Before starting the ScottishPower Skills for Work Programme I’d never really heard about it until my Head Teacher asked me if i wanted to be put forward for the course. I was only in my 3rd year of school when I began attending weekly half days at College. Very quickly, I realised this was a great opportunity which could lead on to more prospects if I worked hard.
I had great experiences on the course, learning a lot of new practical skills in different engineering areas inclduing mechanics, electronics, fabrication and manufacturing as well as meeting lots of new people,.
During the course we were invited to visit ScottishPower’s training centre near Glasgow. It was a great opportunity to meet people that already worked at ScottishPower and see what it was like to be part of the team. Paul Cormack who is a training co-ordinator at ScottishPower came to speak to us about careers in energy with ScottishPower and the advantages of the course, which was exciting to hear.
Towards the end of the course, I was invited to a college award ceremony and won the student of the year award which I was really happy and proud to receive.
After finishing the Skills for Work Programme I was given a conditional offer for the ScottishPower Engineering Foundation programme providing I acheived certain qualifcations that year. Image may be NSFW.
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I was extremely anxious but proud to have the offer. A few weeks on and it was the day of my exam results and a nerve racking waiting for them. I got the results I needed to get a place and started on the Engineering Foundation Programme 2 weeks later.
The Engineering Foundation Programme, a higher level of qualification, was a lot more difficult than the previous course. There were more subjects and a lot more theory work. I found it tough at times but I always attended college and worked hard, taking feedback from tutors about putting in some extra work outside of college.
I had plenty of good experiences at ScottishPower’s training centre and I learned all about the different trades such as Linesperson, Fitters and Jointers. Doing this training gave me an idea of what it would be like to be out on site actually doing these job roles.
We had been told there were 5 apprenticeship places being offered and there were 14 of us on the programme. This was exciting but also a really tense experience. To get one of these apprenticeships I knew I had to work really hard and it was always in the back of my mind that hopefully I would be rewarded in the end.
The day that we were being told who had got the apprenticeships I was a wreck. When I got asked into the room I sat down and Paul told me that I had been successful and why. What started as the most nervous day of my life, turned into the best day of my life!
Once I walked out the room I just couldn‘t wait to get on the phone to tell all my family and friends. When I told my parents they couldn‘t have been any prouder, it was an amazing feeling.
I know it is going to be even more hard work when I start the apprenticeship but I cannot wait to start in September!
