Apprentice Substation Craftsperson Review

My role is that of an Apprentice Substation Craftsperson. In this role we effectively look after the HV Transmission equipment found in a substation,up 400kV.

I developed most of my skills after doing a year at college and working as an engineering assistant before my role at National Grid, however course by course I am learning more and more new skills and looking forward to doing more courses that will fit in to my role.

I am a practical person, so I enjoy doing the practical courses and getting hands on. However you also have to complete a City & Guilds Qualification which involves quite a bit of paperwork and study, which int my strong point. But once that is out the way I will more than likely enjoy it more.

I feel valued by National Grid as after my apprenticeship I can go on and do a HNC which is paid by the company and continue my progression up the career ladder.

The timetable is fairly well structured and organised. Some courses could be a lot shorter to allow us more time on site, but there has been very little change to the starting timetable, but there has been a few cancellations.

We mainly use a training provider called Aztec, who are very good at what they do and you can also have a bit of a laugh with them. You get to know them very well as they deliver a majority of the courses whilst you are at the Eakring training centre, and they are always willing to help and pass on knowledge from their previous careers.

They invest a lot of money in us as we are the future of the company, they give us a large amount of support. But you mainly see the contractors who come in to deliver the courses and not so much National Grid trainers.

The wage for an apprenticeship is very good. However I am 19 years old living in the London Area (Quite a few apprentices in the same position). We do receive a London Weighting Allowance, however with rising house prices, it will still be hard to get a mortgage for a house. Therefore I feel London Weighting should be increased, or the company give a pay rise to London employees so we can still live in our working area, allowing greater efficiency in the workplace.

The training centre is in the middle of no where and not exactly in an exciting area of England so there isnt exactly that much to do. There is a small gym at Eakring (The Training Centre), but you will find that gets full really quickly.

Yes

Although I would prefer to have the training centre closer to London/In London, there is no denying the fact that they invest a lot of money in you. You get a variety of different qualifcations which can help you at Grid, or if you wanted to jump to another company in the future. You can also continue to progress, and the company encourages that.

Although it is a good apprenticeship, think carefully before you apply/accept the job. The first Year you are at Eakring 70-80% of the time which is a big commitment. The second year, its about 50/50 (going by the preliminary timetable),and the third year is more 80% On site, 20% Eakring. I personally found it really tough at first as it was an unfamiliar area and really different to my previous job, but after some time I settled in and realised that it was a great opportunity and that I should appreciate what I have been given the opportunity to do. The application process is a long one, the Assessment Centre as well. But if you don't know much about Engineering, Maths etc,don't be put off. You will learn everything you need to know.