Apprentice Maintenance Technician Review

I am an apprentice maintenance technician for EDF Energy Generation. My course is split into 2 sections: for the first 2 years, I am based in Portsmouth (HMS Collingwood and HMS Sultan) and for the second 2 years, I work in my local nuclear power plant (Hunterston B Power station). For my time in Portsmouth I attend a college type set up where I gain the knowledge and practical skills to set me up for work on a real station. We also are involved in life-skills courses where we are taught the basics of general life-skills such as finances; these courses also see us on a variety of trips across Europe to Budapest, Berlin and Lyon.

As one of the few under 18 apprentices, I have been given an amazing new opportunity which I would not have had the opportunity to do otherwise. I have grown as a person to become a more confident person and feel as though my time away from home has offered me the chance to take control of my own life and take on responsibility for myself. For example: I have now travelled multiple times without the assistance of my parents and am able to budget my money independently. As well as the life skills I have learnt, I have gained a lot of knowledge in my field of work and have had the chance to get hands on and learn actively.

I really enjoy my apprenticeship. The work is good and the lifestyle is even better. It is an opportunity of a lifetime being able to move away from home and have the chance to live fairly independently. I really enjoy the work I do on a day to day bases as it is relevant to my future career.

I feel as though EDF Energy put a large sum of money into the apprenticeship so as to prepare their future workforce properly and to a high standard therefore we are well accomodated for.

The course is set out in a very useful mannor in my opinion, we are trained up in the basic skills of all trades in our 1st year, then are filtered into our specific disciplines for 2nd year onwards which gives us a broader understanding of our own speciality. The basic knowledge we are given in our 1st 2 years helps to properly prepare us for our work back on station.

We have many points of contact in the instance that we require support which are made very clear from the beginning.

Our employer is supporting when on site, we require help when transitioning to life in Portsmouth and then again when moving home and we have been helped through our inital transition faze very well.

As an EDF Energy Apprentice, we aren't required to pay for many thing, EDF pay for our food, accomodation and travel therefore as a 17 year old girl with little outgoings I have mostly expendable income.

The life-skills part of the course provides us with the opportunity to travel to different countries within Europe. There are also a lot of extra curricular activities on the navy base, we have full access to all the navy gyms, halls and swimming pool as well as a place in certain clubs and groups for example hockey or basketball teams.

Yes

Becoming an EDF Energy apprentice has been the best decision I've made and I could not have asked for a better opportunity.

Really think about if you are ready to move away from home and live away from family and friends as this was a bit of an issue for some people when initialy moving. If you get to the interview stage, really research the powerplant you are applying for and the industry itself