Distribution Craft Apprenticeship - England

SSE PLC

Middlesex (UB4 0YG)

Closes in 13 days (Monday 17 March)

Posted on 3 March 2025

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Contents

Summary

Are you looking for a hands-on, field-based career that plays a vital role in delivering electricity to homes and businesses? Our Distribution Apprenticeships offer exciting opportunities to train as a Fitter, Jointer or Linesperson, helping to maintain and develop the electricity network.

Wage
£14,894 a year

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Power industry substation fitter (level 3)
Hours
Monday to Friday, shifts to be confirmed.

37 hours a week

Possible start date

Friday 1 August

Duration

4 years

Positions available

9

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

  • Fitter - Works on electrical infrastructure, including maintaining and installing vital components across the network.
  • Jointer - Specialises in underground electricity cables, repairing faults, upgrading supplies, and connecting new properties. 
  • Linesperson - Works at height on the overhead electricity network, ensuring power lines are built, maintained, and restored during supply faults.

Where you’ll work

Springfield Road
Hays
Middlesex
UB4 0YG

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

BRIDGWATER AND TAUNTON COLLEGE

Your training course

Power industry substation fitter (level 3)

Equal to A level

Course contents
  • Review drawings, instructions, or information to understand the task for example, work instructions, design specifications, utility plans, on-line search documents.
  • Prioritise and plan tasks with consideration for safety, environmental impact, quality, and cost.
  • Identify and organise resources to complete tasks for example, consumables.
  • Identify apparatus to be worked on.
  • Receive and clear a safety document. Brief a working party.
  • Follow substation access and egress procedures.
  • Identify hazards and risks and apply control measures.
  • Apply health and safety procedures in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidance. For example, demarcate the work area, working at height, confined spaces, COSHH.
  • Respond in the event of an emergency first aid situation including situations where there is electrical risk.
  • Apply measures to leave power work environments in a safe condition.
  • Apply security measures for example, set alarm system, remove climbing aides.
  • Apply sustainability principles for example, minimising waste.
  • Segregate waste for reuse, recycling, and waste transfer.
  • Conduct plant or vehicle checks.
  • Use working at height access equipment for example, scaffold towers and ladders.
  • Select, inspect, and use working at height personal protective equipment.
  • Select, check, prepare, use, and store hand tools and power tools.
  • Select, check, and prepare resources.
  • Identify areas for improvement. For example, in relation to quality, cost, time, safety, or environmental impact.
  • Apply team working principles.
  • Communicate with others to give and receive information for example, colleagues, customers, and stakeholders.
  • Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
  • Record information.
  • Produce or amend documents for example, handover notes, procedures, and reports.
  • Use digital and information technology. Follow cyber security requirements.
  • Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development activities.
  • Read, interpret, and follow maintenance specifications.
  • Conduct diagnostic testing to identify asset condition; identify action.
  • Conduct continuity testing using a continuity test instrument or multimeter.
  • Conduct joint or contact resistance testing using a contact resistance tester (ductor).
  • Conduct insulation testing using an insulation test instrument.
  • Conduct circuit breaker timing tests.
  • Set up oil pumping equipment.
  • Remove and replace insulating oil from substation plant avoiding contamination.
  • Clean oil filled equipment following removal of insulating oil.
  • Check circuit breaker contact condition; remove and replace or dress.
  • Take oil samples from equipment.
  • Clean and lubricate operating mechanisms using approved lubricants.
  • Adjust, remove, and replace components for example, gaskets.
  • Conduct functional tests of equipment - post maintenance or routine.
  • Inspect substation site, buildings and equipment including steelwork and neutral earthing conductors and connections and identify defects.
  • Conduct electrical testing of earth electrodes using a digital earth resistance tester.
  • Joint earthing conductors using mechanical compression joints.
  • Check battery connections for any damage, clean cells, check monitoring alarms, check function of charging equipment.
  • Test substation batteries using voltage and analytical testing instruments.
  • Conduct supply checks of a low voltage single and three phase supply to identify: correct polarity, voltage, earth fault loop impedance and phase rotation.
  • Use electrical test instruments to diagnose a fault condition on low voltage distribution or control equipment for example open circuit, blown fuse, short circuit or out phase condition.
  • Interpret network schematic diagrams and geographic records to identify running arrangements prior to operation.
  • Prepare low voltage or high voltage switching operation schedules.
  • Operate network switching equipment such as switches, circuit breakers, links or fuses on low voltage or high voltage distribution networks.
  • Interpret network schematic diagrams prior to carrying out testing activities.
  • Use mobile elevated work platforms.
  • Use diagnostic equipment to identify asset condition; identify action.
  • Conduct testing using a continuity test instrument or multimeter.
  • Conduct resistance testing using a contact resistance tester (ductor).
  • Remove and replace insulating medium for example, oil, SF6 or air from transmission plant avoiding contamination.
  • Clean equipment following removal of insulating medium.
  • Check circuit breaker contact condition; remove and replace or dress.
  • Take insulation medium samples from equipment for example, oil, SF6.
  • Clean and lubricate operating mechanisms using approved lubricants.
  • Adjust or replace components.
  • Conduct functional tests of equipment, post maintenance or routine, to confirm operating to expected parameters.
  • Conduct a visual inspection of transmission steelwork earthing connections; identify issues.
  • Restore power.
  • Conduct transformer maintenance including tap changers, Buchholz relay, WTI, qualitrol, breathers, surge arrestors, coordinating gaps, arcing horns, insulator checks and recalibrating (LNER).
  • Conduct air system maintenance including making new pipework HP fittings, air leak detection and gas leak detection.
  • Conduct ancillary equipment maintenance.
  • Read, interpret, and follow representations, drawings, and graphical information to complete tasks. For example, multicore diagrams, schematics, and core sheets.
  • Prove plant, equipment, cabling, and system is safe to work on. For example, prove dead, isolate.
  • Check earthing is in place. For example, additional earths, equipment earths, and drain earths.
  • Follow lifting plan.
  • Install batteries. Check function and action as required.
  • Position transformers.
  • Locate and fix high voltage switchgear.
  • Select, position, and install AC/DC supply power cable and power wiring.
  • Apply mechanical connections, brazing, and welding techniques.
  • Lay and fix earth tape within excavation and to plant and equipment.
  • Produce wiring core sheets from wiring diagrams.
  • Select, position, and install containment management system. For example, unistrut, ladder tray, and trunking.
  • Select, position, and connect multi-core wiring including glanding, looming, crimping, and ferruling. For example, panel wiring within a protection panel and switchgear. Apply labelling and identification system.
  • Use test instruments. For example, volt meters, multi-function tester, and resistance tester.
  • Conduct mechanical testing. For example, torque and proof loading.
  • Conduct alignment checks.
  • Take oil samples for testing.
  • Apply diagnostic fault-finding techniques.
  • Interpret test results and action as required.
  • Replace components within equipment.
  • Remove cabling and equipment.
  • Review drawings, instructions, or information to understand the task for example, work instructions, design specifications, utility plans, on-line search documents.
  • Prioritise and plan tasks with consideration for safety, environmental impact, quality, and cost.
  • Identify and organise resources to complete tasks for example, consumables.
  • Identify apparatus to be worked on.
  • Receive and clear a safety document. Brief a working party.
  • Follow substation access and egress procedures.
  • Identify hazards and risks and apply control measures.
  • Apply health and safety procedures in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidance. For example, demarcate the work area, working at height, confined spaces, COSHH.
  • Respond in the event of an emergency first aid situation including situations where there is electrical risk.
  • Apply measures to leave power work environments in a safe condition.
  • Apply security measures for example, set alarm system, remove climbing aides.
  • Apply sustainability principles for example, minimising waste.
  • Segregate waste for reuse, recycling, and waste transfer.
  • Conduct plant or vehicle checks.
  • Use working at height access equipment for example, scaffold towers and ladders.
  • Select, inspect, and use working at height personal protective equipment.
  • Select, check, prepare, use, and store hand tools and power tools.
  • Select, check, and prepare resources.
  • Identify areas for improvement. For example, in relation to quality, cost, time, safety, or environmental impact.
  • Apply team working principles.
  • Communicate with others to give and receive information for example, colleagues, customers, and stakeholders.
  • Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
  • Record information.
  • Produce or amend documents for example, handover notes, procedures, and reports.
  • Use digital and information technology. Follow cyber security requirements.
  • Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development activities.

Your training plan

  • Over 4 years, you'll gain valuable on-the-job experience, industry-recognised qualifications, and academic training at college and our internal training school.

More training information

  • Our block release training means you may need to stay away from home for several weeks at a time. SSE will fully support your travel and accommodation needs.

Requirements

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
  • Problem solving skills
  • Team working
  • Physical fitness

Other requirements

• Be proactive and resilient – Able to use your initiative and adapt to changes in the sector • Be a fast learner – a passion for learning new skills, working with others, and embracing diversity. • Prioritise safety – Follow our key safety principle: "If it's not safe, we don't do it." • Be comfortable working at height – Linesperson role,

About this company

Our purpose is to provide the energy needed today while building a better world of energy for tomorrow. We do this by developing, building, operating, and investing in electricity infrastructure and businesses needed in the transition to net zero. SSE Thermal is responsible for the flexible generation subsidiary of SSE plc, focusing on flexible energy generation and storage assets including carbon capture and storage (CCS), hydrogen, energy-from-waste, energy storage and gas generation.

http://www.sse.com (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Enjoy discounts on private healthcare and gym memberships. Wellbeing benefits like a free online GP and 24/7 counselling service. Interest-free loans on tech and transport season tickets, or a new bike with our Cycle to Work scheme.

After this apprenticeship

  • By joining SSEN, you’ll gain an industry-recognised qualification, develop specialist skills, and build a rewarding career in an essential industry. If you're ready to take on a challenging, hands-on role with excellent career prospects, we’d love to hear from you!

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

SSE PLC

Hazel Mann

apprenticesandtrainees@sse.com

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000307181.

Apply now

Closes in 13 days (Monday 17 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

All applications must be submitted online.