Apprentice Field Technician

YORKSHIRE WATER SERVICES LIMITED

Bradford, BD15 9LL

Closes in 29 days (Friday 7 March)

Posted on 5 February 2025


Summary

Yorkshire Water offer a comprehensive apprenticeship programme enabling our apprentices to develop their competence to the best of their ability. Our programme includes dedicated mentorship from experts in the field, employability skills sessions, social events along with a dedicated team of Apprenticeship experts monitoring programmes.

Wage
£23,151 a year

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

A company incentive bonus is on top of your annual wage

Training course
Water industry network technician (level 3)
Hours
Monday to Friday, 37 hours per week working 8-4pm. Hours may be flexible to meet the needs of the business and the individual. Please note that upon completion, there will be unsociable working patterns.

37 hours a week

Possible start date

Monday 8 September

Duration

2 years

Positions available

3

Work

As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

What you’ll do at work

As our Apprentice Field Technician you will work to develop your competence in:

·       Operation, Maintenance and Optimisation of the Clean Water Network.

·       Operation, Maintenance and Optimisation of our Above Ground Assets; Service Reservoirs, Water Pumping Stations and Water Towers. Understanding the asset and its operation, and its connectivity and impact upon the Water Network. 

·       Proactive operation of the Assets to ensure failure is minimised and completing cyclical maintenance checks as part of the proactive work basket.

·       Providing excellent service and resolution of issues raised by our customers.

·       Responding to Asset Failure, understanding the impact of that failure, and responding appropriately to resolve.  This can involve working with other specialists to get the operation back up and running.

·       The use of corporate systems to understand risk and optimise performance.  This includes understanding different alarms, their meaning and how to respond to them.

·       You will be part of a team but also be expected to work alone.

Where you’ll work

Chellow Dean Water Treatment Works

Allerton

Bradford

BD15 9LL

Training

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

College or training organisation

WATERTRAIN LIMITED

Your training course

Water industry network technician (level 3)

Equal to A level

Course contents
  • Comply with (water or wastewater) industry regulations and procedures.
  • Complete risk assessments: identify and document risks and hazards in the workplace. Apply control measures.
  • Comply with health and safety regulations, and safe working and security practices and procedures.
  • Set out and remove signing, lighting, and guarding.
  • Conduct vehicle checks.
  • Conduct and assess impact of activity for example, environmental, cost, reputation, safety, and health. Apply control measures.
  • Comply with environmental and sustainability regulations and requirements . For example, safe disposal of waste, re-cycling or re-use of materials, and efficient use of resources.
  • Apply principles of sustainable development. For example, in choice of materials.
  • Trace and locate network services.
  • Collect mitigation data or evidence.
  • Check technician tools and equipment. Conduct maintenance for example, calibration.
  • Identify issues. Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques: identify root cause. Resolve faults.
  • Consider, identify, and promote areas for improvement. For example, in relation to quality, cost, time, safety, and impact.
  • Use information technology. Follow cyber security requirements. Comply with GDPR.
  • Interpret digital mapping systems and update.
  • Complete work documentation: enter and record data and information using digital technology for example, hand-held devices.
  • Read and interpret written information. For example, work instructions, and service level agreements.
  • Identify and organise resources to complete tasks. For example, equipment, traffic management, and personnel.
  • Prioritise work activities.
  • Communicate verbally and in writing. For example, with colleagues, customers, and stakeholders. Use water industry terminology where appropriate.
  • Identify and escalate issues.
  • Provide advice and guidance to customers.
  • Liaise with, negotiate with, and handle conflict in individual or group environments.
  • Apply and enforce water fittings regulations to customer installations for example, rainwater harvest systems and solar panels.
  • Read and interpret technical data for example, flows and pressures.
  • Install pressure gauges.
  • Conduct flow and pressure measurements.
  • Identify different valve types. Operate multiple valves, hydrants and washouts including isolation and recharging of mains.
  • Follow hygiene practices for example, disinfect equipment.
  • Select and use water quality testing equipment to test for water quality for example, chlorine, turbidity, taste, odour, and clarity.
  • Sample for chemical and micro-biological analysis.
  • Set up temporary loggers (flow and pressure).
  • Carry out network optimisation activity. For example, PRV, PSV, and air valve maintenance.
  • Select and use leakage detection tools and methods to identify source of leakage. For example, step testing, acoustic and electronic, data logging ground microphones, and correlators.
  • Inspect and check network assets for example, air values, PRV, critical values, fire hydrant. Identify action.
  • Select and use equipment to complete planned preventative maintenance. For example, conduct high velocity mains cleansing and low turnover flushing.
  • Conduct step testing using valves.
  • Set up temporary loggers (flow and pressure).
  • Select and use initial leakage detection equipment and methods. For example, acoustic and electronic, data logging, ground microphones, and correlators.
  • Use specific leakage detection equipment and methods to identify leakage pin-point for example, network or customer side.
  • Conduct targeted DMA (district metered area) survey.
  • Read and interpret technical data for example, flows and pressures.
  • Access, download, and interpret data from pressure and flow loggers.
  • Test and assess application of innovative leakage equipment.
  • Apply maintenance practices to meters and loggers. Identify and arrange repairs.
  • Trace or locate drain or sewer.
  • Complete visual inspection to check assets for example, combined sewer overflow, non-return valves, flow control devices, and storage tanks. Identify action.
  • Use dye testing to trace and investigate cross or illegal connections.
  • Use digital inspection equipment for example, CCTV to check assets. Identify action.
  • Use sonde equipment.
  • Select and use blockage removal equipment for example, rods and jetting equipment.
  • Select and use equipment to apply first line maintenance techniques for example, replace seals, lubricate, de-silt, and de-scale.
  • Follow alarm response procedures.
  • Comply with (water or wastewater) industry regulations and procedures.
  • Complete risk assessments: identify and document risks and hazards in the workplace. Apply control measures.
  • Comply with health and safety regulations, and safe working and security practices and procedures.
  • Set out and remove signing, lighting, and guarding.
  • Conduct vehicle checks.
  • Conduct and assess impact of activity for example, environmental, cost, reputation, safety, and health. Apply control measures.
  • Comply with environmental and sustainability regulations and requirements . For example, safe disposal of waste, re-cycling or re-use of materials, and efficient use of resources.
  • Apply principles of sustainable development. For example, in choice of materials.
  • Trace and locate network services.
  • Collect mitigation data or evidence.
  • Check technician tools and equipment. Conduct maintenance for example, calibration.
  • Identify issues. Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques: identify root cause. Resolve faults.
  • Consider, identify, and promote areas for improvement. For example, in relation to quality, cost, time, safety, and impact.
  • Use information technology. Follow cyber security requirements. Comply with GDPR.
  • Interpret digital mapping systems and update.
  • Complete work documentation: enter and record data and information using digital technology for example, hand-held devices.
  • Read and interpret written information. For example, work instructions, and service level agreements.
  • Identify and organise resources to complete tasks. For example, equipment, traffic management, and personnel.
  • Prioritise work activities.
  • Communicate verbally and in writing. For example, with colleagues, customers, and stakeholders. Use water industry terminology where appropriate.
  • Identify and escalate issues.
  • Provide advice and guidance to customers.
  • Liaise with, negotiate with, and handle conflict in individual or group environments.

Your training plan

The apprenticeship is delivered to cohorts of apprentices specific to Yorkshire Water at a Yorkshire Water Academy centre. This is on a block release basis for 3 consequtive days every month to 6 weeks. A full training plan is provided in our Apprenticeship Handbook that is given to the sucessful candidates once an offer has been processed. 

More training information

  • L3 Water industry network technician Apprenticeship Standard

Watertrain are a leading training provider specifically for the Water Industry. Their tutors are industry experts and spend time underdstanding the assets Yorkshire Water have and work on. 

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade C/5)
  • Mathematics (grade C/4)

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

  • Geography (grade C/4)
  • I.T. (grade Pass/C/4)
  • Science (grade C/4)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • IT skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Problem solving skills
  • Analytical skills
  • Team working
  • Physical fitness
  • Driving License

Other requirements

This role has a requirement to carry out occasional work in confined spaces so the successful completion of a medical performed by our Occupational Health Department and the relevant training course is essential. The successful candidate must pass strict medical criteria.

About this company

Our Funded Learning team work closely with teams across the business to offer as many quality opportunities as possible to support the building of knowledge, skills and behaviours for our learners to use in the workplace. Each apprentice will benefit from a support network including former apprentices who have been on similar journeys and a central support team who will make sure your training provider delivers a quality programme. Complemented by employability workshops, experiential team building sessions and social activities, our apprentice remain strong as a cohort throughout their career at Yorkshire Water.

https://www.yorkshirewater.com/careers/early-careers-and-work-experience/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

A company van if required for your job role. Annual incentive related bonus. Attractive pension scheme (up to 10% company contribution) 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays plus an extra wellness day, gym membership discounts and more!

After this apprenticeship

Apprentices are given a career progression plan that is incentivised through pay increases. The progression includes senior technician roles. 

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

YORKSHIRE WATER SERVICES LIMITED

Lucy Parr

lucy.parr@yorkshirewater.co.uk

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000297889.

Apply now

Closes in 29 days (Friday 7 March)

When you apply, you’ll be asked to sign in with a GOV.UK One Login. You can create one at the same time as applying for this apprenticeship.

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.

Company’s application instructions

Applicants need to upload a C.V. and covering letter. Successful candidates will then need to be available to attend an assessment centre between 24th Match and 3rd April.