Apprentices from Electricity North West have become the first in the country to complete the Power Network Engineer apprenticeship.
Seventeen Higher Level Apprentices from the region’s power network operator completed the three-year course and in doing so, became the first in the electricity supply industry.
The course, headed up by Energy and Utility Skills, covers roles such as asset management engineer, planning engineer, design engineer, control engineer, electrical project engineer and operational delivery engineer.
After completing all the necessary assessments which the course entails, the apprentices have now been deployed into the business carrying out their respective new roles.
Chris Havard, Electricity North West’s apprentice programme manager, said: “This is a huge accolade for our apprentices.
“To become the first set of apprentices to complete the course in the country is a remarkable achievement and really is a testament to the hard work they have put in.
“It certainly hasn’t been easy either, particularly with the coronavirus restrictions which certainly changed the way all apprentices had to work. Interviews had to take place remotely and the planning of observations on site proved to be challenging because of the current limitations.
“But, I think that’s a great reflection on everybody involved. We’ve a great apprenticeship programme at Electricity North West and we are going from strength to strength each year.”
Energy & Utility Skills provides membership, assurance and skills solutions to help employers attract, develop and retain a sustainable skilled workforce. The training was delivered at Electricity North West’s purpose-built training academy in Blackburn.
Bernie Zakary, Head of the Energy & Utilities Independent Assessment Service, added: “As a leading provider of high-quality end-point assessment, we are delighted to see Electricity North West’s apprentices successfully complete their end-point assessments.
“COVID restrictions haven’t stopped the apprentices or us in carrying out all components of the end-point assessments in innovative and fully compliant ways. Congratulations to all of the apprentices.”
For more information, please visit www.enwl.co.uk.
