Advanced Apprenticeship Programme (leading to Professional Technician status)

This is one of the key ways we bring in new talent into our organisation. The advanced apprenticeship is designed to ensure you have all the training and development you need to work at a professional technician status in a field-based role (i.e. on site) with our organisation.

The programme is 36 months in duration and much of this is spent at our training centre in Eakring, Nottinghamshire. It includes:

Off-Job Training - which is learning about our equipment and safety in training rooms and workshops which is at Eakring

• Year 1 - Eight months at Eakring (including four weeks induction and one week in Cumbria)
• Year 2 - Six months at Eakring
• Year 3 - Four months at Eakring

This includes Key Skills and Technical training delivered by a College at Eakring in years 1 and 2.

On-Job Training - which is where you put all your training into practice, on site with the team you will be working for when you finish your programme.

• Year 1 - Four months on site
• Year 2 - Six months on site
• Year 3 - Eight months on site

Mentor for duration of programme

Substations, Over Head Lines and Maintenance Delivery Gas - 3rd September 2012

Electrical and Instrumentation & Pressure Control and Storage - 5th November 2012

Our Advanced Apprenticeship Assessment Centres will begin in December 2011 and may continue until August 2012. They are held at our technical training centre in Eakring, Nottinghamshire. We will reimburse travel expenses up to a maximum of £100 (unless approval obtained in writing in advance of date of travel) and provide accommodation for the duration of the Assessment Centre, which is held over two days.

We ask you to complete an application form, provided you meet the pre-screening criteria you will be invited to complete a Situational Judgement Test. The Situational Judgement Test is made up of a number of job related scenarios typical of what you could encounter during your time on the programme. You will be required to consider each scenario and identify what is the most effective and what is the least effective response to each situation. You will not be expected to have any prior knowledge or experience of the role or need any previous work experience. We will be assessing how you judge a situation and whether you recognise the most effective and least effective behaviour to each situation. Then we may contact you by telephone to discuss your motivation for applying for National Grid's Advanced Apprenticeship programme and finally there’s an assessment centre that tests your qualities against our set criteria.

The assessment centre comprises of a competency based Interview, health & safety exercise, a science and maths test, colour blindness test, manual dexterity test (and a climb test for Substation and Over Head Line vacancies only)

We are recruiting 69 Apprentices in our 2012 intake.

Yes, you will receive an annual salary circa £14,500 plus 25 days holiday, pension, travelling expenses, driving lesson vouchers, overalls and equipment. Your salary increases to £23,715 at the end of the Apprenticeship. Effectively we provide everything you could possibly need to be successful, all we ask is for you to study and work hard.

Starting salary of around £14,950 (increases to £23,715 when you complete the Advanced Apprenticeship).

Benefits include:

• 25 days annual holiday plus statutory holidays
• Quality full-board accommodation whilst training
• Personal mentor
• Where there’s a high cost of living we provide a supplement (Inner London, Metropolitan and outer Metropolitan areas)
• Leisure facilities and social events
• Overalls and personal safety equipment
• Pension scheme
• Share save options
• Driving lesson vouchers
• Mobile phone costs (value £150)
• NewNet membership (our new starters' association)
• Membership to our Employee Resource Groups

Our programme attracts both males and females from a range of backgrounds, including school leavers, technical colleges, other apprenticeships (technical and non-technical) and related trades.

To be considered, you will need:

A) 5 GCSEs 

• You must have Maths and English Language minimum of Grade C GCSE.
• Plus one from technical subject areas - IT, Technical Drawing, Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Science or any other Engineering subject. (minimum of Grade C GCSE)
• Plus two additional GCSEs in IT, Technical Drawing, Engineering (or any other Engineering subject), Science, English Literature, Geography or History . (minimum of Grade C GCSE)

B) Engineering Diploma Higher level (Grade A - C) AND GCSE Maths (Grade A - C) and English Language (Grade A - C).

Just as importantly, we look for a real interest in technical matters and the willingness to work hard and reliably, often outdoors - because much of what you'll be doing needs to be done outside. Last but not least, you'll be part of a team, often dealing with other colleagues and the public, so we look for initiative and the ability to relate well with a variety of people.

*If you believe you have an equivalent UK qualification to those listed above please verify this with Ofqual (Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator) through their website: http://register.ofqual.gov.uk/Qualification

*If you believe you have an equivalent international qualification then please contact NARIC on +44(0)871 330 7033.

This is an interview where we ask specific questions about experiences in your past so that we can gather evidence to measure your capability in a competence and is designed to find out if you’ve got the initial qualities we’re looking for in an Apprentice.

Preparation is all-important. Be sure to think about your previous experiences (work, education, extra curricular activities etc.) and what you have learned and gained from each of those. It’s always good to have a variety of examples at hand. Remember, we are assessing you against the competencies. We'd also like to think you have undertaken some detailed research on the company to establish that we are the right organisation for you. It will also help you to understand the type of role and work you will be undertaking.

During the selection process - stay calm, be yourself, don’t try to second guess what we are looking for or act out of character otherwise you will only mask your natural strengths and qualities. Remember to listen to what’s being asked of you as this will enable you to demonstrate the skills you have.

We assess for competencies such as Personal Accountability, Flexibility, Quality of Work, Learning & Development, Communication, Health & Safety and Practical Skills.

We are happy to cover your travel expenses to and from the Assessment Centre to a maximum of £100 return trip i.e. standard class rail fare, coach fares, (fuel costs @ 12p per mile) and taxi fares from the nearest railway station i.e. Newark, Mansfield or Nottingham (unless approval has been obtained in writing in advance of the date of travel).  Please provide receipts where appropriate so that we can reimburse you. 

No, although all new starters to National Grid have to complete an Occupational Health questionnaire - if anything is picked up from there then you may need to go onto have a full medical. However, as part of the pre employment process, all new starters have to pass a drugs and alcohol test.

National Grid is unable to provide sponsorship for this role as it does not meet the sponsorship criteria set by the UK Border Agency under the Points Based System. You must have the right to work in the UK without sponsorship to be considered.

A UK driving licence or willing to learn to drive a car within the first 12 months of joining the Advanced Apprenticeship Programme or your 17th birthday whichever is sooner.

During the first day of the Assessment Centre the dress code is casual, so clothing such as smart jeans, T-shirts or similar. And during the second day the dress code is business dress, such as a suit or jacket, or similar. During the Assessment Centre you will be participating in some ability tests that require you to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and this will be provided for you.

Once you have decided if you are interested in applying for an Apprenticeship you will be asked for your home postcode. It is important that individuals reside within a reasonable distance to the vacancy location. If you reside outside of this set catchment area you will be asked if you are willing to relocate to the area covered by this vacancy at your own expense.

Please provide reasons for wanting to relocate to the vacancy location.

If you have applied in previous years, and been unsuccessful, you can apply again although it would be helpful if you could now show some additional experience that would support your case.

Whilst you're training with us your hours of work will be 37 hours per week

This is only required for some roles in Gas Distribution Operations that require the wearing of a breathing apparatus. This is because an effective seal on the breathing apparatus can only be achieved when the skin is clean shaven. We are looking forward to a technical solution becoming available that would effectively remove the safety issue and, thus, allow us to remove this requirement.

Please contact us on 0845 3018999.