What are the roles?
We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who are interested in gaining a foundation degree, alongside practical work experience in our Power Distribution and Generation businesses.
The Technical Staff Trainee scheme provides an opportunity for you to earn a salary at the same time as learning and successfully combining planned and integrated work-based learning and academic study. During the course of the three-year programme, your course-based learning will include risk assessment and management, workplace projects to develop academic learning, high level technical competence and project management. You will also undertake various work placements to put your newly-learned knowledge into practice and gain practical, hands-on experience.
What qualifications or experience do I need?
You may already have experience in the workplace and already hold an electrical qualification. Alternatively, you may not hold a qualification but able to demonstrate some practical work based experience in a technical or semi-technical role.
We are also interested in hearing from you if you are in the process of leaving school or college and looking to pursue a career in engineering, in which case the minimum entry requirements are A Level / Higher Grade Maths or Physics and GCSE / Standard Grade English or equivalent.
Entry is open to a variety of individuals who can either demonstrate the required level of academic background or some practical work based competencies attained from working in a technical or semi-technical role.
All candidates will be able to demonstrate commitment to the ongoing study element of the training, together with flexibility towards the work based practical experience.
How do these roles fit within the Group?
Power Distribution
In our Power Distribution training programme you will undertake the study element of your foundation degree at Thames Valley University in Reading and Aston University in Birmingham and you will carry out work placements in Scotland, Southern England or the North East of England. Throughout the course of the programme, you will undertake various practical courses in jointing, metering and overhead lines in addition to your work-based learning.
The role at the end of training will be to work as an engineer in our Power Distribution Business in one of the following areas:
Our Power Systems business distributes electricity to 3.5 million homes and business across one third of the UK's total land area through a network of 127,000 kilometres of underground cables and overhead lines. One of our principles of responsibility is to ensure the communities we serve have a safe and reliable supply of electricity, and that we ensure we do everything we can to restore supplies as quickly as possible following interruptions.
Generation
In our Generation training programme you will undertake the study element of your foundation degree at Aston University in Birmingham and you willl carry out work placements in various parts of our Generation portfolio. This includes wind farms in Scotland; hydro power stations in the North of Scotland; thermal power stations in Peterhead, Keadby, Medway and Seabank; coal and bio-mass stations in Ferrybridge, Fiddlers Ferry and Slough and an oil power station in Lerwick. You will gain hands-on, practical experience of our generation throughout the UK and learn about all aspects, from designing new power stations to the maintenance and running of existing stations.
At the end of your training, you will be qualified to work as a Generation Engineer throughout our portfolio of Power Stations.
Our Generation business is the UK's second largest generation business, with an ownership interest in over 100 thermal and renewable power stations, with a total capacity of over 10,000MW. We are the UK's leading generator of renewable energy, owning and operating almost half of the UK's total renewable generation capacity, incuding the UK's largest wind farm.
Where are these roles located?
Our Power Distribution roles are located in Scotland, Southern England or the North East of England and our Generation roles are located at any of our Power Stations throughout the UK.
What salary and benefits would I receive?
You can expect a starting salary circa £16,000. As industry leaders, SSE also provides excellent benefits along with the satisfaction of knowing you are making a difference in today's energy industry.
Our staff are well rewarded with a benefits package that includes:
Generous annual leave
A contributory pension scheme
Share options
Childcare benefit scheme
Discounted utility bills and retail goods
Various other benefits in conjunction with our corporate partners
We also have a defined innovation programme, giving all staff the opportunity to have their ideas considered, trialled and in some cases implemented, if the trial is a success.
How do I apply?
We have vacancies starting in September each year. Applications should be received by the end of May each year.