Energy Assets has announced a major investment in its apprenticeship programme – and plans for a graduate intake – to help meet its future skills requirements.
Britain’s leading independent metering, energy data and network services company will be doubling the number of apprentices it employs by the end of 2020 and aims to launch a new graduate training scheme in the next 12 months.
“The success of our business has seen our headcount grow from 262 to almost 800 since 2016, and central to our ability to deliver the strategic vision for the company in the future will be the investment we make in developing a highly skilled and diverse workforce,” says Will Moir, Head of Learning and Development at Energy Assets.
“So we will be doubling our apprenticeship programme to provide around 35 new career opportunities across the full spectrum of our operations in 2020 whilst at the same time working in partnership with the higher education sector to pave the way for a new graduate scheme.”
These training and development programmes will benefit all Energy Assets’ operational centres across Scotland, England and Wales, with apprenticeships offered in business administration, warehousing, IT, planning, data management and engineering.
All Energy Assets’ apprenticeships meet nationally-recognised standards and are delivered via a mix of in-house support and external training from colleges or commercial providers. The company also rewards its apprentices with a pay and benefits package that far exceeds the norm for trainees and this resulted in one recent opening at the Cardiff centre attracting over 40 applicants.
One of the company’s rising stars is Sean Kane, who has just completed a Level 4 apprenticeship in his role as an IT Support Analyst. Sean now has the option to take his knowledge to the next stage with a Level 5 qualification, which is the equivalent of a Higher Education Diploma/Foundation Degree.
Says Sean: “This apprenticeship has been invaluable in helping me understand my role in a real-world environment, given me the technical expertise I need and taught me a great deal about the sector.”
Energy Assets’ engagement with its young recruits also goes beyond the work environment, with plans underway to run a 5-day Outward Bound Trust programme for all apprentices to help them develop teamwork and behavioural skills.
“We aim to be the employer of choice in the communities in which we are based,” says Will. “The feedback we have received so far from our recruits has been very positive and we aim to build on this success to create a talent pool that will be a big part of our plans for the future.
“It is also very pleasing that the apprenticeship opportunities are attracting applications from an equal number of young women and men from a diverse range of backgrounds, all of whom are eager to make their mark in our exciting company.”
The graduate programme, currently under development, aims to provide entrants with high level experiences across a range of business disciplines.
