Substation engineer trainee Review

I am part of the National Grid ETP scheme (engineering training programme) which is essentially an apprenticeship programme, where the company are sponsoring me to obtain a degree in electrical power engineering & at the end of the programme will offer me a position as an electrical engineer at an electrical substation. Each day is different as the current timetable i am working to, is in effect split into three different sections - university, attending a training centre & working out on site. The university is usually a two week period where we will stay on the uni campus and complete any studies / coursework we have been set during the time there. The training centre is a state of the art complex, with specilist trainers who have all been out in the field for numerous years, teaching things such as LV wiring, operating heavy vehicles, detecting faults on electrical circuits, and working at heights. The on site experience, ultimately takes place at the location you applied for, when the job application was submitted. This is great for gaining experience on some of the equipment that can be found on the substation (be it HV transformers, HV circuit breakers, compressors etc) it is also an experience that i dont believe can be obtained elsewhere because the more experienced engineers who have many years experience basically act at your mentors whilst out on site, and share much of their knowledge with you as you go along.

The biggest skill that has been developed, would be team work. I have always been involved in various sports clubs, so team work has always been one of my stronger qualities, however with this scheme much of the time is spent away from home, so for five days a week you are with only the fellow apprentices that have came in to the company on the same scheme as you. I also found in my own experience, that working as a team and sharing information with each other, is the most efficient way to complete the course and get through the programme.

The programme on the most part, is very demanding. As i have already mentioned, There is quite alot of time spent away from home & this is sometimes quite difficult for some people. However the trainers and the engineers out on site are nothing but welcoming and will do their best to make you feel involved and ‘part of the team’. I am still going through the scheme myself (i still have 1 year left) and i can say for the most part, every expectation that i had hoped i would gain from this ETP scheme, has been met & in most cases exeeded my expectations. Although the university aspect of the course is sometime stressful, the fact that the cost of the degree is being covered by the company, is a reminder to stay positive and make the most of the opportunity that has been given. Overal the course is very well managed & my enjoyment levels have stayed at a constant high.

The company do all they can to make sure that you feel valued at all times, and have established some ‘core values’ that they follow at all times. This is reflected in some of the benefits that are included within the terms and conditions of my contract - National Grid cover food costs, travel costs, training costs & and accodemic material that you may or may not need for the university aspect if the course. Aswell as this the most up to date training and certification is given to you to ensure your compentant enough to stay safe at all times when out on site.

As already previously mentioned, the course is structured so that time is spent on site, university and at a training centre. The timetable is made readily available at the start of the year so that you can see what to expect and when to expect it, this timetable is contantly updated so that if any changes occur they will be reflected in the time table. the structure of the programme is generally good, and the work life balance aspect of it is usually maintained to a good level, however sometimes given the size of the company and the amount of employees that come under it, mistakes can be mafe and training courses are sometimes missed.

The support that is shown through out the programme is maintained to a high level. I think given that all of the apprentices are away from home the staff are more than understanding & will do their upmost to make sure you are getting all of the support that you need. Aswell as this the engineers on site are supportive and understanding and will do their best to take up under their wing and see you complete jobs safely. National Grid also provides a tool kit so that you have all of the tools you need in order to complete any jobs you may undertake during your career with them, so most things that you require, they will do their best to provide.

The company has many different helplines that can be accessed 24 hours a day, aswell as this there is a 24 hour email address that can be contacted should you have any concerns about anything. They also send around weekly emails inviting all members of staff to various events through out the year, which give you the chance to speak up for any problems you are facing, and National Grid will ensure they resolve the issues and make sure you are satisfied with your work.

The salary package is a competitive one with other jobs offering similar training opportunities across the country, with the salary package that you recieve increasing after each end of year (subject to meeting milestones at the end of year reviews) aswell as this the costs of living during the time away from home is covered by the company & further more any miles driven in order to get to these places is covered also (in a car that the company supply to you upon joining the company).

The work life balance is something that is kept in mind from the company and during the time at the training centre there are facilities that you can use during your leissure time after the working day (they have a gym, golf course, football pitch, bicycles & a running club) aswell as sporting activities they run a shuttle bus giving you the opportunity to go into the local town and do a variety of activities of your choice. Given that all of the people you are away from home with become your close friends, it allows a bunch of you to try new sports that you potentially otherwise wouldnt have.

Yes

If you (like myself) are interested in engineering and see it as a career path to persue after college, then the scheme that National Grid offer is as good as it gets. It has proved me with an opportunity to become more independent and give me a competitive salary package along the way. Aswel as this, many of my friends who went to iniversity after college, although they have a degree, are now in massive amounts of debt. The opportunity to get a sponsored degree is soemthing that doesnt come along very often, and this alone is soemthing that makes the programme stand out from some of the others available.

The only tips i could gove, would be to take it seriously and keep an open mind should you be successful with the application. I say take it seriously because it requires a certain level of commitment, to meet all of the dead lines that have been set for various pieces of work & on top of this it can sometimes take alot to stay motivated whilst being away from home (away from your family / friends). Another key thing to remember is that it is important to have fun during the programme- this will lead to the best results and the more open minded you are during this period, the more you will get out of it.