Apprentice – Engineer

Contract: Full time- fixed term 3 years

Location: Heathrow, offsite learning for first 11 months with a training provider in a facility on the western end of the M4 corridor. Offsite accommodation fully funded.

Start date: September 2026

Closing Date: 1^st April 2026

Assessment dates: 25^th & 26^th April 2026

We’re offering 12 exclusive opportunities to join Virgin Atlantic as an Engineering Apprentice, an exciting way to kick‑start your career. Our iconic fleet is among the youngest, cleanest, and most advanced in the skies, and we’re looking for passionate apprentices to learn first‑hand from our expert engineering team how to keep our aircraft performing at their very best, so we can continue to delight our customers.

Building a strong foundation in Aircraft and Cabin Maintenance, learning directly from industry experts within our engineering team. Working hands‑on with our leading fleet at Heathrow, developing both technical expertise and communication skills in a live operational environment. Part of a dynamic, supportive team where you’ll build lasting relationships and grow in confidence.

This three‑year Level 3 Diploma in Aerospace and Aviation Engineering apprenticeship will set you on the path to becoming a CAT A Licensed Engineer with opportunities to put your training into practice and progress even further. Once you have successfully completed your programme you could have the opportunity to join our Aircraft or Cabin Maintenance team - the sky really is the limit.

This is a hands‑on engineering role, not a desk job. As an Engineering Apprentice, you’ll work directly on aircraft in live maintenance environments carrying out supervised technical work including engine wiring, flight controls, and electronic aircraft systems such as lighting, oxygen, cockpit, and radar components. In addition, you will support cabin maintenance including passenger seats, in-flight entertainment systems and WIFI connectivity.

The role can be physically demanding and may involve heavy lifting, noise, working at height or in confined spaces, and exposure to varying weather conditions - all while following strict safety procedures. Resilience, care, and a strong commitment to safety are essential, as your work plays a vital role in keeping our aircraft safe and ready to fly.

In addition to the above, we are looking for our successful candidate to demonstrate the following:

• You’ll have a passion for aviation (and hopefully Virgin Atlantic too) with an interest in engineering.
• You’ll be resilient and determined with the motivation to persevere through physically demanding, repetitive and challenging tasks, take feedback positively, learn from setbacks, and stay committed to developing skills and completing work safely to a high standard.
• You’ll be able to demonstrate task orientation with good hand skills as you’ll be working on complex engineering parts and communicating information well to those you work with to help things run smoothly and safely.
• You’ll need to be comfortable with staying away and sharing accommodation with other apprentices during the offsite training programme. We provide modern facilities and will ensure you feel at home.
• You must have the legal right to live and work in the UK and be over the age of 16 on or before 31st August 2026 to qualify for the apprenticeship. And you must not be in any other form of full-time education at the time of the course starting.
• You will have typically achieved 4 GCSEs at grade C/5 or above before starting the course, including Maths, English and Science.

If successful, your Virgin Atlantic journey will look like this:

• Application close date 1^st April 2026
• Applications will be reviewed by 10^th April 2026
• You will then be contacted by one of our team to be invited to assessment centre on either 25^th or 26^th April 2026 at our Virgin Atlantic Head Quarters (The VHQ), Crawley
• Outcomes will be delivered from mid -July 2026 with start date in September 2026

Our customers come from all walks of life and so do our colleagues. That’s why we’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from all backgrounds. At Virgin Atlantic, we believe everyone can take on the world - no matter your age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabilities, religion, or beliefs. We celebrate difference and everything that makes our colleagues unique by upholding an inclusive environment in which we can all thrive. So that everyone at Virgin Atlantic can be themselves and know they belong.

To make your journey with us accessible and individual to you, we encourage you to let us know if you’d like a little extra help with your application, or if you have any individual requirements at any stage along your recruitment journey. We are here to support you, so please reach out to our team, ([email protected]) feeling confident that we’ve got your individual considerations covered.