What better way to start a new career than through a rewarding apprenticeship with an industry-leading company?
Through apprenticeships, we welcome new talent into our teams and prepare them for a rewarding and successful career in the industry, equipped with relevant practical experience and knowledge.
For the National Apprenticeship Week 2024, we sat down with some of our apprentices to hear about their experience at Ethical Power.
Mike – Junior Electrical Project Manager
Following a successful career playing rugby for Hartpury RFC in the English Championship, Mike decided he wanted to start on a new career path. As the son of an electrician himself, Mike was no stranger to the industry and all the different opportunities that it had to offer. He started with Ethical Power as an Apprentice HV Networks Electrician in 2020 and has since progressed into a Junior Electrical Project Manager’s position. Whilst studying, not only was Mike the first in his class to complete his apprenticeship, he also won the Eastleigh College Apprentice of the year award.
Following the apprenticeship path allowed him to gain invaluable on-site experience. He believes that this gave him a head start prior to moving into an office-based role, working as a Junior Electrical Project Manager. He found being on site and doing electrical work as the most interesting thing he has learnt on his apprenticeship. He also recommends people to be self-driven and commit themselves if they want to have a successful apprenticeship experience.
“With Ethical Power being a leader in renewable energy and their reputation of quality and innovation, I was really keen to work for them and to progress in my career with them. I feel extremely fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work alongside experienced electricians that have shared their knowledge and fully supported me throughout the apprenticeship,” says Mike. “It’s important to commit yourself, the more on top of the studying and work you can be, the quicker you can get through it. Especially if you start at an older age, you’ve got to be self-motivated. As long as you are willing to put in the work you can get much more out of the experience”.
Rob – Trainee Design Engineer
Rob joined Ethical Power as an Apprentice Commissioning Engineer in 2020. Currently working as a Trainee Design Engineer, he believes that the apprenticeship route builds a good foundation for a career in engineering. He’s found learning how to run a site and the ins-and-outs of installations very useful.
As an apprentice, he’s had the chance to work with people across different career paths, from Protection Engineers to Site Managers. Learning about the different roles and responsibilities allowed him to understand how everything is connected within an organisation and how we all work as a team. His one suggestion to new apprentices is to reach out and ask for help when they need it.
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help,” Rob says. “In my experience, any of my colleagues, the on-site electricians or other apprentices were always happy to help. Sometimes I was hesitant to ask because I didn’t want to bother anyone but as soon as I did ask for help everyone was very willing to support me, whether it was something about the coursework or something on site. And getting that help and support can make a world of difference.”
Sam – Junior Tendering Engineer
Sam joined Ethical Power as an Apprentice Electrician in 2021. He is now a Junior Tendering Engineer and has almost completed his apprenticeship with Ethical Power. He is currently finalising his portfolio: a whole criterion that covers everything to do with being an electrician, including pictures and write ups on the relevant projects.
Sam finds the apprenticeship path is a great opportunity especially for young people to progress in their careers. He identified organisation and multitasking as important skills he has learnt while working in the office, while he was also introduced to handling demanding physical work on site. Having site experience has helped him work more effectively in his new role.
“The workspaces are completely different, one more mentally challenging and the other physically,” he reflects looking back at on-site experience and office-based work. “I think the skills that you need more in the office is good time-management and organisation. While on site, you focus on the one site whereas in the office you have to switch between multiple projects. Still, if you’ve been on site, you’ve got a leg up when you come to the office because visualising and understanding the site operations is so much easier once you’ve actually seen it.”
At Ethical Power, we offer the apprenticeship path to our existing staff and also accept apprentices joining us to start their careers in renewables.
Interested in an apprenticeship with Ethical Power? Send us your CV.