National Grid, Advanced Apprentice

“I’m in the last month of a three-year apprenticeship in the Maintenance Delivery Electricity area of the business. I’ve been working as an Apprentice at the Sellindge converter station, with my time divided equally between the training centre and site.

I’ve had lots of training courses with the other apprentices – my favourites were the ones on National Grid equipment like circuit breakers and transformers. Hands-on training is by far the best way to learn, though, and my mentor has always been happy to show me the ropes and look after me.

Considering how big a company National Grid is, it’s surprising that you don’t feel like ‘just a number’; you still feel important, and I hope to keep developing new skills and learning more, long after I finish my apprenticeship.

National Grid looks after you and there are lots of opportunities to further yourself. They put you with other apprentices on training courses, so you meet people from different walks of life. In September I will complete my apprenticeship and begin my permanent role on site at Sellindge.”