Skills for life: three quarters of Brits believe apprenticeships develop the skills needed for a greener future

What is an apprenticeship?

An apprenticeship provides the opportunity to earn a salary while working towards a formal qualification(s). By gaining practical and relevant work experience in a specific business and industry, alongside gaining an apprenticeship qualification, you’ll be developing the skills and experience that employers are looking for.

At E.ON, we know apprenticeships are a great way to build and develop the workforce of the future, equipped to thrive in a greener future. And it seems we’re not alone. Our recent research found that three quarters (76%) of Brits agree that apprenticeships successfully develop the skills needed for a more sustainable future¹.

Lauren Dane, Social Value Delivery Manager for Green Funding Solutions, who is currently completing a Project Management Degree Apprenticeship, said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity to enhance my skills while continuing to work and increase my knowledge in project management theory and practice. I chose this apprenticeship because it combines leadership, project management, and strategic thinking — skills that are vital for my role and where I see my career progressing. It complements my focus on delivering projects effectively, giving me the tools to better manage teams, processes, and stakeholder relationships.”

We’re committed to upskilling our colleagues and future generations with the skills needed to lead and thrive in the new energy world. And our apprenticeships are doing just that. We currently have almost 300 apprentices on over 90 programmes covering everything from digital marketing to engineering.

And there’s so many types to choose from across a range of levels from intermediate to higher/degree level apprenticeships.

What an apprenticeship could give you

There’s no doubt that an apprenticeship helps you develop the skills and knowledge required for a successful and rewarding career. In fact, the vast majority of people (82%) think apprenticeships provide people with a head start in building a rewarding career. And we have the stats to back this up.

The careers of our own apprentices develop faster than their peers and apprenticeships significantly increase the productive capability of our business, according to our data. Our apprentices are 13% more likely to be promoted, showcasing their potential for growth within our organisation.

What’s more, you’ll gain a formal qualification alongside practical work experience, providing a rounded and rewarding learning experience as you build your career.

Kelly Barrett, WHD Industry Initiatives Lead and Project Management degree apprentice said: “It’s the perfect opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and invest in my personal and professional development. I’m so excited to graduate in my 40s. It’s something I never thought I’d do. I went to college at 16 and left early to move to Spain for 3 years so always felt like I missed an opportunity. I’m hoping with the knowledge and qualifications behind me it will open more opportunities. I’m hoping with a degree behind me I’ll feel confident to push myself more.”

Why consider E.ON for an apprenticeship?

We’ve been committed to apprenticeships for 10 years and are going from strength to strength. Since 2018, we’ve enrolled over 1,000 new and existing colleagues onto over 90 different programmes, ranging from intermediate level to higher/degree level apprenticeships.

We pride ourselves on offering quality on delivery, so all our apprentices have a unique, valuable and meaningful learning experience. We support our apprentices throughout their programme and have a dedicated team looking after our apprenticeships.

But don’t just take our word for it. We’re proud to have been recognised as an award-winning apprenticeship employer, having won the Large Employer of the Year Award at the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Apprenticeship awards and the Large Apprenticeship Employer of the Year Award at the East Midlands regional final for the National Apprenticeship and Skills Awards.

And our own apprentices agree. We’re proud to be ranked one of the top 30 apprenticeship employers in the UK and number one within the energy and utilities sector, according to reviews and feedback submitted by our own apprentices to Rate My Apprenticeship.

Ben Wood, Electro-Mechanical Engineering degree apprentice, added: “Apprenticeships will give you a huge boost above everyone else your age who just goes to university, you’ll have years of work experience to go along with your degree that other applicants for the same job will not have. I will come out of my apprenticeship with a degree, five years of work and no debt.”

Looking to the future

We’re proud of all our apprentices eat E.ON but it’s not all about our current apprentices. We’re also recruiting for future apprentices to join E.ON.

According to our research, almost three quarters (72%) of people would recommend an apprenticeship to their friends and family. So now could be the perfect time to consider whether an apprenticeship is right for you.

Interested in helping the UK to become a safer and more sustainable place to live? Then a Lighting & Grid apprenticeship could be perfect for you. You could become part of a team tasked with helping to keep Britain’s streets well-lit and safe for residents while also connecting homes and industries to sustainable energy sources, supporting cities in their efforts towards decarbonisation.

The engineering apprenticeships offer a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience within a dynamic team which is focused on delivering flexible and sustainable energy solutions for our customers. Applications are open until the end of this month (28^th February 2025).

Alfie Duffy, one of our current lighting and grid apprentices, said: “I’d describe my apprenticeship as exciting, intriguing and fun. I wanted to work in lighting and grid because I’m interested in electrical work and I already had some knowledge, and I’ve learnt so much since starting my apprenticeship four months ago.

“There are loads of elements I enjoy about my apprenticeship. The first one is that everyone gets on well and you get close to people so easily. Another element is that you are always moving and helping people out with tasks. I would say an apprenticeship is a brilliant thing to do. At my age of 17 it is the perfect time to start but also at any age it gives you the knowledge to really excel in the business.”

Or maybe you agree with the 79% of people who think that the cost of unpaid higher education is too high, and you’re interested in achieving a degree while you work? We’re currently recruiting for seven different degree apprenticeship schemes. During the four- or five-year programme, our degree apprentices study for a fully funded degree while working full-time and earning a competitive salary.

Grace Taylor, Supply Chain Leadership degree apprentice, said: “My advice to anyone considering a degree apprenticeship is don’t be afraid to try new things. My degree apprenticeship has been so beneficial to my development and provided me with so many opportunities that I would have never typically got at my age or even known about!”

But applications are only open until this Sunday (16^th February 2025) so if you’re interested get your application in quick.