Engineering Apprentice Review
at NATS
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Prestwick, Ayrshire and Arran
Review Submitted: April 2026
Overall Rating
4.8 /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!
5/5
-
Overview of Role
5/5
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Skills Development
4.6/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
5/5
Full involvement in the company experience. Due to seriousness of airspace control, no-hands on work with operational equipment. Though, The college section of the apprenticeship is very hands-on, airport /site visits, test equipment and shadowing. Rotations round each engineering team in the first year.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
A great experience, friendly workplace environment and plenty of support from team leads and management.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
Company is very strong on identifying strengths and weaknesses and developing them. Presenting, team-building, communication, intuition. A vast amount of knowledge and skills on systems and equipment related to radar, surveillance, comms.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
Being the first year of Scottish apprentices in NATS, there is a lot of feedback and tweaking to make the apprenticeship great for future apprentices. Saying that , the apprenticeship is already solid and jam-packed with activities, trips, learning, shadowing, and more.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
Plenty of support from team-leads and buddies. weekly one-to-ones with team lead and full supervision and support with managers corresponding to what area of engineering you are currently working in.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
The college experience has been good with some minor hiccups along the way, progress is steady though. NATS are also welcoming with feedback on college providers and hold meetings with the college if there are any issues that require sorting.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
The Electrical engineering course is great for setting a base of knowledge and understanding when starting at NATS.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
5/5
NATS are very open to Apprenctices bringing ideas to the table - Charity initiatives, clubs, meetings, etc. and promote this work lifestyle. They also have a wide variety of clubs for most sports, gym, hobbies and past-times.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend NATS to a friend?
Yes
Why?
NATS have one the nicest and fairest workplace environments I have experienced. Their no-blame culture and outlook on ED&I is exemplary, treating all employees fairly and safely.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to NATS?
Look into NATS, if you are interested, look into the requirements for the apprenticeship. Being a year 1 apprentice, I can absolutely see NATS as a place I would want a job and a career.
