Substation Craftsperson Review

Our role is to effectively maintain and repair any issues/faults that occur on the nations HV electricity network, including maintenance of HV equipment on substations such as circuit breakers, disconnectors, earth switches, transformers, shunt reactors, cable sealing ends and the associated air systems. Part of our day to day work is really varied which makes the work interesting, but also very important which why before work everyday we have a 'toolbox talk' to discuss safety, the work to be done and identify any hazards present before carrying out our work.

Of course, when entering new jobs and specifically new environments there is so much to learn, from the basics like how to move around a substation and what you can and cant do, right down to the most important aspects of our work such as why we have the equipment we do, exactly how it works and how to maintain it. The apprenticeship provides a number of courses to prepare you for carrying out your role effectively and efficiently, from hand skills courses, to working at height training, confined spaces and first aid training.

I really enjoy the programme; both the practical side of being onsite and learning alongside experienced fitters and engineers, to the technical courses of the different types of equipment we have, how they operate and how we can maintain them safely. Its also extremely satisfying knowing that youve helped maintain a number of equipment to a high standard that will ensure it can be returned to service safely and continue to keep the lights on for many more years to come.

Perhaps sometimes bigger companies are often accused of forgetting people are individual and do not appreicate them, but that isnt the case here, working in small teams across the country where your peers and managers are always checking how your getting on, seeing if you need anything, or just to ask how the jobs gone and congratulate you on the work your doing and to motivate you to keep doing the good work your doing,

National Grid is extremely well organised as mentioned previously we are in teams, run by team leaders and then answer to an area manager; this system works very well as when querys are raised or more information is required, by speaking to your line manager, you can quickly get an answer from higher up in the company, or if not then directed to the right department within the company.

I recieved a great deal of support from my provider; on site I had a mentor that supported me throughout my onsite work, ensured i was getting on the correct jobs and getting the necassary experience to complete my apprenticeship to a high standard. But also when at the training centre there was always offers of help and support from our tutors/trainers which I used, and they were more than happy to sit down with me and review and give feedback on my work so that I could improve it, no only to improve the quality of my work, but also to improve my knowledge for future reference when working out on site.

As mentioned previous I have received a lot of support from my employer, my line manager always checking on whether Im keeping up to date on my work, if theres anything im missing or may require from him. When working on site he would often come out and test me on my knowledge of the equipment we were working on, how it worked and how the maintenance was going. I also had a review every 6 months where my logbook was reviewed to ensure he was happy with the work I was doing

My salary/package is excellent, we are paid extremely well and with a van provided and fuelled, my only cost at work is food! I find this a really good benefit of the job and one I now rely on as I have sold my car as a result, it just makes things so much easier than having to work out how much it would cost you etc. Even when working away our hotels are paid for which is really good and enusres we are happy while working away.

Yes the company does have oppurtunities outside of work also, occasionally there are fund rasing events go on that we are encouraged to take part in, last year there was a Tour de Grid bike ride from one end of the country to the other that we could take part in, and within our team we also have a 'Sports and Social Club' that we each pay a small amount into every month then do something with the funds each year, whether it may be go-karting, golf, paintballing or just a meal,

Yes

Its a really great place to work that provides such a huge array of training that can be applied to many different jobs in different environments. The salary is very good, the company appreciate you and the work is really interesting but challenging, it really does give you a great sense of achievement when a big outage is completed and is returned to service on time

When applying for National Grid, don't just talk about your practical skills, talk about your people skills, talk about experiences youve had such as playing in a football team, volunteering for charities, Duke of Edinburgh etc. It may not seem applicable but it defintely is; working as part of a team is a big thing at NG and doing things like those mentioned, shows you have a great people skills, you can communicate well, listen, discuss and sometimes take charge, having a voice is really important. Be confident.