SSE is kickstarting the energy careers of more than 50 apprentices and trainee engineers.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic the UK’s leading developer of low-carbon assets and infrastructure has added another 53 new recruits on top of the 1,000 jobs it created in 2020 as it steps up its ambitions to treble its renewable output and build the electricity network needed to deliver net zero.
The new recruits will be deployed across its business in a variety of roles from maintaining wind farms to maintaining flexible electricity grids to transport more clean power.
In previous years recruits would have attended a week-long induction event before undertaking activity at training centres on site and at college but coronavirus restrictions mean they’ve been welcomed via a mixture of virtual and limited face-to-face meetings and they will be subject to social distancing measures and blended learning as they progress.
John Stewart, SSE Director of HR, said: “Just as efforts have continued to battle the coronavirus pandemic so too have they stepped up in the fight against climate change, so whilst it will have been a very different induction to the business for our latest apprentices and trainee engineers, they couldn’t be joining the industry at a more vital time.
“Our business is investing £4m a day in low-carbon energy and electricity infrastructure over the next five years and these recruits are joining an industry at a critical moment in the low carbon transition, setting their careers up to play a pivotal role in delivering a net zero future.”
SSE was one of the first companies to call for a net zero target, putting it at the heart of its strategy, and its new apprentices will be part of the green workforce supporting the transition to a low carbon world.
Many of the jobs are in rural and coastal communities, providing high quality, well paid training opportunities which support local economies and communities across the UK.
Positions include apprentice jointers, linespersons and electrical fitters working on the electricity network in the north of Scotland and central southern England. Technicians in SSE Renewables will be building and maintaining cutting edge onshore and offshore wind including some of the biggest in the world.
The four year training programme not only equips them with the technical skills needed but wider issues including financial education, cyber security, mental health and support for parents and guardians of young apprentices and trainee engineers.
One apprentice joining the business is Richard Griffiths, who will begin work as an apprentice linesman, with SSE’s networks business Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) in Slough.
The 19-year-old was working in the leisure industry when the pandemic hit.
He said: “I had been looking for apprenticeships and I remember finding the role as an apprentices linesman, I had my heart set on it the moment I saw it on the SSE website as it ticked all my boxes and now, I’m in the company I am not worried about the pandemic affecting my career prospects as they continued to employ even during the height of the pandemic.
“The induction has set me up with all that is expected of me as an apprentice and also has taught me a lot about SSE as a company and what to expect, as long as I put the work in they will be there to support me through the apprenticeship and even after.”
The Director of National Training Programmes at Scotland’s skills agency, Skills Development Scotland, Katie Hutton said: “Apprenticeships have been recognised as a vital part in the economic recovery from the pandemic, particularly providing much needed opportunities for young people to get into work.
“Employers who are able to recruit can give young people the chance to make a difference to their business through apprenticeships, with companies such as SSE offering apprentices the opportunity to gain much needed skills in a key sector supporting Scotland’s future.”
Another joining SSEN is 24-year-old Melissa Speake, who is re-locating from her home in Edinburgh to join the business as a Trainee Engineer in the Isle of Wight.
She said: “The virtual induction introduced us to so many employees across the ranks and showcased the possibilities for development and progression that senior members had gone through. The message of ‘work hard and keep asking for the tools to progress’ was reiterated in our sessions as the tool for growth in our careers and within the company.
“I want to be a part of something that is growing. I was attracted to SSE as it is a necessary industry so, once trained I know my skills will be relevant and applicable for at least the next decade, if not the company has enough variety of roles and sectors that as long as I am open to learning I could move into different areas.”