Level 3 Mechatronics Maintenance Technician
Five disciplines, one technician
An apprenticeship is a real, paid job. The apprentice works for an employer and trains with us at the same time, and comes out with a nationally recognised qualification and the experience to go with it.
The short answer
What an apprentice needs
Individual employers will set the recruitment and selection criteria for their Apprenticeships. In order to optimise success, candidates will typically have 4 GCSEs at Grade C/4 or equivalent, including Mathematics, English and a Science.
The employer sets the real bar, so treat this as a guide. If somebody is close but not quite there, it is still worth the conversation.
What they’ll learn
Complex automated equipment, which does not respect the boundaries between engineering disciplines.
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They will cover the whole maintenance lifecycle
Installation, testing, fault finding, rectification, modification and ongoing planned maintenance of complex automated equipment.
Covers installation, testing, fault finding, rectification, modification, planned maintenance
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They will blend skills across five disciplines
Electrical, electronic, mechanical, fluid power and control systems. Automated equipment fails across those boundaries, so a technician has to work across them too.
Covers electrical, electronic, mechanical, fluid power, control systems
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They will bring the behaviours as well as the skills
The standard is explicit that occupational behaviours sit alongside the skills and knowledge, which on automated plant is about judgement under pressure.
Covers occupational behaviours, applied knowledge and skills
Nobody springs anything on anyone
All apprentices must undertake an independent end-point assessment which is an assessment of the knowledge, skills and behaviours that have been learnt throughout the apprenticeship. The purpose of the assessment is to make sure the apprentice meets the standard set by employers and are fully competent in the occupation.
Coursework and portfolio
Work launched in class and completed in the job, building the evidence the assessor will look at.
A review with you
The employer, the apprentice and the tutor. Half an hour. Progress, targets, and anything getting in the way.
A full mock
Marked by a tutor who is not theirs, so the feedback is honest and the real thing holds no surprises.
What it takes, on both sides
If you're the employer
- A real role that covers the standard. Your Employer Relationship Officer will check it before anyone enrols.
- Time released for teaching, on a timetable you'll have from day one.
- Half an hour every 8 to 10 weeks for a three-way review.
- Your say-so when the apprentice is ready for their final assessment.
If you want to be the apprentice
- A job. An apprenticeship is employment, so you need an employer before you can start.
- Already working in this kind of role? Your manager can put you forward directly.
- An initial skills scan with us, so we know where you're starting from.
- No employer yet? That's the usual starting point, and finding one is the part we help with.
This is a step, not a destination
Most of our apprentices carry on, usually with the same employer and usually into a wider role. Which route is right depends on the job being done, so it is worth a conversation rather than a guess.
Not sure what comes after this one? Tell us the role and we'll tell you honestly which of our apprenticeships, higher apprenticeships or university-level courses fits next.
Where this course can take you
- Before you start
- This course Level 3
- Further study
Check you have what you need in the entry requirements.
Not sure? Talk to us and we will help you find the right starting point.
- Level 4 HNC Automation and Control Engineering for England At University Campus Doncaster
- Level 4 HNC Electrical & Electronic Engineering for England At University Campus Doncaster
- Level 4 HNC Engineering for England At University Campus Doncaster
See all 12 courses
At University Campus Doncaster
At University Campus North Lincolnshire
- HNC Electrical & Electronic Engineering for England (HTQ)
- HNC Engineering for England (HTQ)
- HNC Mechanical Engineering for England (HTQ)
- HNC Operations Engineering for England (HTQ)
- HND Electrical & Electronic Engineering for England (HTQ)
- HND Engineering for England (HTQ)
- HND Mechanical Engineering for England (HTQ)
Careers it can lead to
- Engineering Technicians £39,700 a year
- Electrical and Electronics Technicians £31,000 a year
- Building and Civil Engineering Technicians £30,700 a year
- Planning, Process and Production Technicians £39,700 a year
See all 12 careers
- Science, Engineering and Production Technicians £35,100 a year
- Laboratory Technicians £25,600 a year
With further study or experience
- Electrical Engineers £55,000 a year
- Electronics Engineers £47,700 a year
- Engineering Professionals £41,400 a year
- Civil Engineers £48,200 a year
- Production and Process Engineers £44,100 a year
- Quality Control and Planning Engineers £40,000 a year
Typical pay is the UK median for each job (Lightcast, October 2026).
How to start this apprenticeship
It takes two, an employer and an apprentice. Pick your side.
Put someone on this programme
Recruiting, or formalising the training of someone already in post? Start with a conversation. We'll check the role, sort the funding, and get them enrolled.
Speak to us today 0800 358 7575
Or advertise a vacancy through us and we'll handle the recruitment.
You'll need an employer first
An apprenticeship is a job, so an employer has to take you on before you can start. Already employed in this kind of role? Your manager can put you forward directly.
No vacancy that suits? Register your interest and we'll tell you when one comes up.