Intermediate Apprentice Caulking / Burning

Job title: Intermediate Apprentice Caulking / Burning   

Location: Barrow
We offer relocation support packages for this role (Barrow-in-Furness based roles), subject to meeting eligibility criteria.

Salary: We offer a competitive salary with annual increases throughout the apprenticeship and a range of employee benefits including, free higher education as well as access to the Company pension and share saving scheme

What you’ll be doing:

As a Caulking Apprentice, you will be involved in a variety of different tasks, primarily around plate preparation and metal removal. This role is broken down into four areas which are Gouging, Grinding, Burning and Tank Testing)
The Caulking trade is progressively adopting increasing levels of mechanisation and automation technology. As a Caulker you will learn to operate tractor mounted oxy-fuel burning equipment, arc-air and plasma gouging equipment, and milling systems. In addition was already undertake highly specialised robotic cutting and gouging processes. This leads into the programming, remote operation and production management of robotic processes on major structural components, essential for the manufacture of our submarines. 
Gouging has been designed for carbon based metals and is used to remove metal, generally to prepare materials before welding is carried out. In carbon-arc gouging, an electric arc at the end of a consumable carbon rod melts the metal, and a continuous blast of compressed air blows the molten metal away. 
Grinding is used to dress areas to the correct size and to prepare weld joints so the required quality can be achieved. Grinding is also used to remove weld profiles prior to inspection.

Burning is used to cut steel to correct sizes prior to fabrication. This process uses oxygen and propane to heat the steel up to a molten state and then a jet of additional oxygen used to cut through the steel.

Tank Testing is used to confirm the integrity of the tanks. These are tested by blanking all holes into the tank and then using air or water to raise the pressure within the tank. You will be trained to then inspect the tank boundaries for leaks.

Benefits:

As well as a competitive pension scheme, BAE Systems also offers employee share plans, an extensive range of flexible discounted health, wellbeing & lifestyle benefits, including a green car scheme, private health plans and shopping discounts – you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.

The Submarines team:

Our Submarines business has been safely delivering world class submarines to the UK Royal Navy for more than a century.
The Astute class will equip the Royal Navy with its largest and most capable generation of attack submarines. We are responsible for the design, build, test and commissioning of these state-of-the-art vessels. In total, seven boats will make up the fleet, each weighing a mighty 7,400 tonnes.
Dreadnought is the successor to the Vanguard class of nuclear deterrent submarines. We will deliver four submarines to the Royal Navy, with the first submarine entering service in the early 2030s. Dreadnought is widely considered to be one of the world’s most complex engineering challenges. 

Why BAE Systems?

This is a place where you’ll be able to make a real difference. You’ll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity, rewards integrity and merit, and where you’ll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and particularly from sections of the community who are currently under represented within our industry, including women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ individuals.

We also want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments. 

Export Control / Security:

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks. 

3 GCSE (or equivalent) A*-E or 9-3 including Maths & English