BRIGHT SPARKS LEARN ABOUT ENGINEERING AND ELECTRICITY
Young Scot partners with SP Energy Networks to support aspiring young engineers
A survey of over 300 young people in Scotland found that only one in ten young people know to call their power distributor in the event of a powercut, while 27% of those surveyed said they would choose to sit and wait in the dark. The survey, carried out as part of our partnership with Young Scot, also showed that 50% of young Scots could not live without a mobile phone and 48% could not live without a fridge.
As part of the partnership, five young people in Scotland were then selected to visit Forth Valley College and Dealain House to work with experts across construction, operation and maintenance of power distribution networks. From fixing overhead lines in extreme weather to planning an electrical grid that reaches 300,000 homes, the training challenged the young people to consider future careers in engineering.
The young people also visited Whitelee Wind Farm, the UK's largest onshore windfarm, where they went on a site tour and learned about the 215 turbines that generate up to 539 megawatts of electricity, enough to power just under 300,000 homes.
Guy Jefferson, our Director of Distribution, said: “It was great to welcome young people interested in pursuing a career in engineering, and to show them what is involved in maintaining and operating an electricity network that helps to power millions of homes and businesses. It’s an important part of our job at SP Energy Networks to develop new talent through our apprenticeship schemes and graduate programmes, and we hope that some of these Young Scots will be inspired to think about a career in energy.”
As well as conducting research and running the training day for young people, the Young Scot Rewards initiative is offering advice and top tips on what to do during a power emergency situation, encouraging young Scots to become more aware of the importance of understanding electricity.
Louise Macdonald, chief executive of Young Scot, said: “We’re delighted to partner with SP Energy Networks to offer young people the opportunity to learn more about a career in engineering. The beauty of our Young Scot Rewards initiative is that it gives young people the chance to experience something different and the trip from Forth Valley College to Dealain House and Whitelee Wind Farm did exactly that.”
Ellis Mitscavitch, 17, from Edinburgh, said: “For me personally, I would like to work in this field in the future so it was great to get an insight into a day in the life of an engineer at SP Energy Networks. There are lots of opportunities to enrol in apprentice schemes and graduate programme, so it’s something I’ll be keen to find out more about when the time comes to apply.”
We are currently recruiting for our apprenticeship scheme. The closing dating for this round of applicants is 1 November 2015. For more information, please visit: spenergynetworks.co.uk/careers