Operative Engineer Apprentice
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Company: Empire Hire Group
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Location: Dunstable, LU6 2JX
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Type: Apprenticeship
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Salary: £18,304.00 per year
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Sector: Engineering
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Ref: VAC-14584
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Application Deadline Date: 07/08/2026
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Start Date: 01/09/2026
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Positions Available: 2
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Working Week: Monday to Friday 08:30 to 18:00 1 saturday per month
Brief Description
An excellent opportunity in Dunstable to become an apprentice operative engineer with Empire Hire Group!
Qualifications Required
3 GCSEs at grades 9-3 (A*-D) ideally including English and maths and science or equivalent
Personal Qualities
Safety-conscious, takes health and safety seriously; follows procedures without cutting corners
Reliable, punctual, trustworthy, and turns up ready to work every day
Honest, admits mistakes early; asks for help when unsure rather than guessing
Patient , understands that engineering takes time; doesn't rush jobs or skip steps
Pride in work ,takes satisfaction in doing things properly; wants to leave things better than found
Resilient, handles physical work and workshop conditions; doesn't give up when tasks are challenging
Willingness to learn, eager to develop technical skills and absorb training on equipment and systems
Skills Required
Practical aptitude, have a hands-on approach; enjoys working with tools and figuring out how things work
Safety awareness , understands importance of following procedures; takes health and safety seriously
Problem-solving, be a logical thinker; willing to learn diagnostic and fault-finding methods
Communication – Able to listen, ask questions, and report issues clearly to supervisors
Teamwork, works well with others; accepts guidance from experienced engineers
Physical fitness, be capable of manual handling and working in a workshop environment
Training to be Provided
Engineering Operative – Level 2
EAL Level 2 Diploma in Engineering Operations
EAL Level 2 in Engineering Operations
Future Prospects
Progress to qualified Service Engineer position
Specialise in hydraulics, electrics, or advanced diagnostics
Move into hybrid or full time mobile engineer to attend breakdowns on sites
Advance to senior engineering specialised in major investigations and repairs
Vacancy Detail
Empire Hire Group is one of the fastest growing providers of short term hire of powered access, site security and tools in the UK. The company is headquartered in Dunstable, Bedfordshire but can rent the full range of equipment across all of England and Scotland.
Empire Hire Group has a huge fleet of equipment available to hire: including scissor lifts, boom lifts, push around pop ups, PECO/ECO lifts, material lifts, gas lifts, access towers, podiums, steps and combi ladders, secure site storage, pallet trucks and trolleys, pipe threading equipment and professional grade drills and saws.
The company's powered access equipment is ideal for a wide range of applications, including construction, maintenance, and refurbishment. The range of access equipment available is perfect for working at heights of up to 20 meters. The push around pop ups are a great economical option for smaller jobs, and the PECO/ECO lifts are manual lifts that are perfect for budget-conscious customers.
With this apprenticeship you will assist engineers with servicing, maintenance, and repair of powered access equipment, learn and support with pre-delivery inspections (PDIs) and safety checks, develop understanding of hydraulic, electrical, and mechanical systems, perform safe loading and unloading of equipment on vehicles, build technical competence to carry out servicing and repairs with increasing independence, maintain a safe, clean, and organised workshop environment and record work completed and maintain accurate service documentation.
Other Information
Please consider your transport links to get to both the employers location and the college, ideally a driver due to the remote location outside of Dunstable with no public transport.
Candidates must attend an initial interview with a member of our Apprenticeship Recruitment Team if they meet the initial criteria as part of the recruitment process.
Only Candidates who have fully completed the application will be considered.
Please be aware that the closing date is subject to change without prior notice.