Check your eligibility
Before you start your application, check that you meet the minimum entry requirements. The specific requirements are listed within the programmes list above.
Protecting the UK's interests. Gaining hands-on experience. Shaping your future career. It all matters.
At FCDO Services, we protect the UK’s interests at home and overseas, providing a wide range of secure services. As an apprentice, you could be installing state-of-the-art CCTV system in a new embassy. Protecting government-level systems from technical espionage attacks. Rolling out secure Wi-Fi in government buildings in the most isolated areas of the world. Helping to design and construct a brand-new British embassy overseas. Delivering specialist surveys of diplomatic and government buildings around the world. Or scanning deliveries to make sure they’re safe and secure for government use. Your skills could go anywhere. Here they'll go everywhere.
What's in it for you?
Our Apprenticeship Opportunities
At a glance
Higher apprenticeship, working towards a BSc degree in Building Surveying
A 78 month programme – 60 months for the degree element plus 18 months for the end point assessment
Starting salary package £28,082 (including location allowance) with a potential yearly increase of base salary, depending on performance
Potential salary package upon qualification £40,510 (including location allowance)
Competitive Civil Service pension scheme, fully funded qualification, 25 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays
Opportunities for overseas travel
What will I do?
Balancing practical, hands-on work in the UK and at locations around the world with stimulating academic study, you’ll enjoy the support and encouragement of your experienced colleagues in our Building Surveying and Quantity Surveying teams. As you grow your knowledge and develop your skills, you’ll be given more responsibility, quickly learning how we keep complex projects on track and on budget.
As well as understanding how your own role helps the group achieve its objectives, you’ll also gain broad knowledge of the work of FCDO Services. And you’ll assist team leaders and other colleagues in the production of everything from accurate designs and drawings to technical documentation, surveys and reports.
It all adds up to an apprenticeship packed with variety, impact and unforgettable experiences. It’s also a chance to experience different cultures and building standards as you help provide the most cost effective and sustainable approach to delivering projects of vital importance to the security of our nation.
What do I need?
This apprenticeship is open to everyone, but you must:
- Have a minimum of five GCSEs (or their equivalent) including Maths and English at grades 9-4 (A*-C)
- A Level BBB or BTEC National Diploma DDM or access to a HE qualification with 24 Distinctions 21 Merits or equivalent level 3 qualifications worth 128 UCAS points
- Have excellent IT skills and familiarity with the Microsoft Office suite of software
- Be a confident communicator with good team-working and collaborative skills
- Possess confident written and verbal communication skills
- Have a keen interest in design and construction and be ready to deliver at pace in a fast-moving environment
- Be a British citizen who’s lived in the UK for the last three years before the first day of your apprenticeship (aiming to start September 2024), and for at least five of the last ten years
- Be at least 16 years old by 1 July 2024 so you can obtain Security Check (SC) clearance before your start date
At a glance
Level 4 apprenticeship, working towards a HNC in Design and Construction Management
Starting package £24,550, potential salary package upon qualification £31,336 (including location allowance)
Potential for yearly increase of base salary, depending on performance
24 -36 months programme (plus End Point Assessment), with a potential full-time role at the end
Competitive Civil Service pension scheme, fully funded qualification, 25 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays
Opportunities for overseas travel
What will I do?
When you join us on this apprenticeship, you’ll combine academic learning and practical work, and be immersed in the Secure Construction Design team and learn from industry professionals who value your input and opinion.
Our construction projects are varied and can take us all over the world – wherever and whenever our customers need us. Whatever the project, your input and ideas will be valued from the moment you arrive. And the talented industry professionals you’ll work with will support your learning on everything from how to use drawing software such as AutoCAD and REVIT, to how to navigate specification software like NBS. As well as helping you develop stakeholder engagement and management skills.
This is an apprenticeship filled with variety and value. You’ll be supported through your learning and empowered to achieve the highest possible grade, setting you up for success once you’ve completed the programme, whether you decide to pursue a role with us or further training. What’s more, you’ll get the chance to travel to parts of the world you might never have imagined visiting, doing work that makes a difference and helps support the security of our government customers.
What do I need?
This apprenticeship is open to everyone, but you must:
- Have a minimum of five GCSEs (or equivalent e.g. O levels) including Maths and English at grades 9-4 (A*-C)
- Have an A Level DD, BTEC National Diploma PPP or, Access to HE Diploma with 21 Merits or a Level 3 Apprenticeship in a related subject
- Have a genuine interest in construction and the built environment
- Be organised and methodical
- Be reliable, responsive, easy to work with and able to build relationships
- Be a British citizen who’s lived in the UK for the last three years before the first day of your apprenticeship, and for at least five of the last ten years
- Be at least 16 years old by 1 July 2024 so you can obtain Security Check (SC) clearance before your start date
Meet our Apprentices
Building Services
Engineering Apprentice
Find out more
Quantity Surveying
Apprentice
Find out more
Our application process
For applicants with a disability as defined in the Equality Act 2010 we would like to make your experience as positive and comfortable as possible. We believe that you are the best person to tell us what you need so please let us know as soon as possible of any reasonable adjustments we can make and any barriers that you face in the working environment.
Click through each step by selecting the icons below. Remember, If you need us to make any adjustments at any stage, you can find out more about that here.
Complete your application form
Confirm your current qualifications, or predicted grades, and complete a letter of application, then demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria for the programme.
Application sift
You don’t need to do anything at this stage. We’ll assess your application against the essential criteria for the programme. We progress applications based on merit and who best fits the criteria.
Complete our assessments
You’ll complete assessments aligned to our schemes and these may include psychometric testing and a group exercise.
Strength based interview
We’ll then invite you to attend a strengths-based interview. We’ll ask specific questions to understand your basic knowledge of the subject area for the programme you’ve chosen, as well as your passion for this.
Conditional offer and vetting
You’ll then go through our pre-employment enquiries, including referencing and medical assessment. Due to the secure nature of our work, we’ll need to vet you. This means you’ll be background checked for national security purposes.
Are you ready?
Now that you’ve got an idea of the apprenticeships available, all that’s left to do is submit your application.
Apply now