Airbus is advertising two engineering degree apprenticeships for September 2027 that look similar from a search result. One is based at its wing manufacturing site in Broughton, near Chester. The other is at Filton, Bristol, with placements across aircraft engineering teams. Both currently advertise a £23,245 salary. Airbus's general guidance says degree apprenticeships are likely to close before 26 October. The Filton and Broughton adverts each list 26 October 2026 as the application closing date, but both warn that they may close earlier once sufficient applications are received.
That date needs care. Airbus says applications are open, and its general guidance says digital, business, engineering and project management degree apprenticeships are likely to close before 26 October. Each live vacancy lists 26 October 2026 but also says it may close after Airbus has received sufficient applications. Check the Apply button before spending an evening on a form.
What is different about the work?
The Broughton Engineering Degree Apprenticeship centres on how aircraft wings are designed, made and checked. Airbus describes rotations through design, manufacturing and quality engineering at its Wing Manufacturing Centre of Excellence. The advert gives concrete examples: analysing wing structures, resolving build problems on the line, improving tooling and dealing with product quality issues. If you want to see an engineering decision turn into a manufactured part, this is the more direct fit.
The Filton Aerospace Engineering Degree Apprenticeship has a broader aircraft engineering spread. Airbus lists potential placements in wing structures, landing gear, fuel systems and flight physics, as well as design, simulation, testing and in-service support. You would not do every item on that list. It shows the range of teams the programme might place you in.
Neither description guarantees a particular placement. Choose using the work you want to learn, then ask about likely rotations if you reach interview.
Which degree would you study?
At Broughton, the advertised award is a BEng (Hons) Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering from Swansea University, with study at Coleg Cambria. Airbus describes the programme as approximately 40 months, while the vacancy's summary says three years. Treat the precise duration as something to confirm with the recruitment team. In years two and three, the advert describes four placement days and one academic day each week.
At Filton, Airbus advertises a BEng (Hons) Aeronautical Engineering through Weston College and the University of the West of England. Its listing states four years and three months, beginning with a nine-month vocational foundation. The degree titles are close. The way the programmes connect study to the site is the useful distinction.
Check the grades before writing the cover letter
For Broughton, the A-level route asks for at least 112 UCAS points, including Maths at grade B and Physics or Chemistry at grade C. The listing also gives BTEC, Access to HE, IB and T-level routes. It asks for GCSE English Language and Maths at grade 4/C or above.
Filton also states at least 112 UCAS points, with Maths at B and Physics or Chemistry at C on its A-level route. Its GCSE requirement is different: Maths and English Language and Literature at grade 5/B. It lists alternative technical qualifications too. Do not use one Airbus vacancy's requirements to decide whether you qualify for the other. If your qualification does not map neatly onto the advert, check directly with Airbus before ruling yourself out. Our guide to apprenticeship grades explains the wider picture; the employer listing is the authority for this application.
Both adverts ask for a CV that marks grades as predicted or achieved and a cover letter about your fit. Airbus also says applicants need legal authorisation to work in the UK for the whole programme and that these roles do not meet its sponsorship requirements. Read the full eligibility section before applying.
How to choose and apply this week
Write two lines before opening either form. In the first, name a task from the listing you would want to learn. In the second, give a real example of why: a school project, a repair, a design you tested, or something you built yourself. For Broughton, that might be improving how a component is made. For Filton, it might be modelling or testing how a system behaves. Use your actual work, not a borrowed aerospace story.
Airbus asks why this company and why this apprenticeship. Yusuf's advice to students preparing employer answers is to separate the company, the technology, the training and your own reason. It is a useful research checklist here, but your cover letter should sound like you. The cover letter guide for applicants without work experience can help you turn a project into evidence.
As of 23 October 2026, ApprenticeWizard's database marked 281 active degree-apprenticeship records. That is a search starting point, not a count of distinct employer-verified vacancies: sources can duplicate a role and adverts can change. Follow the employer link for the final status and deadline.
The decision that matters
These are two ways into aircraft engineering with the same advertised starting salary. The Broughton advert puts wing production and its engineering problems close to the centre of your week. Filton offers a wider set of aircraft design and systems placements. That is a better reason to choose than whichever title sounds grander.
Both live adverts list 26 October, with early closure possible once sufficient applications are received. If one fits, check the live advert and submit while it still accepts applications.
The cover is a conceptual illustration, not a photograph of an Airbus site.
ApprenticeWizard helps you find live apprenticeships and keep track of applications. The database figure above was taken on 23 October 2026. Build your shortlist.