Machine learning engineer
Level 6 · DegreeDigital 2 yr typical
About this apprenticeship
What it involves
A machine learning engineer designs, builds, and deploys machine learning models and AI systems that solve real business problems at scale. This level 6 degree apprenticeship develops deep expertise in mathematics, software engineering, and ML methodology, preparing apprentices for roles at the forefront of AI development. The qualification leads to senior ML engineer, AI research engineer, or ML platform architect positions.
On the job
What you’ll learn
Mathematical foundations of machine learning including linear algebra, probability, and optimisation
Supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning algorithms and their appropriate applications
Deep learning frameworks including neural network design and training
Data engineering pipelines for ingesting, transforming, and validating large datasets
MLOps practices for deploying, monitoring, and maintaining models in production
Responsible AI principles including fairness, explainability, and bias mitigation
Software engineering best practices including version control, testing, and code review
On the job
What you’ll do day to day
Define ML problem framing and select appropriate modelling approaches with stakeholders
Collect, clean, and engineer features from large and complex datasets
Train, evaluate, and iterate on machine learning models to optimise performance metrics
Deploy models to production environments using container and cloud infrastructure
Monitor model performance and detect data drift or degradation in live systems
Document experiments, model cards, and technical findings for cross-team review
Review and improve existing ML code for accuracy, efficiency, and maintainability
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.
Hear from employers
What it’s really like
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