Higher Apprentice Review

My day to day role as an apprentice is to study and work towards internal company qualifications, alongside some external qualifications such as NEBOSH and a foundation degree. I plan myself in for most work and travel to various sites to execute it, as well as ensure I am ready for any exams.

I have learned a lot of new skills during my time with National Grid. Many of these are physical skills that I've been able to attribute to the work I carry out on site, but they also include skills such as time management and self organisation for any admin work.

I enjoy my programme despite the heavy workload that is places upon us as apprentices, but this is to be expected in a higher apprenticeship at any company. It is a massive challenge that requires a lot of time and effort, but the enjoyment that comes as a result of that is absolutely worth it.

The programme has been very well structured with a long ranging plan for work. The COVID-19 pandemic made planning very difficult and meant that a lot had to be cancelled, but it was quickly rectified once it became clear that things were starting to open up again. There is a clear structure from the outset.

I receive a lot of support from my employer, this is in many aspects. There is a very good employee assistance programme that can aid with many aspects of life that may be completely unrelated to work. In work however colleagues are very willing to help and there is a great leaning atmosphere.

There is a lot of support received from the training provider. Where necessary one to one support sessions can be set up and there is a degree of flexibility if there are some aspects which you may be struggling with. There is a lot of online content provided for aid as well.

The qualification begin provided is a very broad background to the job role that I will be moving into. The exposure to on site work mixed with the amount of theoretical knowledge provided is a great way to establish an understanding of what needs to be completed as a member of the team.

Unfortunately in the last 16 months there have been no outside of work activities that we have done as a team due to the pandemic. Prior to this however, Christmas do's were always the staple point that we all went to to meet outside of work as well as other occasions.

Yes

National Grid provides an excellent training scheme with fantastic benefits as a company. It has helped me develop as a person, and I still am developing to this day. It gives a great way to learn in a high pressure yet supportive working environment. A lot of skills learned here are highly sought after in the industry.

Be prepared to use up a lot of your free time to be able to hit the targets set. Doing a full time job whilst also balancing university and many internal goals is not something that comes easily to most people. Be prepared to challenge your preconceptions about what the working environment is like.