This is not a drill, power up your next career
UK Power Networks, Britain’s largest electricity network, delivering power across East Anglia, London and the South East of England, together with UK Power Networks Services, which provides infrastructure services for the Ministry of Defence and other clients, proudly support armed forces personnel.
Having first signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2015, UK Power Networks works hard to advocate for the armed forces and supports those who are looking for civilian roles outside of the military.
This year, UK Power Networks proudly received the Gold award in the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme. This is the highest accreditation given to businesses and organisations that go above and beyond for the armed forces, its personnel and their families. The company ensures all job vacancies are advertised on Careers Transition Partnership and Forces Families, offers Civilian Work Attachments and hosts Careers Insight Days specifically for recent and upcoming service leavers.
The next careers event is taking place on Thursday 20th October 2022 at the Imperial War Museum in London. This year UK Power Networks has invited Alliance and key supply chain partners to exhibit at the event as well, maximising attendees’ opportunities with a range of employers and potential careers across the UK.
UK Power Networks recognises the wealth of transferrable skills held by individuals who have served their country. These include skills that are vital to an organisation where safety is the number one priority, and where there is a need to follow strict processes to ensure the safety of employees and the general public. The Armed Forces Community at UK Power Networks is now more than 70 strong, all of whom are veterans, reservists, military spouses or CFAVs. The community exists primarily as a support network for people who have been through similar experiences, and also helps to promote UK Power Networks as a ‘forces friendly’ employer, fundraise and support armed forces charities and shape the company’s military engagement strategy.
Early Engagement and Civilian Work Attachments
Anita Boye, recruitment specialist at UK Power Networks, matches future service leavers with employees who can give them an insight to the electricity industry, using the Armed Forces Community where possible.
Anita says: “Service leavers are excited to work with people who understand their background and can give relevant advice to support their future career development. They want to follow in their footsteps and we try to pair them up with people in roles they aspire to. We try to find the common ground, between the individuals who reach out to us and the people in our company’s armed forces community. If they are seeking operational work, we pair them with a field staff supervisor to guide them and this includes which qualifications they should pursue.”
Alastair Smith, who was serving as a military engineer electrician with the Royal Engineers when he completed his Civilian Work Attachment says: “Opening the lines of communication and establishing that early engagement on my resettlement journey with UK Power Networks Services was vital. This enabled me to shape a very specific resettlement plan. After gaining my HNC Electrical Engineering I was ready to apply to UK Power Networks and secured a position of Senior Project Manager earlier this year!”
UK Power Networks Services manages the electricity networks which serve six Army garrisons across Bulford, Aldershot, Larkhill, Perham Down, Tidworth and Warminster. Alastair’s mentor was Ross Corbishley, a project engineer for UK Power Networks Services in Aldershot, who has a deep connection with the military, as his brother is ex-Army Royal Engineers.
Future Skills
The way customers are using electricity is changing, and as such the electricity network is adapting to enable people to connect more low carbon technologies such as EV chargers and heat pumps and help drive the UK towards its Net Zero goal.
It’s a very exciting time to be in the electricity distribution industry and UK Power Networks plays a crucial part in helping to facilitate the energy transition. To support the UK in achieving its ambitious Net Zero by 2050 target, UK Power Networks is investing in both its electricity network and workforce. We are recruiting new talent and upskilling existing employees in both traditional engineering roles such as cable jointers and overhead linespeople, and new skillsets such as analytics and digital.
This year UK Power Networks will be recruiting over 50 Experienced Apprentices to start in 2023. This two-year training programme equips individuals with the skills and experience to safely and competently work on the electricity network in one of three crafts: cable jointer, electrical fitter and overhead linesperson. The hands-on engineering apprenticeship sets apprentices up with a job for life, working on the electricity network and keeping the lights on for the communities the company serves.
David Ground, former Royal Marine and UK Power Networks Experienced Apprentice is now a fully qualified extra high voltage electrical plant fitter, building and maintaining electrical plant and equipment says, “I knew when I left the Marines, I wanted to learn a new trade. Initially I worked as a self-employed electrician but wanted more stability and progression so looked at all the big companies and discovered UK Power Networks. The apprenticeship and subsequent training I have received has been great! I love what I do and could never see myself in an office, this way no two days are the same and I get to practice my craft every day.”
Applications for the 2023 UK Power Networks Experienced Apprenticeship Programme are opening soon, visit
www.ukpowernetworkscareers.co.uk/careers to apply! If you’re interested in applying why not attend the Armed Forces Careers Insight Day on the 20th October 2022 where you’ll have the opportunity to meet with the recruitment team, members of the training team and ex-military apprentice alumni.