GovWire

Guidance: Graduates, students and apprentices at Dstl

Defence Science Technology Laboratory

July 13
09:12 2022

Graduates, students and apprentices contribute to the future of our organisation and we take great pride in recruiting talented and enthusiastic young people each year.

We have exciting projects and assignments that we cant wait to get you involved in. Were confident that youll join Dstl and see things through a different lens. We want you to come in, think differently, and bring solutions to our challenges.

We are currently recruiting for electronic engineering technician apprentices.

Find out more about our apprenticeship schemes.

Dstl is recruiting

Our values

At Dstl (the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory) we value innovation, collaboration and impact. And those 3 words not only describe how we work, but also our people and culture. They are embedded into our organisation and are reflected in the fantastic work we do.

We look for people who can demonstrate these values and apply them to our unique positions at Dstl. So, if you want to start your career - or get a glimpse of work - at an organisation that has a truly special purpose and lives our values, then wed love to hear from you.

Our purpose

Dstls purpose is simple, but powerful: to provide the science inside UK defence and security, and help protect our nation.

We can tell you the hows and whys when we speak to you, but ultimately, thats our goal and we are proud of who we are and what we do.

We provide world-class expertise and cutting edge science and technology to the UK, and for us to continue doing this, we need to bring in more talented individuals along the way. Thats where you come in.

Young woman using lab equipment

Early careers: the options

Graduate programmes

Our divisions run graduate programmes that last for 2 years. During this time, you will learn all about the objectives, direction and challenges, whilst working on fascinating and unique projects along the way.

You will receive ongoing support from day 1, with opportunities to develop your learning through:

  • work-related conferences
  • internal and external events
  • role-specific courses
  • in-house graduate community

We will also encourage you to continue your professional development through chartered programmes and accreditations.

Not only will you get invaluable insights through working at Dstl and experience working on some of our most exciting projects, but our graduate salaries range from 22,000 to 27,000. You will have 4 reviews throughout the duration of your programme where you can achieve pay increases. Well also immerse you in our incredible culture and youll access all of our organisational benefits.

Our main graduate recruitment period is between October and December. We sometimes recruit graduates outside this window, so keep your eyes peeled on Civil Service jobs.

Industrial placements

The transition from university to the workplace can be quite daunting, but we want to help you. To ease that change, we offer 1-year placements to undergraduate students part-way through their degrees.

By joining us on an industrial placement, you will instantly contribute to projects and work across a broad range of areas. You will gain experience working with teams of engineers and scientists, in support of the MOD, UK armed forces and other government departments.

Well involve you in a mix of practical lab-based tasks and research. Your personal development and insight to Dstl are paramount to us and we will work with you ensure that were maximising both of those areas.

Opportunities for our placement scheme are advertised on Civil Service jobs from October each year.

Summer placements

We offer 10 to 12 week placements to provide undergraduate students with the opportunity to work on some specific, technical projects over the summer break.

This is a great way for you to maximise your development throughout your university journey and a great opportunity to apply your theoretical learnings to our projects.

Our industrial and summer placement students receive a salary of 17,500 which will be pro-rata to account for the duration of your placement.

Summer placements are advertised on Civil Service jobs each autumn for the following summer.

Apprenticeships

Stacies Story: Lab Technician Apprenticeships at Dstl

Dstl recruits new apprentices each year. Most apprentices will start with us in September, to coincide with the academic year. The Dstl apprenticeship schemes mix formal classroom-based study (available virtually during Covid) alongside practical hands-on training in our workshop, laboratory and office facilities.

First year apprentice salaries range from 14,608 to 22,232, depending on the apprenticeship level, and rise each year of employment. Apprentices also have access to a range of employee benefits.

At the end of the programmes, many of the apprentices accept permanent roles within our departments where they have the opportunity to progress further with additional training and development. Read some of their experiences and how some of our apprentices have recently gained first class engineering degrees.

Ordnance Munitions Explosives Apprenticeships at Dstl

Our apprenticeship opportunities are advertised on Civil Service jobs, mostly from around January to March each year.

Sponsorship opportunities

At Dstl, we have an eye for talent, so if you impress us, during either your summer or industrial placement, then well dip our hands in our pockets and offer you a sponsorship opportunity. This means we will financially contribute to the remainder of your studies and you will be fast tracked to the interview stage of a graduate opportunity, when you finish your degree.

Why choose Dstl

We are a special organisation who harness advanced science and technology to protect our nation. And with a workforce of nearly 4,000 permanent employees, we work shoulder-to-shoulder to ensure the safety of the UK.

The work we do i

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