Trainee Power System Engineer Review
at National Grid
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Engineering
Wokingham
Review Submitted: April 2021
Overall Rating
4.9 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
5/5
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Overview of Role
5/5
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Skills Development
4.8/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
5/5
The role involves completing quality training ranging from University foundation degree (assignments & essays & exams), attending Training courses (industry wide courses & exams) to In-house training (placements & logbooks & projects). In hindsight the role is a progressive one that builds up competencies and leads to having the right skills and training for the right role in the company.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
I love the programme that I'm on. It is more than I would have ever hoped for; the people, the quality and the scheme beat my expectations. The programme is very dynamic and offers a range of situations where it gives you a great opportunity for exposure to the industry and the company. I believe the structure could be slightly improved when it comes to a specific route within the scheme but that is not enough to mark down my overall experience.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
Absolutely yes. I have developed various new skills and have become more comfortable with what I have knew previously to starting the apprenticeship. In fact, looking back to the start of the apprenticeship I have gained an enormous amount of skills, skills that are not only fit for the professions but also skills that are very transferable.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
To carry on from my previous comment. The structure is in fact great, the programme as a whole is very nicely structured and organised whilst offering a slight flexibility. Timetable with all activities is set a year ahead giving us a clear structure. Couple improvements could include: some training courses could be re-arranged to either, earlier or later dates to provide us with the opportunity to take the biggest advantage of these. Further, the organisation of particular paths on the apprenticeship are not that structured i.e. one path has a step by step progression to the finish line, whilst the other could do with more clearance.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
A great deal of support is offered from our employer. Right from the beginning of the apprenticeship it was made clear that there is a huge network of support available to us and even when it comes to personal things. The network of support also extend to the outside of the company where we can get anonymous help and support services through an employee assistance programme.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
Again, this reflects my previous answer. The help and support network within the company is endless and as for both, internal and external training course providers they also follow company values and offer us a great deal of support when it is required. I have not yet met one person throughout the scheme that was not keen to provide help or support when it was required, rather everyone is enthusiastic, understanding and wants to help.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
All the training is aimed to fit with the practice of the various roles available at the company. Reflecting to the start of the apprenctiship, all the courses and training completed to date have helped me understand how the company and various roles within operate and provided me with the essential skills to fit in within that environment and within the wider industry.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
5/5
Yes. There is always an opportunity to get involved with something at the company. There are various activities within the company as well as externally. The company is hugely involved with helping the community offering a range of activities to support local school and care homes. I myself participated in various extra-curricular activities such as spreading bark at a care home or attending a school fair.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend National Grid to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Having been through the scheme myself I think anyone would pick up valuable life skills and competencies that would be transferrable anywhere. The scheme is a great opportunity to start getting up the ladder and the quality of training is outstanding. This scheme overall has a potential to provide you with a good future and expertise in the engineering filed. Furthermore, the company itself offers flexibility to role changing, great pay, progression and support.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to National Grid?
Not to get to overwhelmed. I myself think too much into the future sometimes but the scheme itself offers small stepping stones to get to where you need to get to, so, my advice would be, rest assured and don't waste your energy on worrying. Take it step by step, the structure and support is given to you.
