NUGAS apprentices reach significant training milestone

A group of apprentices from HMS Sultan recently became the first within their specialisation to qualify as Leading Engineering Technicians as part of their training on the Royal Navy Marine Engineering (Submariner) Nuclear Undergraduate Apprenticeship Scheme (NUGAS).

The apprentices moved from probationary to full Leading Hands status after completing 18 months’ worth of training on topics such as Electrical/Mechanical Engineering principles, Equipment fault finding and repairs and Air purification and will now progress on to learn about nuclear reactor engineering theory and operations within the Defence School of Technical Training’s Defence School of Marine Engineering at HMS Sultan and onboard a submarine.

The NUGAS scheme offers an apprenticeship which starts with 3½ years of training and education, followed by a further 3½ years serving on active duty in the Submarine Service. This is followed by a final year’s study on a fully funded BEng (Hons) Engineering Degree. 

NUGAS apprentice Daniel Hagen said: “I’d been working as a joiner before I joined and I thought working on submarines would give me lots of opportunities and some stability. Although I’m a little older than some of the others on the course, I had the right grades to apply from school for the course. It’s good fun, I’m really enjoying it and it’s very rewarding.”

“It’s been a steep learning curve as the first group on the course, but we’ve kept each other going. We have further courses to do before we can get our dolphins and we will do further training on board a submarine before we re-join Sultan in around a year for Petty Officer training.”