The energy company will be creating 100 new apprenticeships which will be based on a scheme that launched in 2014 and last year won the award for Youth Engagement Initiative of the Year at the National Skills Academy for Power Annual Awards. The apprenticeship programme has also received Platinum Provider Status.
E.ON’s apprenticeship programme was initially aimed at 16-24-year-olds not in education, employment or training. E.ON has now broadened the criteria to include applicants of all age ranges and backgrounds, helping to support more people into real job opportunities as well as contributing to the industry’s ongoing drive to develop the skilled workforce needed within the sector.
The initial apprenticeship programme was so successful that E.ON has also extended the recruitment and training model beyond customer operations to field operations and support functions, such as smart metering, IT, HR and highways lighting. E.ON will be recruiting the 100 new apprentices to support its residential customer operations teams at its main sites in Bedford, Bolton, Coventry and Nottingham.
Since its launch in 2014, 136 young people have benefitted from the programme, with 87 apprentices securing full-time work with E.ON or other organisations. E.ON currently has 107 apprentices in full-time employment.
Dave Newborough, UK HR Director at E.ON, said: “We’re always looking for a diverse range of candidates to join our business and it’s vital that we provide real career opportunities for those that show potential. Continually developing our recruitment and training strategy is essential if we are to achieve these goals.
“We’ve made great progress since launching our new apprenticeship programme in 2014, and after just two years we have already started to benefit from the hard work and enthusiasm that these apprentices have brought to the business.
“We understand that the apprenticeship landscape is changing and I hope we can continue to increase the number of roles we’re offering, as well as challenge ourselves to create new, innovative recruitment pathways and training schemes to attract new talent into the sector.”
For more information on E.ON’s apprenticeship programmes please visit http://eon.li/r1kio