Early careers
There are many routes for you to join HMGCC
"I have found community, technology and a life long career through the apprenticeship, the doors have been opened for me to explore a whole new world that not many people get to immerse in"
Lara, former apprentice and now PCB engineer at HMGCC
We offer fully funded government apprenticeships, with different entry levels depending on the programme.
To earn a place as an HMGCC apprentice, you'll need to meet the entry requirements listed for the relevant apprenticeship, have bags of enthusiasm and a genuine interest in software, technology or engineering.
Why choose us?
• We'll cover all your tuition and training fees
• You'll receive a starting salary of £22,176, which increases each year (subject to you successfully passing the year)
• You'll also receive brilliant benefits.
Our commitment to you
We invest a huge amount of time in developing and supporting our apprentices because we recognise just how important you are for the future success of HMGCC. Once you join us, you'll see what an amazing career you could have with us – the majority of our ex-apprentices still work for our organisation. Why? Because we value our staff and help you to develop your potential in order to get the career you want. This could include further training, online learning or secondments internally and across government.
Our programmes
Read the summaries of our programmes here, and click the links below for full details including grade requirements.
Software development
Software development refers to the process of creating, designing, deploying and supporting software, usually by writing, modifying and testing code. This could be for a variety of different mediums such as creating applications, websites, system-level programs, network programs or even cloud infrastructure. A software developer could be expected to apply software engineering principles to build software and solve various technical challenges.
IT technician
Information Technology refers not only to just a physical computer but everything that makes it run including the networks, servers, databases, applications and operating systems. Our IT department also looks after the telephone system. It means that we can create, process, store and exchange data electronically.
Electronics
Just look around a typical living room and you will see many electronic devices such as TVs, remote controls, mobile phones, games consoles and sound systems. The electronics apprenticeships offered gives you the fundamentals needed to design and build such products.
Manufacturing technician
Manufacturing technicians work with design engineers and manufacturing staff providing technical advice which enables products to be manufactured. They require a broad range of knowledge including electronic design, mechanical design and their associated manufacturing techniques. They also advise on how parts can be made more efficiently.
Career Comparison
We understand that university isn’t for everyone, just the same as an apprenticeship isn’t, so to help you decide, see a table below to compare the apprentice and graduate routes to becoming a software developer:
Apprentice
- • Time to achieve qualification: 3 years
- • Level: 6
- • Cost: No tuition fees
- • Career prospects: Providing you pass your apprenticeship you will be offered a role with us
- • Salary (correct as of Sept 2023): Year 1 - £22,176; Year 2 - £25,349; Year 3 - £27,248; Software Technician salary = £28,411; 5 Year total- £131,595
- • Work experience during the course: Practical on the job experience through a variety of placements across business – (approx. 100 weeks across the 3 years)
- • Further info: To date, apprentices have been promoted to the same level as a graduate role within 2 years of completing their apprenticeship
Degree Graduate
- • Time to achieve qualification: 3 years depending on course
- • Level: 6 depending on course
- • Cost: £9,250 per year (£27,750 over 3 years)
- • Career prospects: You must apply for a role with us dependant on if there are vacancies
- • Salary (correct as of Sept 2023): Year 1 – no salary; Year 2 – no salary; Year 3 – no salary; Graduate salary = £36,330; 5 year total - £72,660 (From which student loan repayable)
- • Work experience during the course: Possible summer internships in industry through the CyberFirst scheme, for which you must apply (approx. 18-24 weeks over 3 years)
- • Further info: Potential for salary uplifts through our ‘progression in grade’ process
What you will learn
Apart from the chance to learn a profession, gain real life work experience and earn money, you will gain several qualifications.
These are:
Apprenticeship standard
On completing your end point assessment, you will gain a nationally recognised apprenticeship which is based on knowledge (the theory), skills (on the job competency) and behaviours (attitude, team working, communication and influencing).
Accredited qualifications
Depending on your programme, you will complete assignments and tests leading to accredited qualifications. These might include vendor specific or professional qualifications.
Personal development
In addition to your employment-specific training, you will gain skills and experience that will help you to develop as an individual. These include:
Outward bound team build (1 week residential away) Courses on time management, presenting skills, creative thinking and many more. You'll have a blend of classroom training, online learning, mentored work placements and projects. Each programme is specifically tailored to get the most out of your learning and practical sessions.
Your on-the-job training will be based in our high-tech facilities in Milton Keynes and your classroom training will take place at a nearby college.
Who's involved in your training
We want you to thrive while you're with us, so we'll make sure you've got plenty support.
Your college learning coordinator
As well as your classroom tutors, the college will assign a dedicated learning coordinator to both you and your employer throughout the apprenticeship programme.
Your line manager / task supervisor / mentor
These are the people who will supervise your work, support your workplace learning and development and offer guidance to help you achieve your apprenticeship.
These are the people who will ensure the quality of your training at college, and support your line manager, task supervisors and mentors regarding apprenticeship compliance and assurance.
Your apprenticeship includes:
- Training to support the creation of one-off, cutting-edge products
- Learning from the most inventive experts around
- Working in an impressive, hi-tech facility
- Being part of a well-supported team, with other apprentices who will share your experience.
Application guidance
We know the assessment process can be daunting so on the following pages we have provided some guidance to help you.
If you have any questions at all about the scheme, your eligibility or the assessment process, please email opportunities@hiringteam.org.uk.
- Read the job description thoroughly before starting your application form so you can familiarise yourself with what we are looking for.
- You can copy and paste the education and work history from your CV if you already have one.
- You will be asked to complete a brief personal statement. You could include:
A little background on you - are you studying or working at the moment?
What do you consider to be your strengths and how will that aid you in the role you've applied for?
What are your career goals? - We will be asking a couple of questions as part of the application to understand why you're interested in applying for our apprenticeship scheme. We're not looking for huge examples so don't worry! We're just looking for a genuine interest and enthusiasm in the area you're applying to and how you've pursued this.
- We encourage you to use the full word limit to give yourself the best chance of demonstrating your enthusiasm for the role.
- Get someone to read through your application before you submit it to check how it reads.
- If you have any questions at all about the application form or if you're unsure if you're eligible please contact the hiring team so we can help.
- Once your application is submitted, the hiring team will review it to confirm you're eligible to apply for the apprenticeship scheme.
FAQs
Graduate careers
Graduates have the chance to make an immediate and ongoing contribution to the entire development lifecycle of products, systems and solutions that are vital to the nation's security.
Your progression will be down to you. Whether you want to work your way into leadership or become an expert in your field, we'll provide all the support and opportunities you need to go far.
Training is not confined to work experience alone. Through continuing professional development, our goal is to make sure that all our people, both newly qualified graduates and highly experienced professionals, achieve their full potential.
If you discover a training course, or a professional membership you want to obtain, we can certainly support that too.
Landing Zone
There's plenty of scope for engineering graduates to make an impact at HMGCC, so much so that we've designed the landing zone to help you find your feet and work out the best place for you.
The landing zone will see you spend up to three months working on real projects while we work out which of our teams will best fit in with your strengths. You'll be trained up on our style of engineering and get experience of our domains and toolsets, and then together we'll work out where you'll begin your exciting career.
Graduate benefits
Graduates get all of the fantastic benefits that everybody at HMGCC receives, including:
• Competitive starting salary – see the advertised job descriptions for the current rates
• Robust progression system
• Mentoring and buddy support
• Working on real life projects right from the start
• Online training and eLibrary access
• Chartership/accreditation route for professional membership - BCS, IET, APM
CyberFirst
CyberFirst is a government-backed scheme and a pivotal part of the UK's national cyber security programme.
It covers a broad range of activities including a comprehensive bursary scheme, a girls-only competition and development courses at UK universities and colleges. Each activity is designed to give talented young people the support, skills, experience and exposure they need to become the cyber workforce of the future.
There has never been a greater need for young talented people to help protect UK society, our families and our way of life. As a key part of the UK government's national cyber security programme, CyberFirst will deliver a broad range of activities designed to identify and support talented young people through their education and highlight exciting career opportunities in cyber security.
HMGCC's CyberFirst summer placement
Since 2018, HMGCC has welcomed over 100 CyberFirst interns, who complete an eight-week summer placement with us as part of the scheme.
We have been recognised multiple times in the annual CyberFirst awards, twice winning the Government Champion title.
During a placement with us, you'll learn and develop skills in Software Engineering and Security Research.
As well as these skills you'll also get a chance to learn about what we do, as an organisation.
You'll go to talks from our teams, as well as have the chance to visit the national security organisations we support, to find out more about their work.
Security research
This will involve taking part in training to learn C, ARM, and Ghidra from our Security Research experts.
Following this you'll be split again into teams of 4 (and over) to complete a security evaluation of a product.
Previous products have been:
• smart locks
• office desk phones
• KVMs
• custom FTP server
• custom hardware devices and more.
During the whole process you will be given guidance and training from our software and security research experts, many of whom are CyberFirst alumni.
Software engineering
This involves working as part of a large team on different aspects of a project.
This project will be created to guide you through the usage of our software engineering practices, using tools such as JIRA, Confluence, and Bitbucket. After this, you will then get the choice of another project to work on in small teams of three or four. You'll use the tools and practices you have previously learnt to create this project from scratch.
Previous projects have been:
• Android apps
• Android automation tools
• Raspberry Pico LED diode
• data processing tool
• live forensics tools