JourneyApprenticeshipsHigh integrity software engineer

High integrity software engineer

Level 6 · DegreeEngineering and manufacturing 4 yr typical
About this apprenticeship

What it involves

The High Integrity Software Engineer apprenticeship at Level 6 trains you to develop and verify safety-critical software used in sectors such as aerospace, defence, rail, nuclear, and medical devices, where software failure could be catastrophic. You will apply rigorous engineering processes, formal methods, and industry standards to produce software that can be certified to the highest safety integrity levels. It leads to specialist roles in safety-critical software development, verification, and independent safety assessment.

On the job

What you’ll learn

Safety integrity levels and relevant standards (IEC 61508, DO-178C)
Formal methods - mathematical proof and model checking techniques
Software verification, validation, and testing for safety-critical systems
Real-time and embedded systems programming in Ada, C, or similar
Software safety cases and hazard analysis techniques
Configuration management and traceability in regulated development
Systems engineering and interface management in complex programmes
On the job

What you’ll do day to day

Develop software modules to certified coding standards
Write and execute rigorous test plans and test reports
Conduct peer reviews and static analysis on code
Contribute to software safety cases and hazard logs
Work within formal configuration management and change control
Liaise with systems engineers and safety assessors
Document all development activities to regulatory standards
The deal

How this apprenticeship works

You earn a wage from day one. You are a paid employee, not a student. There are no tuition fees - the training is funded by your employer and the government.
About 20% is “off-the-job” training. Roughly a day a week is spent learning away from your normal duties - at a college, training provider, or online - working towards a recognised qualification.
It ends with an end-point assessment (EPA). Near the end, an independent assessor checks you can do the job to the national standard - through tests, a project, a portfolio or an interview. Pass it and you are fully qualified.
How to get there

What you need to start

Level 6 (Degree) - roughly Bachelor’s-degree level. Usually needs A-levels or a Level 3 qualification (employers set UCAS-point targets). You earn a full degree while you work - with no tuition fees to pay.
What’s next: Leads into professional roles, sometimes with a Level 7 (Master’s) apprenticeship after.

Entry requirements are set by each employer and can vary - always check the specific vacancy.

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What it’s really like

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