About our Graduate Scheme

What is the Delkia Engineering Graduate Scheme?

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The Delkia Engineering Graduate Scheme is a structured program designed for recent engineering graduates to develop technical skills, industry knowledge, and professional competencies in a real world setting.

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We are looking for the following roles:

• Aerospace Engineering

• Advanced Control Systems

• Electrical & Electronic Engineering

• Mechanical Engineering

• Marine Engineering

• Comms and Signal Processing 

• Nuclear Engineering

• Process Engineering

• Systems Engineering

• Software Engineering

• Safety Engineering

• Space Systems Engineering

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What are the benefits of an Engineering Graduate Scheme?

The engineering graduate schemes offer several advantages for businesses, including:​

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• Talent Pipeline Development - Ensures a steady stream of skilled engineers tailored to the company's needs and reduces long-term recruitment costs by fostering internal talent growth.

• Innovation & Fresh Perspectives - Graduates bring new ideas and fresh perspectives to engineering challenges which in turn, encourages a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

• Workforce Planning & Succession Management - Helps address skills shortages and supports long-term workforce planning.

• Strengthened Employer Brand & Industry Reputation - Enhances the company’s reputation as an employer of choice and helps attract top-tier engineering graduates from leading universities.

• Cost-Effective Talent Development - Graduate schemes provide a cost-effective way to train and develop engineers compared to hiring experienced professionals and reduces reliance on external recruitment and lowers staff turnover rates.

 

How does the Delkia Engineering Graduate Scheme work?

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The engineering graduate scheme will be structured to provide comprehensive training, practical experience, and professional development to prepare graduates for long-term careers in engineering. The key features of the Delkia Engineering Graduate Scheme are as follows:

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1. Recruitment and Selection:In January each year, the Technical and Engineering Director (TED) will identify the cohort size and academic backgrounds which must be targeted through the Engineering Graduate scheme. This information will be broadcast by the Marketing Team via the Delkia website, and by the Talent Acquisition Team via affiliated recruitment portals. Applications for the Delkia Engineering Graduate Scheme will close by March/April each year.. Candidates will be filtered and shortlisted for interview by the CEO, TED and Head of R&D. By end of May each year, candidates will be notified in writing as to whether they have been successful.

2. Orientation: Successful candidates will be invited to the Delkia Engineering Graduate Programme Orientation Day where they will ‘meet and greet’ other graduate scheme members, meet with Delkia employees and watch a series of presentations about The Delkia Group, the engineering activities we undertake and how graduate engineers will develop throughout the programme. The orientation event also allows the HR to conduct inductions and collect essential information such as personal details and pay information.

3. Structured Rotational Placements: Graduates will each spend six months in each of the four main business areas: Nuclear, Maritime, Mission Systems and R&D/Sales. This allows them to develop a broad skill set and understand how different disciplines interact within the company.

4. Training & Hands on Experience with Real-World Projects: Learning opportunities will include formal training sessions and practical, hands-on experience where graduates contribute to live projects. This helps them apply theoretical knowledge in real engineering challenges. Each activity must have a relevant and reasonable learning opportunity, which the graduate can reflect upon and support their progression. Graduate scheme members will be provided with a Personal Development Pack which they will complete as they collect experiences and track their growth in competency.

5. Leadership and Management Development: Where appropriate, the engineering graduate scheme cohort members must be afforded the opportunity to develop their leadership and management skills. Learning opportunities could include: attending conferences, shadowing hiring managers during interviews, supplier and partner engagement events and attending business development opportunities. This will provide valuable insights for much further in their career where they may be required to support broader business functions.

 

Will I receive mentorship & support?

 

The primary objective of the Engineering Graduate scheme is to attract, train and retain talented engineers, so that they evolve their skills in order to become the sector leaders of tomorrow. This objective cannot be achieved without considerable coaching, mentorship and support from experienced professionals. Our ‘inclusive and personable’ approach to mentorship and support is a key part of the Delkia offer, and is an aspect we feel sets us aside from larger and more established engineering and technology companies.

Prior to commencing the experience rotations, each graduate will be assigned a mentor (senior engineer) and a buddy (recent graduate) to provide guidance, career advice, and support. This ensures that the graduate is able to feel supported by the Delkia Group, and so their developmental needs can be met quickly. The mentor will take a keen interest in the graduate engineers development and provide routine reflection moments to capture the learning value. The buddy will serve as a recent and relevant peer, who may have been through the Graduate scheme previously, but also someone who knows the inner ways and workings of the Delkia Group, and therefore can help the graduate overcome functional challenges very quickly.

The Delkia Group always takes great care to allocate mentors and buddies who offer the best chance of building a peak rapport with the Graduate. The graduate engineer has the opportunity to request a preferred mentor and buddy if they wish.

 

Will I receive performance reviews?

 

Each Graduate engineer will be subjected to a series of ongoing performance reviews – however these are nothing to be worried about. They are not a pass or fail…moreover a chance for mentors to alter the learning experiences to achieve maximum value for the graduate.

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Routine Check In Sessions:

Each month the graduate engineer will meet with their mentor on a 1-2-1 basis, either in the office or via a virtual platform. These sessions are semi-structured, which means the mentor will use this opportunity to view the graduates learning journal, discuss projects and provide feedback. This meeting is also a chance for the graduate to explore alternative ways to manage technical or engineering issues, propose suggestions and learn from experienced professionals.

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End of Rotation Review:

At the end of each six month rotation, the graduate engineer will be required to attend a ‘knowledge transfer session’ with the other graduates, hosted by the CEO and TED. Graduate engineers will each give a 30 minute presentation to members of the senior management team and their other graduate scheme peers. Each graduate will also then experience a short viva (Q&A session) where experienced members of The Delkia Group will have the chance to learn from the graduate.

 

Annual Performance Review:

After two rotations or 12 months within the company (whichever is first), the graduate engineer will experience an annual performance review. This allows the Delkia Group Line management to assess the graduate against the workplace code and values, and performance as a graduate engineer. These are nothing to worry about and are a natural part of employment. It’s expected that the graduate will not have the knowledge and experience to be assessed against more senior peers, therefore we will be looking to see how you cope with personal and professional challenges, time management and ability to engage with the wider engineering and project management stakeholders.

 

Project Work:

The engineering graduate scheme intake will be given an individual project/paper to complete in year one, and a group project to complete in year two. The individual project is a 3000 word assignment to cover a topic determined by the CEO and TED. A previous example include: Evaluating the UK regulatory requirements for the use of drone technologies in urban areas. The group project in year two asks each engineer to be responsible for an aspect of the larger project, but the students must learn to co-ordinate progress checks and update reviews without direction from mentors or the Senior Management Team. This project aims to demonstrate how a graduate engineer is capable of transitioning to become an autonomous professional engineer within a team or company setting.

 

Will I receive support towards professional accreditation?

 

In short – Yes! The Engineering Graduate Scheme will provide relevant learning opportunities mapped to the Chartered/Incorporated Engineer (CEng) competency profile as published by the UK Engineering Council. This ensures cohort members are able to capture learning experiences as they happen, rather than reflect on experiences many years later. The graduate engineer is able to select which professional engineering institution they align with best. The Delkia Group conducts engineering activities which align most with the International Council of Systems Engineers (INCOSE), the Institute of Engineers and Technologist (IET) and the Society of Operations Engineers.

 

Will I be required to undergo a security clearance check?

Yes –The Delkia Group delivers engineering projects which are critical to national security therefore, security clearance will be required. Owing to this, we are only able to accept applications from British nationals (UK and Northern Ireland passport holders) with a clear DBS record. Dual nationals are unable to apply for the Delkia Engineering Graduate Scheme.

 

What will my terms of employment be?

• Engineering graduate scheme members will be required to sign an employment contract prior to commencing. The candidate is encouraged to read this contract in order to ensure commitments can be upheld. The main summary of this contract includes:

• Fixed Term – Fixed term for 2 years, subject to ongoing successful performance.

• Holidays – 23 days, plus 3 Christmas days and a day off on their birthday = 27 days.

• Pension – 5% employers and 5% employee contribution

• Other – Membership to our Simply Health healthcare cash plan.

• Professional Fees – Reimbursable upon successful completion of CEng/IEng.

• Salary band – Dependant on the qualification held. Graduate engineers with a Bachelors will start on £30,000pa, MEng/MSc graduates will start on £32,000pa and PhD graduates will start on £34,000pa. Salary increases may be provided at the 12 and 24 month stage subject to successful annual performance reviews.

 

What happens when I complete the Graduate Scheme?

After two years in the Delkia Engineering Graduate Scheme, Graduate engineers will be promoted to the position of Alumni Engineer, which will attract pay increase to £38,000pa (pay band F5). They will remain as an Alumni Engineer whilst they complete their CEng/IEng accreditation. Upon completion of their professional accreditation, the Alumni Engineer will be promoted to Senior Engineer and receive a further pay increase to £42,000 (pay band D1). Further advances in pay and position will be based on performance and professionalism.

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Guidelines for leaving the Engineering Graduate Scheme Early:
The Delkia Group expects that candidates joining the Engineering Graduate Scheme will commit for the full two years before assessing their options with the company. However, in some instances candidates may wish to leave the programme early. Each case will be treated individually but the following guidelines must be observed:

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Maternity/Paternity Leave:
Candidates can intermit their time within the programme in line with company maternity/paternity policy. Line managers and subjects must assess the most effective way to achieve this and come to a reasonable agreement. This agreement must be documented and submitted to HR. In some instances, a candidate may intermit for a full year and join the next graduate cohort. Alternatively, it may be possible to pause a rotation and recommence upon return, therefore delaying the subjects graduate scheme completion date.

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Voluntary Exit:

If a candidate decides to leave the programme prematurely and voluntarily then they are required to submit a resignation letter to HR, with a notice period of 30 days. 

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Administrative/Disciplinary Exit
The Delkia Group reserves the right to terminate a candidate’s role in the company and scheme under administrative or disciplinary procedures. ​