Early Careers Opportunities
Kick-start your career with a range of opportunities across the business
NCC offers a range of early career opportunities across the business, from engineering, manufacturing, design and operations through to finance and procurement, HR and communications.
You will gain invaluable experience working on a wide variety of projects, and have access to some of the most experienced and knowledgeable experts in their field.
We offer a range of early careers opportunities from Apprenticeships, NCC Graduate Scheme, Year In Industry Placements to Work Placements and Internships.
Learn how to apply for a role below.
Connect with our Early Careers team at NCC to find out more about career opportunities.
Apprenticeships
Kick‑start your career with our Operations Apprenticeships or Engineering Apprenticeships. We offer apprenticeships throughout the year across our Head Office functions, including IT, Procurement and Warehouse and open applications for our Engineering Technician Apprenticeship each March for a September start.
Our programmes combine hands‑on experience at the NCC’s world‑leading research and development facility in Bristol with remote and in‑person learning delivered by our training partners, such as Weston College for the Composite Technician Apprenticeship. You can earn while you learn, building real skills in a real engineering environment.
The best way to see what’s currently available is to visit the Government Apprenticeship website. Search “Find an Apprenticeship” in your browser and look for NCC – innovating for industry. Follow the instructions and apply directly through the site, your CV and details will then be shared with the relevant college or training provider.
NCC Graduate Scheme
Our Graduate Development Programme is a two‑year rotational scheme that gives you experience across our engineering capabilities and project management, supported by a wide range of technical and behavioural training. You’ll work directly with organisations of all sizes from global customers to innovative start‑ups across multiple sectors.
After completing the two‑year programme, you’ll have the opportunity to work toward chartership with a choice of professional bodies, supported throughout by a mentor.
We open applications for our Engineering Graduate Development Programme around November each year, with adverts live for approximately two months. Interviews take place in February/March for a September start. Check our Vacancies page or Gradcracker closer to the time to see what’s available.
Year in Industry placements
Spend a year with us in a paid placement alongside your degree and get hands on experience across a diverse range of exciting projects. You’ll be a core part of the team, working with organisations from world leading global companies to groundbreaking, disruptive SMEs, many of whom could be future employers.
We typically recruit our YINI placement roles in March/April, with successful candidates joining us in July/August. If you’re interested, the best time to get in touch is between December and February.
Email [email protected] with your CV and a short overview of your discipline interests and availability so we can contact you at the right stage of the process. We normally request a CV and cover letter, and shortlisted candidates take part in a formal interview process in March before placements are awarded.
Work placements and internships
Join us for a summer placement and work alongside world leading experts in the composites industry, gaining hands on experience within one of our capability teams or project management functions. We normally ask candidates to commit to a minimum of eight weeks for a summer internship. These are paid positions, and you’ll work directly with leading academics and specialists in the field.
To register your interest, email you CV to [email protected] along with a short explanation of what you’re hoping to gain from the internship and your availability. We typically recruit our Summer Interns in March/April for placements running June to August/September, so we recommend registering between December and February.
If we can offer you a relevant placement, we’ll arrange a short 30 minute video call to outline the role or project and confirm dates. That’s it, no lengthy process or in person interview.
Work Experience
STEM Work Experience is a week-long event held at the NCC for Key Stage 4 students (ages 14-16 years) and Key Stage 5 students (ages 16-18). Email [email protected] to register your interest, ask questions on how to get involved.
STEM for schools
School outreach aims to show young people that engineering is an exciting, creative and varied field and to highlight the many routes they can take to become an engineer. We want to challenge common perceptions and help students see that engineering is something they can do.
For primary schools, we run annual outreach sessions featuring hands‑on design and build activities, currently focused on Key Stage 2 (ages 7–11). Our team designs the activities and sends a pair of engineers into each class to deliver lessons, half‑day sessions or full‑day workshops.
For secondary schools, we welcome ad‑hoc requests for visits to the NCC. These can include facility tours, opportunities to meet and network with our engineers, and sessions to learn more about the work we do. We also attend local school careers fairs where possible.
For any school outreach enquiries throughout the year, please contact [email protected].
STEM for organisations
We work with organisations of all natures to widen the impact of our STEM outreach. This can include collaborating with STEM outreach charities and other businesses to plan and run events at a larger scale, to help more young people discover the joy of STEM. If you are interested in working with us, or are looking for volunteers for outreach events, please get in touch.