School leavers offered opportunity to train as spies Apprentices will gain unique insight into 'cyber threats, terrorism, espionage and organised crime' Scheme will take on 80 trainees, as young as 18, in autumn 2014 School leavers are being given the opportunity to train as spies under a new apprenticeship scheme run by GCHQ, MI5 and MI6. People without university education can apply to the scheme and gain a unique insight into "cyber threats, terrorism, espionage and organised crime." Dozens of apprentices, some as young as 18, will start on the two-year programme in September or October 2014. Trainees on the spy apprenticeship scheme will be based for their first year at GCHQ's premises in Cheltenham As an alternative to university, apprentices, who must be British citizens, are promised the opportunity to learn about and work with "some of the best and most cutting edge technology." The scheme was first announced by Foreign Secretary William Hague last year, but the application process, which ends on December 9, has only recently opened. The security services scheme will take on 80 trainees, who must have three A-levels at C or above, with at least two A-levels in either a science, technology, engineering or maths subjects. The apprentice salary on offer is £17,066 a year, with trainees expected to work five days a week, totalling 42 hours. At the end of the scheme, successful trainees may be offered a full-time job at GCHQ, MI5 and MI6 (office pictured) Successful applicants will be based in Cheltenham, at GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters), for the first year of the scheme and then some will have the opportunity to be placed in London with the Security Service, MI5, or the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, during the second year. Applicants, who will undergo tests and rigorous screening checks, are warned in the job description for the scheme not to publicise their desire to work for GCHQ. It says: "GCHQ is an organisation that has secrets of crucial importance to the security, defence and economic wellbeing of the UK. Foreign Intelligence Services are active in this country and are targeting these secrets. They are interested in members of the security or intelligence agencies and, in particular, those at the start of their career. Applicants can be as young as 18, and will need to have at least three GCSEs, including two in science, technology, engineering or maths subjects It adds: "To protect yourself and the UK's secrets, don't take everyone at face value. Be particularly wary of anyone who shows undue interest in your future job plans; think about the security aspects of what you do. For example, be mindful of how you present yourself on the internet - do not post on social networking sites that you have applied to GCHQ and think twice before you tell anyone where you may be going to work. After successful completion of the scheme, trainees may be offered a permanent position at GCHQ, MI5 or MI6. However, if the job is rejected, or if a trainee drops out of the scheme before completion, they will be expected to pay back their training costs, which will amount to £25,000.