may have additional requirements around physical fitness or security clearance. Candidates with a background in engineering or a related technical subject have an advantage, but it is not always essential. Check directly with your chosen provider for their specific criteria.
The typical duration is 36 months, though the actual length depends on the employer, the apprentice's prior experience, and the pathway taken. The apprentice remains employed throughout, applying their training directly on aircraft, components, and systems in real working environments. Off-the-job training forms part of the programme. Current government reforms may affect minimum duration and off-the-job requirements, so check the latest specification on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education page for this standard.
Before assessment, the apprentice must pass through gateway, where the employer and training provider confirm the apprentice has developed the knowledge, skills, and behaviours set out in the standard. End-point assessment typically involves practical demonstration of aircraft maintenance tasks alongside a knowledge-based element. Assessment models for many standards are being reviewed under current Skills England reforms, so check the current assessment plan on gov.uk for the most accurate and up-to-date details.
The funding band for this standard is £27,000, which is the maximum government contribution per apprentice. Large employers paying the apprenticeship levy use their levy funds directly. Smaller employers co-invest alongside the government, typically contributing a modest percentage of training costs. Employers with fewer than 50 staff taking on an apprentice aged 16 to 18 pay nothing towards training costs. Contact your training provider to confirm the co-investment rate currently applicable to your organisation.
Day-to-day work involves carrying out scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on aircraft or aircraft components, running safety checks, inspecting mechanical and electrical systems, and rectifying faults. Apprentices select and control tools and calibrated equipment, interpret technical logs and work schedules, and complete detailed documentation for every task. They work in hangars, workshops, and outdoors, sometimes at height or in confined spaces, and interact regularly with engineering colleagues, shift leaders, and sometimes flight crew.
Completers are eligible for roles such as aircraft maintenance fitter, avionics components technician, or mechanical components technician, covering both civil and military aviation. Many progress towards obtaining an Aircraft Maintenance Licence issued by the Civil Aviation Authority, EASA, or the military equivalent, which increases the scope of work they can certify. Further progression routes include supervisory or management roles, specialist engineering pathways, or higher-level apprenticeships and qualifications in aerospace or engineering.
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Curated by Alex Lockey, FATP founder and editor. Last reviewed: .
Sources include the apprenticeship's official specification on apprenticeships.gov.uk, Skills England guidance, IfATE archive records, DWP funding bands, and provider data sourced directly from the public Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). Standard reference: 762.
Some sections on this page were drafted with AI assistance from published source data and reviewed by a human editor before publication. See our editorial methodology for how we maintain this content. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.