Engineers of the future welcomed to Hinkley Connection Project
National Apprenticeship Week celebrates the positive impact apprenticeships bring to employers, individuals and the wider economy. The theme for this year is 'Building the Future' and aims to shine a light on the work of the apprentices who are contributing to the UK's future success.
In the first week of February, National Grid welcomed several aspiring engineers to the site of the Hinkley Connection Project to see, first-hand, how the project to provide the low-carbon energy of the future and power six million homes and businesses is being delivered.
Five second-year Electricity Transmission Higher Apprentices visited the site in Somerset to gain a greater understanding of how Hinkley Point C fits into the future of the UK’s energy network. As aspiring engineers – and the skilled workforce of tomorrow – the apprentices were keen to learn more about National Grid’s major energy projects and understand what is required to deliver a low-carbon energy project of this scale.
With no prior knowledge of T-Pylons, the apprentices were enthusiastic about the prospect of seeing the installation of the innovative pylon technology and learning more about how they are deployed.
The apprentices had the opportunity to meet National Grid’s partners, Balfour Beatty, to learn more about how the pylons are erected and to see a T-Pylon under construction; including hanging of the conductors from one of the newly-erected pylons.
It was an incredibly interesting day that showed us how National Grid is at the forefront of ground-breaking industry development...
Second year Electricity Transmission Higher Apprentice Alex Doidge, who coordinated the visit, said: “Having the opportunity to visit the Hinkley Connection Project puts into perspective all the aspects that make up the project, which you wouldn't normally consider before visiting. It was an incredibly interesting day that showed us how National Grid is at the forefront of ground-breaking industry development and has inspired me to get involved with future site projects.”
Steven Haskayne, Senior Project Manager, New Infrastructure – Nuclear (Overhead Lines), said: “We were delighted to have the future engineers of National Grid on site with us as we celebrate National Apprenticeship Week 2022. Their interest in, and enthusiasm for, how we are connecting customers to the grid and enabling the transition to net zero really came through on the day. I'm in no doubt that their futures are going to be very bright.”
