2025 Experienced Apprentice Programme - EPN

79936 - 2025 Experienced Apprentice Programme - East

This 2025 Experienced Apprentice Programme will report to the Engineering Trainees Team Leader and will work based in our Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge, Chilterns, Colchester, Downham Market, Kings Lynn, Norwich, Peterborough, Purfleet, Southend-on-Sea or Stevenage office. You will be a permanent employee.

You will attract a salary of £35,219 and a bonus of 3%

If you are successful, you will need to undertake a medical and DBS reference check

Close Date: 16th February 2025

We also provide the following additional benefits

• Annual Leave plus bank holidays
• Personal Pension Plan – Personal contribution rates of 4% or 5% (UK Power Networks will make a corresponding contribution of 8% or 10%)
• Tenancy Loan Deposit scheme
• Tax efficient benefits: cycle to work scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Occupational Health support
• Switched On – scheme providing discount on hundreds of retailers products.
• Discounted access to sports and social clubs
• Employee Assistance Programme.

UK Power Networks

UK Power Networks operates and maintains three electricity distribution networks. Delivering power to 19 million people across London, the South East and East of England, keeping the lights on for 28% of the UK population.

Alongside the three Ofgem regulated electricity networks, UK Power Networks have an un-regulated arm of the business. UK Power Networks Services which builds, manage and maintains high-voltage private electrical networks for owners of major infrastructure. Clients include London's five main airports, High Speed 1, Network Rail and London Underground.

UK Power Networks is a registered Employer-Provider with the ESFA (Education Skills Funding Agency), and our apprenticeships are part funded by the Apprenticeship Levy. UK Power Networks gained an overall grade of Good from OfSTED, with two areas of Outstanding.

Our priorities are to handle the climate crisis by connecting renewable energy, meet our customers evolving needs by improving our services, support our customers in vulnerable circumstances and go above and beyond for the communities we serve.

The Experienced Apprenticeship Programme

UK Power Networks has over 145,000km of underground cables, over 190,000km of overhead lines and our assets help distribute 30% of the UK's electricity. It takes hundreds of trained craftspeople and engineers to build, maintain and operate all of this electrical infrastructure and equipment.

Our Experienced Apprenticeship is a two-year training programme which is accredited by the IET and endorsed by EU Skills, offering a unique opportunity equip individuals with the skills to become a trained and qualified "craft" person to work safely in the electrical distribution industry. You will be offered one of three craft roles:

Cable Jointer - plays a crucial role in maintaining and upgrading the electricity distribution network. They install, connect, and repair underground cables, ensuring a reliable power supply to homes and businesses. This hands-on role involves working with low and high voltage cables and equipment, following strict safety standards and procedures and troubleshooting any issues to minimise disruptions making it an important role for keeping UK Power Networks electricity network running smoothly.

Overhead Linesperson install, maintain, and repair overhead power lines that deliver electricity to homes and businesses. You will work at heights to construct and maintain overhead lines and poles, ensuring the safe and reliable distribution of electricity. Overhead Linespeople inspect and troubleshoot issues, conduct repairs in all weather conditions, and respond to power outages to restore electricity quickly. With a focus on safety and teamwork, you will help maintain and upgrade the electricity network

Electrical Fitter installs, maintains, and repairs electrical equipment and systems within substations. You will work with high-voltage apparatus such as transformers, circuit breakers, and switchgear, ensuring the safe and reliable distribution of electricity. Electrical Fitters troubleshoot faults and perform routine inspections and maintenance to ensure that all equipment is operating safely and is a necessary role in keeping the electrical network running.

Principal Accountabilities:

• Apprentices are allocated a single specific craft based on the business need and location available to you.
• All apprentices are expected to learn all aspects of their allocated craft and apply the skills and behaviours throughout the Apprenticeship Programme competently, safely and following the apprenticeship standards.
• Apprentices will follow the Level 3 Power Industry Craftsperson Apprenticeship Standards. Depending on the role offered one of the following apprenticeship standards will be followed:

• Power industry substation fitter / Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education
• Power industry overhead linesperson / Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education
• Power industry distribution cable jointer / Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education

• The apprenticeship includes a City and Guilds Level 2 in Electrical Power Engineering - Distribution and Transmission (Technical Knowledge) (2304-17) and this will be undertaken at our external provider college in Basingstoke.
• Apprentices are expected to undertake responsibilities following their craft, safety procedures and follow UK Power Networks safe working policies.
• Training activities are delivered at our regional training centres and training provider sites. This will require apprentices to spend time away home, if you are required to stay away from home for a period of training accommodation and meal allowance will be provided
• Training will consist of internal/ external training courses, on site placements and academic training placements through college across the 2 year period

Qualifications Required:

• This is an apprenticeship where you will be taught all the necessary skills to perform each craft safely and competently. During the apprenticeship individuals will always work supervised and as part of a team.
• We ask that you have a minimum of GCSE grade 3 (D) or equivalent in English and maths, or Functional Skills Level 1 or 2, if you are invited to the assessment day you will need to provide hard copies of these qualifications as part of the assessment process.
• You will have either gained a Level 2 or higher qualification within Further education i.e. college or university, or have gained more than 3 years full-time work experience in a craft-based or hands-on role, where a high level of manual dexterity is an important part of the role, (this could include) electrician, carpenter, builder, mechanical fitter, welder, vehicle mechanic or telecommunications / gas/ water (utility) technician.
• As mentioned above we ask that you have a high degree of manual dexterity demonstrated through the use of hand tools and will undertake a range of practical assessments in consideration of your designated craft, should your application be successful. Some roles such as overhead linesperson require applicants to work safely at height
• You must like working outdoors in all weather conditions.
• You must always prioritise safe working practices and demonstrate an understanding of what it means to deliver great customer service.
• You must be in possession of a full UK driving licence to be considered for the role as travel to different locations across the UK Power Networks footprint is a requirement during the apprenticeship.

Please note that these roles have both physical conditions of the workplace and physical demands of the job. These conditions include physical strain i.e. heavy lifting, working at height, or working in confined spaces. An apprentice, and qualified craftsperson can expect outdoor settings, in all weather conditions, including temperature extremes, during day and night shifts. Work is often performed in emergency and some pressured situations.

Employees need to be aware that for some craft and operational roles that work at height, or use fall arrest devices, there is an upper weight limit of 116Kg due to maximum safe working load of the safety equipment that is used.

Nature and Scope:

The Apprentice programme is 2 years in duration (indicative timescale) working towards achievement of a Level 3 Power Industry Craft Person Apprenticeship whilst gaining skills and behaviours developing experience in their designated craft.

Apprentices will be provided overnight accommodation while studying at UK Power Networks four Training Centres or with our Training Providers. Some courses are of extended duration this may require applicants to stay in accommodation for the course's duration depending on location

You will use your personal vehicle/ public transport to travel between different training locations. If an apprentice has a personal vehicle with added business insurance this will allow all travel expenses/ mileage to be claimed to and from each training location.

Assessment of competence and application of knowledge, skills and behaviours will be conducted throughout the duration of the Apprenticeship Programme and all apprentices must meet their milestones.

Completing the apprenticeship will be confirmed through an End Point Assessment which will assess Skills, Knowledge and Behaviours following the End Point Assessment Organisation (EUIAS – Energy & Utilities Independent Assessment Service). Apprentices will also have gained certificates of competency specific to their craft before being deemed a qualified craft person.

Training may take place at practical training centres and educational facilities across the UK.

Application Process:

Stage 1

Online Application and CV

Stage 2

Online Situational Judgement Test

• An assessment where you will be given work problem/critical situations relating to the position applied for where you will identify how this would be handled.

Stage 3

Audio Interview

• An audio interview where you are required to record your responses to a selection of questions, this is a verbal task and not a formal interview

Stage 4

Assessment Centre & Interview

• An in-person assessment centre where you will complete several assessments including a group exercise, individual exercise and hand skills.
• Interviews will take place virtually after the assessment centre.

Stage 5

Offer

• All offers are subject to individuals passing a drugs and alcohol test and fit for work assessment, and having the right to work in the UK.

Health & Safety Responsibilities

Managers and supervisors carry both legal and company responsibilities for ensuring the health and safety of their employees, those under their control and those who might be affected by the work undertaken, i.e. public, visitors and employees of other organisations. This includes briefing individuals working for them and ensuring there is the necessary understanding, competence and application of requirements to work safely and without harming the environment.

Employees will ensure they understand the health and safety risks involved in their work activities and their responsibility to apply the controls needed to manage those risks to acceptable levels. Similarly where work activities can have an adverse impact upon the environment, and where there are legal requirements, employees will understand those impacts and the controls they must ensure are applied.

If in doubt ask!

You are asked to be aware that data held by UK Power Networks will be stored, processed and monitored by authorised personnel. The information you supply will be used by the Skills Funding Agency, an executive agency of the Department for Education (DfE), to issue you with a Unique Learner Number (ULN), and to create your Personal Learning Record. For more information about how your information is processed and shared refer to the Extended Privacy Notice available on Gov.UK. It will not be disclosed to any other third-party unlawfully following the Data Protection Act 1998.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, colour, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.