MI5 & MI6: Data Science Apprenticeship, London and Manchester. In person placement

Placement details

Overview.

Location: London and Central Manchester

Application deadline: We advise you apply as soon as possible as applications are likely to close early due to high volume of applications.

Start date: To be confirmed, as start dates depend on successful completion of the security vetting process.

How to apply: Apply directly through the MI5 or MI6 website using the links below.

Apprenticeships available.

• MI5: Data Science Apprenticeship
• MI6: Data Science Apprenticeship

About the Data Science Apprenticeship.

In order to apply to MI5 & MI6 Data Science Apprenticeship, you must meet the following qualifying criteria:

• 120 UCAS tariff points from Level 3 qualifications (A-Levels, BTEC, T-Levels or equivalent)
• GCSE grade 4/C (or above) in Maths and English Language.
• From there, it's about your potential. We’re looking for people who are inquisitive, willing to learn and motivated to solve problems in a structured and thoughtful way.

Salary: London: £28,556 to £31,154 (depending on organisation), Central Manchester: £29,081

Flexible working: The apprenticeship has a set timetable for academic modules with fixed leave periods. Due to the secure nature of their work, much of your learning and working will be in person. However, there may be opportunities for homeworking where appropriate, depending on your project, team requirements and security considerations.

MI5 and MI6 are part of the UK’s Intelligence Services. They work together to safeguard Britain’s people, interests, and businesses from various threats at home, overseas and online, including cyber-attacks, espionage, terrorism, and organised crime. Working across their vital missions, you’ll deliver impact at the heart of national security, all within a supportive and inclusive environment that allows everyone to thrive.

Interested in a career in Data Science, but not sure where to start? Their first-ever Data Science Apprenticeship is a great place to begin. You don’t need any technical experience, just enthusiasm, curiosity and a problem-solving mindset. From there, you’ll build the skills you need, contribute to meaningful work and gain a fully funded Level 6 degree.

Over three years, you’ll learn from experienced Data Scientists, Artificial Intelligence (AI) specialists and machine learning professionals while working on real projects. You’ll rotate through different teams, giving you the chance to try different kinds of work, from engineering projects and emerging technologies to building models and tackling live problems. You’ll also learn how to turn data into something people can actually use. That means understanding what stakeholders need, making sense of technical findings, communicating the story behind the numbers, and helping to generate insights that support better decisions.

The apprenticeship combines university study with practical experience, with 20% of your working time dedicated to learning and development, including one to two weeks of in-person learning in London each year. Because you’ll work with colleagues across London and Manchester locations, some travel between sites will be required throughout the programme, with financial support towards travel costs provided where appropriate. You’ll learn from experienced colleagues throughout, with plenty of opportunities to explore fascinating areas like AI and machine learning.

Please note, you must not have completed, or be due to complete before starting the apprenticeship, a Level 4 qualification (or higher) in Data Science, AI, Computer Science or a related field.

In addition to training and development, you'll receive a starting salary of £28,556 to £31,154, depending on location and organisation, 25 days' annual leave (rising to 30 after five years), an interest-free season ticket loan, and access to on-site facilities including a gym, restaurant and coffee bars at some sites.

MI5 and MI6 are proud of their inclusive and supportive working environment. The workplace encourages open minds and attitudes, helping you feel comfortable bringing your whole self to work. As organisations committed to providing equitable opportunities, they value and nurture your wellbeing and talent, supporting you to reach your full potential. Additionally, a range of thriving affinity networks led by staff are established to champion awareness around gender, ethnic minority, disability, neurodiversity, LGBTQ+ and more.

At MI5 and MI6 diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce such as women, those from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds. Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our websites.

https://www.mi5.gov.uk/careers/working-at-mi5/diversity

https://www.sis.gov.uk/working-at-mi6/diversity-and-inclusion

To be eligible to apply, you must be a British Citizen. If you hold dual nationality, of which one component is British, you’ll nonetheless be considered. Candidates must normally have been resident in the UK for seven out of the last ten years. This is particularly important if you were born outside the UK. You can apply at the age of 17; if successful, you’ll not be offered a start date prior to your 18th birthday. Full eligibility details can be found on our websites.

https://www.mi5.gov.uk/careers/applying-for-jobs

https://www.sis.gov.uk/how-to-apply/eligibility

Next steps.

Apply directly through the official website by clicking ‘apply’ next to MI5 or MI6!