Substation craftsperson Review

The Role of a craftsperson is to carry out work on national grid assets as determined by outages making equipment available. This includes maintenance, refurbishment and inspection of equipment used for the transmission of electricity. It is a hands on multi-skilled role that requires a solid understanding of fitting skills, electrical and mechanical principles.

From starting the apprenticeship I have learned a lot of new skills that implemented regularly in the work I carry out in the full time position as a craftsperson. This includes; tool usage, wiring, mechanical and electrical principles. The apprenticeship helped me build on past skills such as my electrician background and helped me develop my communication skills aswell

I thoroughly enjoyed the programme. It was a great opportunity to further my learning and have a skill set tailored to the final role. It was challenging at times but there was a always support to help me through the programme. I was fortunate to be able to travel to various parts of the company and work with teams other than my own as well.

The programme was very organised with a plan that was given out at the start of each year. Any changes to the plan were well communicated ahead of time which was a good benefit. I was able to plan my time effectively because of this and pass the apprenticeship accordingly.

I have received a great amount of support from national grid through one means or another. Be that a line manager during difficult personal issues or a trainer being on the end of a phone to help with coursework. They are willing and happy to help find the best outcome through all sorts of situations.

The training for the qualifications were provided at the national grid training centre At Eakring. This meant if there were any issues it was easy to seek out help and support in order to rectify them. Working with my local time they provided great support in order for me to achieve the required qualifications .

As the qualification was tailor made for the final position role it helps immensely. I felt like the training provided a solid foundation to be able to carry out my job role and expand on what I head learned during my time as an apprentice. Courses were tailored on the qualification and delivered expertly by those with past experience in the field.

At the national grid eakring training centre the grounds included; lounge for socialising, fishing lake, Astro turf for ball games and bikes for enjoying the surrounding countryside. We were encouraged to attend networking events as well as engineering\job fares and represent national grid in various venues around the uk.

Yes

I would highly recommend national grid to friend. They have been a great support for me during my time as an apprentice and continue to do so in my final position as a craftsperson. They have provided me with a great set of skills and a lifetime career in the energy sector.

I would recommend that they look at the national grid website and research what they do as a company. And depending on what role they are applying for try to gain an understanding where national grid fits in with the energy sector as a whole and what they are aiming to achieve.