Degree Apprentice Dialogues: Cerys Goodson

E.ON’s degree apprenticeship scheme offers apprentices the opportunity to work in placements across the organisation. As part of our Degree Apprentice Dialogues series, we spoke to former degree apprentice Cerys Goodson, aged 23, about her experiences on the Future Leaders degree apprentice scheme, and her career journey so far, which has led to her currently working in Milan.

Why did you choose to work at E.ON?

The main reason I was drawn to work for E.ON is the core values the organisation lives by and its net zero focus. I’ve always been really passionate about the environment so working for an organisation which supports my personal values is extremely rewarding.

Why did you choose E.ON’s degree apprentice scheme?

I chose the degree apprentice scheme because I liked the flexibility it offers. I don’t believe education and work experience has a ‘one size fits all’ approach so having the ability to drive my objectives and what I wanted to achieve was really beneficial to my development.

Can you tell us a bit about where you’ve worked within E.ON, including your current role?

I’ve worked in a number of different roles with a broad range of experience including a team focused on helping customers manage their debt, smart metering, digital and finance during my degree apprenticeship.

My permanent roles after my degree apprenticeship have been in B2B Solutions and E.ON Energia in Italy, where I now work as a Project Manager within their Innovation team supporting the management and growth of a new Innovation project to begin to look at scaling in the Italian region.

What are the elements you’ve enjoyed the most about your time at E.ON so far?

The focus that E.ON puts on its people. There is a real development environment, and everyone is always happy to help you learn. Support and mentorship is another aspect I’ve enjoyed and I’ve hugely benefited from a number of mentors and coaches throughout my career so far at E.ON.

Have you found any aspects challenging?

The constant changing environment and focus can be challenging – but this is also what keeps things exciting and fresh.

What are the key things you've learned from your time at E.ON?

A lot! To list my main learnings, I’d say the importance of networking, stakeholder management and communication, alongside gaining valuable business knowledge across a number of departments and career development techniques like goal and objective setting, interview training etc. I’ve been lucky enough to have access to endless amounts of knowledge and experiences.

How did you find the experience of working while studying?

Rewarding. You’re able to apply your off-the-job learning to your on-the-job experience which helps you to understand the context in a real-life setting. It helps you to understand the different environments which can impact the theories you’re learning about and how best to adapt their application.

Can you fill us in on life after the scheme?

I completed the scheme with a First-Class degree in Business Management and Leadership from the University of Derby in 2023, and I’ve already had two permanent roles within E.ON. My first role was Programme Lead in B2B Solutions where I worked for 18 months before moving on to work internationally as an expat for E.ON’s Italian business in Milan as a Programme Manager in their Communities team.

I’m looking forward to continuing my professional development - the degree apprenticeship really showed me that no matter your age and experience the sky's the limit when it comes to what you want to achieve and E.ON is an organisation which wholeheartedly supports that.

I've also completed a PRINCE2 professional qualification for project management since finishing the scheme, which E.ON has supported as part of its commitment to continuing my professional development and education.

What advice would you give to someone considering a degree apprenticeship?

JUST DO IT! It’s honestly the best thing I’ve ever done and has genuinely changed my life.

The opportunity to earn whilst you learn is great as you can build on your knowledge and experiences coming out of school whilst gaining the relevant qualifications to accelerate your career. I’d never have thought I would have been able to achieve what I have before taking on the apprenticeship.

If you had to describe your time at E.ON in three words, what would they be?

Fast, fun and fulfilling!