Trainee Power System Engineer Review

During the apprenticeship my work has been varied, which has made the course incredibly interesting and engaging. When completing training I have attended National Grid's training facility to learn soft skills such as; presentation skills, report writing, as well as health and safety courses, and first aid training. These have and will continue to help me throughout my career. I have also attended Aston University where I am study for a FdEng in Power System Management. This has given me a foundation that I can take back to the work place and use when on my placements. When back at site I have been experiencing different departments within National Grid to gain and understanding of where my interests lie and where my skill set could be beneficial. It has been fascinating to experience different departments and has been a great way to apply the knowledge I have learnt.

During the degree element of the course I have built on knowledge and skills from my A-Levels and applied that to the world of Power System Engineering. Being able to see an application for the learning has increased my enthusiasm for learn new skills. I became very disillusioned with colleague and struggled to find motivation to learn for the sake of an exam. Completing this learning as an apprentice motivates me to learn so that I can work effectively and successfully within National Grid.

The nature of the program has been incredibly supportive. I have had the opportunity to discuss topics I am learning at University with experienced and knowledgeable engineers which has broadened my knowledge of the topics greatly. Getting involved in projects with teams I have felt incredibly welcomed and have been encouraged to add to discussions and contribute ideas which have made my more confident of my ability.

The organization has been very good. When I started at my induction I was given a plan for the entire first year of the course. Some of the events have been moved or cancelled but I have been given plenty of notice of this. I haven't felt lost or like I didn't know where I was going to be when during the course.

During the course I have had to contact my manager either because of an issue or because I need some information for a piece of work/assignment. My manager is very quick to respond and will often have the answer or know of someone who does and will put me in contact with them. I feel this is very representative of National Grid. You should never be afraid to ask for help if you are struggling, and there is always someone who can help.

Lecturers at Uni are willing to discuss any issues you may have with the content and are happy to provide additional sources/ resources to enforce the learning. They offer learning support sessions where you can focus on Maths, Report Writing, etc. This is often in small groups or one to ones. A lot of the lecturers offer appointments where you can take specific issues to discuss with them one to one. Prior to starting the course I was worried about getting exam support. The Uni offers extra time to those that qualify for this aid.

The qualification gives me the baseline knowledge that I need in order to perform my job. Due to the fact the course is delivered by professional engineers who have often spent long careers in the field the learning is my very relevant. It is made very clear how the learning can benefit me in my job.

National Grid provides access to free gym facilities on sites. This is a really great facility to have particularly when away at National Grid's training site. They have social clubs and sports teams within the company that allow employees from different departments to network and get to know other colleagues.

Yes

National Grid is a fantastic company that greatly value their employees. They are dedicated in investing in the next generation of Power System Engineers. The apprenticeship is a fantastic way for the company to invest in you by training you and offering you support as you develop into a Power System Engineer.

The company wants to employees who are going to represent the company and who will uphold the values of the company. You need to be able to work well in teams and be flexible with who you are working with. Show that you offer a unique input and that you are an individual that always looking to improve.