A dedicated apprentice from Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm has picked up an award at the House of Parliament.
Kyle Pickering , 21, from Lowestoft, was one of several candidates to embark on the on an apprenticeship in Wind Turbine Maintenance with SSE in 2014/15.
The initial element of the apprenticeship saw new recruits attend a course with the Humberside Engineering Training Association (HETA), who named Kyle Wind Turbine Apprentice of the Year.
He collected his award from Peter Aldous, MP for Waveney, Suffolk, at the UK Parliament as part of Offshore Wind Week (November 16-20) and was supported by Stephen Rose, SSE’s Head of Wind Generation.
A new vision document released this week predicts that offshore wind could meet 35 per cent of the UK’s electricity demand by 2030 and support 50,000 skilled jobs.
The UK is already the world leader in deployment of this fast developing renewable energy technology with over 3.7 gigawatts (3,700 megawatts) of capacity - enough to power three million homes - built in the last five years alone.
Kyle said: "I am really enjoying the apprenticeship so far - in particular the electrical training element of the course and I think I want to progress further in that field.
“Aspects of the training like specialist survival skills and working at height have also really boosted my confidence and helped me get ready to put what I’ve learned into practice.”
Mr Aldous said: “I congratulate Kyle Pickering on receiving his award. He is a deserving winner of the Apprentice of the Year award. I also congratulate Steve Rose and SSE on their hard work in cultivating their apprentices.”
Kyle is now learning valuable ‘hands on’ experience on-site at Greater Gabbard. This practical approach allows each apprentice to put their learning into practice and will ensure they are ready for the challenges that lie ahead when the SSE apprenticeship programme has been completed and they begin their new roles as qualified technicians.
In 2015, SSE welcomed 169 new apprentices into the company and has hired more than 800 apprentices since 2007, investing £64m - £80,000 for every new recruit.
This comes at a time when the energy sector is facing a skills gap with 50% of the industry workforce expected to leave or retire by 2023. More than 200,000 new recruits will be needed – ensuring strong career prospects for those entering the industry.
IMAGE: Award winner Kyle with Peter Aldous MP and Stephen Rose, Head of Wind Generation