Operations & Maintenance Engineering Technician Apprenticeship RWE GENERATION UK PLC

The RWE Engineering Technician Apprenticeship provides a fantastic opportunity enter the world of engineering technology excellence. Our programme offers a structured combination of academic learning, technical training and practical skills development, supported by experienced engineers, technicians and training specialists. Offer engineering support, technical leadership and expertise.

This apprenticeship requires you to apply through the employer's website.

Apply now

Closing date: 30 Apr 2023

Apprenticeship summary

  • Annual wage

    £24,674.00

    Year 1 - £24,674 Year 2 - £27,915 Year 3 - £30,888 Please Note: Your first year will be in accommodation in West Yorkshire and you will receive fully paid accommodation costs, travel plus substantial living benefits.

  • Working week

    Year one at Appris in Bradford: Mon - Weds - 830am - 1730pm Thursday - 0830 - 1630 Friday - 0830 - 1230 Year Two through Year Three: Assigned shift patterns over normal working week equating to 37.5 hours.

    Total hours per week: 37.5

  • Expected duration

    3 Years

  • Possible start date

    04 Nov 2023

  • Date posted

    07 Mar 2023

  • Apprenticeship level

    Higher
    Level 4 (Higher national Certificate)

  • Reference number

    VAC1000141476

  • Positions

    2 available

What will the apprentice be doing?

O & M technicians are essential to our power generation business. During the scheme you will shape your career working in key operations and maintenance functions such as:

  • Power station operations – e.g.  Shift cycles operating and improving the efficiency of our CCGT power plant with the operations teams.
  • Power station maintenance – e.g. management and completion of day to day or outage maintenance activities, ensuring the availability and condition of our assets are maintained to a high level, with our maintenance teams.
  • Commercial – e.g. Monitoring and evaluating the current commercial position to ensure optimum revenue within a constantly changing market.

Spread over three years your development will include:

  • HNC in Engineering plus practical skills training – on block release at our provider in Bradford.
  • Specialist technical practical skills, behavioural, and health & safety training – at our in-house training facilities.   
  • On site competency development, supported by experienced, engineers, technicians and training specialists.                                              

What training will the apprentice take and what qualification will the apprentice get at the end?

Main Qualification - Level 4 Lead Maintenance Technician apprenticeship.

Year One: 36 weeks academic year at Appris in Bradford

  • BTEC Level 2 Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering (Electromechanical)
  • BTEC Level 4 HNC in General Engineering (Electromechanical Maintenance Bias)
  • IOSH Managing Safely Course

 

Year Two Onwards:

  • Technical Skills and Diploma in Team Leading at our inhouse training facilities in West Yorkshire and Didcot Oxfordshire
  • You will be assigned to work on a station with operations and maintenance teams to practice and develop your skills and complete your development logbook to meet apprenticeship and RWE knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)

 

What is the expected career progression after this apprenticeship?

Once you have completed your apprenticeship, you will work within your power station and you can possibly access higher education and/or job specific training to enhance your career progression.

Requirements and prospects

Desired skills and personal qualities

Communication skills, IT skills, Attention to detail, Organisation skills, Customer care skills, Problem solving skills, Presentation skills, Number skills, Analytical skills, Logical, Team working, Creative, Initiative, Patience, Engineering background

Qualifications

GCSE or equivalent English (Grade C/4 (minimum) or equivalent) Essential
GCSE or equivalent maths (Grade C/4 (minimum) or equivalent) Essential
GCSE or equivalent Science (Grade C/4 (minimum) or equivalent) Essential
A Level or equivalent Maths, Science or Engineering (Grade C grade minimum (x2)or BTEC L3) Essential
BTEC or equivalent Engineering Dip(general, electrical or mechanical) (Grade Merit (Minimum) or A levels) Essential

Things to consider

You will undertake your HNC and practical training on block release during your first year. Please note, you will spend 36 weeks of this first year at our provider in Bradford, West Yorkshire , (returning home at weekends). Train tickets, accommodation and meals while at our provider will be provided by the company. Technical training will normally take place at our inhouse training academy locations in Ferrybridge or Didcot. These will be in blocks of a minimum of one to six weeks, ( returning home at weekends), are spread out over two years, Train tickets, accommodation and meals while at our in house academy will be provided by the company. The rest of your time will be spent at your base location Excellent training and development with support from experienced engineers, technicians and specialist trainers. Progress and development opportunities with a multi- national company. Various networking and employee events. Attractive pensions scheme. Sports and Social Clubs.

About the employer

RWE Power employs approximately 10,000 people and produces electricity from lignite and nuclear energy. Those conventional fuels also reliably produce electricity when wind and sun are not available. This means that the power plants in the Rhenish mining district and those of RWE Nuclear are an important backbone of security of supply in Germany. With the phase-out of nuclear energy (April 2023) and coal in German electricity generation (in the Rhenish area 2030), their contribution will diminish in the future. The nuclear power segment is managed by RWE Nuclear, a full subsidiary of RWE Power AG. It is currently operating one nuclear power plant unit. In addition, RWE Nuclear GmbH is responsible for post-operation, decommissioning and dismantling of its units as stipulated in German nuclear law as well as packaging the radioactive waste appropriately. Around 8,000 jobs are linked to lignite, which can only be mined in opencast operations due to geological reasons. Approximately ten per cent of the lignite goes into producing solid fuels and coke for domestic and industrial use. Around 90 per cent is used for generating electricity. The recultivation of spent mining areas is considered exemplary by experts around the globe. On 3 July 2020, the German parliament passed the “Act on the Reduction and Termination of Coal-fired Power Generation and on the Amendment of Other Acts” (Coal Phase-out Act). It is based on the recommendations of the Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment set up by the German Federal Government as presented in January 2019. The paper lays out that electricity generation from coal in Germany is to end by 2038 at the latest. On 4 October 2022, RWE reached an agreement with the federal government and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, among others, to bring forward the phase-out of coal in the Rhenish lignite region to 2030. In the Rhenish mining district, the company does not see itself as a victim of structural change, but rather actively helps to shape this change. It continues to remain a reliable partner for the people in the region, as employer, mentor and customer. The RWE Group is now constructing and operating wind and solar farms as well as biomass plants in the mining district, ensuring that the region remains an important energy location. As part of the plans for developing the district, exploratory drilling is planned at the Weisweiler site for 2023. There, the possibility of using geothermal heat for the regional district heating grid is to be explored in collaboration with renowned partners from the world of science and the relevant authorities. In addition, RWE Power is collaborating closely with municipal opencast mining district initiatives and the Zukunftsagentur Rheinisches Revier, the agency for the future development of the region. At Niederaussem, a pilot plant scrubbing CO2 from flue gases produced by the neighbouring power plant unit is already in operation. It is part of the RWE Innovation Centre, where scientists and engineers of the company also work on synthetic fuels, phosphorous recovery and CO2 conversion. These RWE Power projects make an important contribution towards a successful energy transition and the future of the mining district.

Employer

RWE GENERATION UK PLC

Address

Little Barford Power Station

Barford Road

St Neots

PE19 6YT

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Training

Training provider

APPRIS CHARITY LIMITED

Apprenticeship standard

Lead engineering maintenance technician

Level 4 (Higher national Certificate)

Employer's Application Instructions

Read the details of the Technician Apprenticeship Apply on the RWE website as stated and complete everything fully. Successful candidates at this stage will be sent a confirmation email with details of online test Further online test will be send by our provider to be completed in a timely manner. Successful candidates will then be invited to an Assessment Centre. Candidates who are successful will then be invited to visit their home base prior to formal offer being made.

This apprenticeship requires you to apply through the employer's website.

Apply now

Closing date: 30 Apr 2023