UK Power Networks’ popular training programme for young engineers has been given a prestigious accolade for its continuing success.
Since 2010, more than 50 graduates have taken part in the two-year training scheme which is accredited by the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET).
Now the IET has given the Graduate Engineering Programme their long-running scheme award.
The award is given in recognition of UK Power Networks’ contribution to the training and development of the engineers of the future.
UK Power Networks owns and maintains the underground cables, substations and overhead power lines which deliver electricity to the doors of eight million customers across London, the East of England and the South East.
The company continues to develop and invest in the graduate scheme which has been running for many years under previous owners of the network distribution business. This year the company had its largest intake of aspiring engineers with 20 joining up for the two-year programme.
This is likely to be exceeded in September with an anticipated 28 graduates joining the company.
Barry Hatton, UK Power Networks’ director of asset management, said: “We’re really honoured to get this recognition from the institute. We’re very proud of the success of our graduate programme – it’s an integral part of the company’s success.
“It’s recognised as one of the best in the business and we work hard to make sure that our graduates get the best possible introduction to engineering and the utilities industry.”
Darren Turner-Oxenham, corporate account manager for the IET, said: “The IET is very happy to present UK Power Networks with its long-running scheme award in acknowledgement of our continued and valued partnership and in recognition of the company’s achievement in sustaining and improving its IET accredited professional development schemes since 2003.
“An IET accredited professional development scheme gives a developing engineer a quality assured pathway from when they join their company scheme through to professional registration. These developing engineers are essential to the future success of the company and many of the current technical and business leaders in the engineering community started their career on such a scheme.”
UK Power Networks employs 5,200 people and runs a number of schemes to encourage young people to join the electricity industry. There are three programmes available to graduates - the Engineering Programme, the Business Programme and the Information Systems Programme.
Each scheme gives recruits a wide variety of relevant placements. Mentoring, training and constant two-way feedback make sure that the firm’s graduates have the best possible introduction to the business.
The company then helps them gain professional qualifications that will make them ideally placed for a successful future in the utilities industry.
The popularity of the scheme was recently recognised by graduates across the UK who voted UK Power Networks among the Top 100 companies to work for in The Job Crowd’s 2014/15 national annual awards.
The electricity distributor was ranked 67th and made the Top 10 in the Energy, Energy Support Services and Utilities sector for the second year running.
The Job Crowd is the country’s leading graduate jobs review website – graduates post anonymous reviews of the companies they work for.