Cyber Security Engineer Review
at Thales
Degree Apprenticeship
Cyber Security
Reading
Review Submitted: March 2026
Overall Rating
3.5 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
4/5
-
Overview of Role
5/5
-
Skills Development
3/5
-
Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
4/5
My role as a Cyber Security Degree Apprentice involved rotating through different areas of the business every six months. Because of these rotations, my day-to-day responsibilities were highly varied. They ranged from conducting cyber risk assessments and implementing physical cyber controls to carrying out threat modelling. I also spent time auditing networks and researching threat intelligence. Overall, the daily work involved a strong mix of practical engineering and security governance tasks.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
I enjoyed the programme, especially the opportunity to go through different areas of the business and gain a wide variety of practical skills. The study structure worked well for me; spending one week a month at university provided a good break from the usual work routine. This setup allowed the degree content to sink in much better and gave me the chance to build strong friendships and connections with my university peers.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
Yes, moving between different teams meant I picked up a wide mix of technical skills, from network auditing to threat intelligence. I also improved my soft skills a lot, especially learning how to explain cyber risks to non-technical staff and presenting my work.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
The work side was structured really well, especially with the six-month placements. However, the university side was a bit all over the place. The actual degree content was fine, but the organisation around the End-Point Assessment was quite disorganised.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
The support from my employer has been really good. My cohort of apprentices was lucky enough to have our own dedicated line manager who was able to support us the whole way through.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
2/5
It was okay, but definitely lacking in some areas. The training provider wasn't always at the top level in terms of detail, and it often felt like they weren't actively working in the industry or as knowledgeable as they could be.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
The content was still good, and obviously getting the degree out of it was a positive. It helps, but realistically, a massive amount of the actual learning happens on the job rather than just through the university course.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
2/5
There were some extra-curricular activities available as part of the apprenticeship, but it heavily depends on your specific site and intake group. Now that I have finished the apprenticeship, there isn't really anything extra-curricular to get involved in anymore.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Thales to a friend?
Yes
Why?
I would definitely recommend doing an apprenticeship in general, but Thales is especially great because of the support they have available for early careers. Having that dedicated help makes a massive difference when you are just starting out
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Thales?
Just try to be confident in the interviews. At that stage, they aren't assessing your technical knowledge as much as they are looking at who you are as a person and whether you'll be a good fit for the team
