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Learning path · Apprenticeship prep

Prepare for an engineering apprenticeship: a free path

Is this an apprenticeship? No, and we do not place apprentices. It is free preparation: 5 courses and about 80 hours of electrical basics, mechanical maintenance, motor control and a first PLC, to show interest and ability when you apply on Find an Apprenticeship. Learning is free, and the certificate is optional (£19 including VAT).

See the 5 courses
Apprentice in safety glasses and ear defenders holding pliers at a workbench, with a colleague working behind

In order

The courses, with hours

About 80 hours in all. No experience is assumed in the first course.

  1. 1Electrical Fundamentals for Technicians: Volts to Multimeter to Drawings Beginner 14 hoursVolts, ohms, the multimeter, earthing, RCDs and safe isolation: the basics most electrical and maintenance roles assume.
  2. 2Mechanical Maintenance Fundamentals BeginnerBearings, lubrication, alignment, belts, chains, gearboxes and torque.
  3. 3Industrial Motor Control Beginner 25 hoursContactors, starters and reversing circuits, the base of electrical fault finding.
  4. 4Siemens TIA Portal in Three Hours Beginner 6 hoursA short first look at a PLC and your first ladder program running in simulation.
  5. 5Industrial Pneumatics and Hydraulics Beginner 35 hoursAir and oil power, which move most packaging, press and handling machinery.

Practise as you learn

Watching is a start. Do it in the Lab, free.

The EDWartens Lab runs in your browser, with nothing to install. It is a practice environment, not the vendors' own software.

  • Build ladder, SFC and structured text programs
  • Go online and watch power flow through each rung
  • Force inputs and outputs and see the machine respond
Try the PLC programming lab freeHow the Lab works
PLC programmingProgram a PLC, see it run.

Prepare for an engineering apprenticeship: a free path: guide

What an apprenticeship is, and what this is not

Checked 28 October 2026

An apprenticeship is paid work with training: you work for an employer and study alongside. This path is not one, and it does not get you one. We do not list apprenticeship vacancies or place apprentices. What it gives you is knowledge and something to say in an application.

Entry rules differ by level and employer. For engineering maintenance technician roles the National Careers Service says a foundation apprenticeship needs no specific qualifications or experience, an intermediate one usually asks for some GCSEs including English and maths, and an advanced one asks for 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 including English and maths. Age rules and funding also differ by programme, so read each listing. See the engineering maintenance technician profile and the electrician profile.

Where to look for one

Vacancies are listed on Find an apprenticeship on gov.uk, and many employers advertise their own. Our guide PLC apprenticeship, short course or degree compares the routes.

A project for your application

Employers like to see that you have tried the work. Practise in the EDWartens Lab, with free browser simulators for motor control and electrical wiring, and keep a short log of what you did. Then try the maintenance engineer job simulation: days 1 to 5 are free, and it is practice, not employment.

Next steps

Practise, then apply

Job simulations (practice, not employment)

UK jobs

Free simulators in the EDWartens Lab

Guides

Also useful

Questions

Common questions

Last reviewed 28 October 2026.

Can adults do an engineering apprenticeship?
Age rules and funding differ by programme and employer. The National Careers Service describes foundation, intermediate and advanced levels with different entry requirements (checked 28 October 2026), so read each listing on Find an apprenticeship and ask the employer.
Are apprenticeships paid?
Yes. An apprenticeship is a job with training, so apprentices are paid a wage. The amount varies by employer, so read each listing.
What should I learn before applying?
Basic electrics, mechanical fundamentals and safe working, which the courses here cover, and some idea of what a PLC does. Employers set their own requirements, so read the listing for what it asks.
Does this path get me an apprenticeship?
No. We do not place apprentices or promise interviews. It is free preparation and evidence of learning for your application.
Is it free?
Every lesson, quiz and final exam is free. The optional EDWartens certificate is £19 including VAT per course. It is a certificate of completion: not accredited and not a regulated qualification.