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Rugby through and through
18/04/2018
Rugby MP Mark Pawsey has met with our staff and former apprentices to discover more about what we do – and what the future holds for the industry as we move towards low carbon and renewable energy sources.
Mark visited Hillmorton primary substation, which is undergoing investment to upgrade the network and safeguard power supplies to around 10,000 homes and businesses in the area. Our Future Networks Manager Roger Hey, Coventry & Warwickshire Distribution Manager Trevor Richards and also former apprentice and Project Technician Richard Carter showed Mark how we operate and provided an insight into the type of skills that we require.
Photo caption - Rugby MP Mark Pawsey (left) meets with Coventry & Warwickshire Distribution Manager Trevor Richards (centre) and Project Technician and former WPD apprentice Richard Carter (right) at WPD’s Hillmorton substation.
We are one of the many companies that require employees with STEM qualifications and we invest heavily in providing training to new recruits. Our annual apprenticeship application window has just closed and attracted around 1,500 applications for the 51 positions available across the Midlands, South West England and South Wales.
With the rapid growth of electric vehicles (EVs) at the moment and in the future, Mark was keen to learn more about how we are working to manage the network in light of increasing demands. We discussed Electric Nation, the £5.8 million trial that is investigating how the electricity network can best support future increases in EV ownership.
While the UK’s electricity grid has sufficient capacity to deliver power to electric vehicles, clusters of electric vehicles all being charged at peak times could lead to some local networks requiring expensive and disruptive reinforcement. Electric Nation seeks to delay or avoid such reinforcement through dynamic smart charging.
Speaking after visiting the Hillmorton primary substation, Mark said:
“Keeping the lights on is vital, especially with the anticipated growth in electric vehicle use over the coming years. I was very interested to learn about the steps Western Power Distribution are taking to ensure that the local grid can continue to provide residents with the power they need for their day-to-day activities, even as more demand is placed on the network in the coming years.”
Mark continued:
“I was also keen to speak to them about the opportunities which they are offering to young people with an interest in engineering. I have always been a great supporter of encouraging our young people to pursue an apprenticeship and it was great to hear that WPD’s scheme is attracting such high levels of interest from the engineers and the technicians of the future.”
Roger Hey, our Future Networks Manager, added:
“WPD was delighted to host this visit. Changing technology will have a significant impact on the way distribution networks operate but it won’t change the need for STEM qualifications or our commitment to investing in our people.”
Mark visited Hillmorton primary substation, which is undergoing investment to upgrade the network and safeguard power supplies to around 10,000 homes and businesses in the area. Our Future Networks Manager Roger Hey, Coventry & Warwickshire Distribution Manager Trevor Richards and also former apprentice and Project Technician Richard Carter showed Mark how we operate and provided an insight into the type of skills that we require.
Photo caption - Rugby MP Mark Pawsey (left) meets with Coventry & Warwickshire Distribution Manager Trevor Richards (centre) and Project Technician and former WPD apprentice Richard Carter (right) at WPD’s Hillmorton substation.
We are one of the many companies that require employees with STEM qualifications and we invest heavily in providing training to new recruits. Our annual apprenticeship application window has just closed and attracted around 1,500 applications for the 51 positions available across the Midlands, South West England and South Wales.
With the rapid growth of electric vehicles (EVs) at the moment and in the future, Mark was keen to learn more about how we are working to manage the network in light of increasing demands. We discussed Electric Nation, the £5.8 million trial that is investigating how the electricity network can best support future increases in EV ownership.
While the UK’s electricity grid has sufficient capacity to deliver power to electric vehicles, clusters of electric vehicles all being charged at peak times could lead to some local networks requiring expensive and disruptive reinforcement. Electric Nation seeks to delay or avoid such reinforcement through dynamic smart charging.
Speaking after visiting the Hillmorton primary substation, Mark said:
“Keeping the lights on is vital, especially with the anticipated growth in electric vehicle use over the coming years. I was very interested to learn about the steps Western Power Distribution are taking to ensure that the local grid can continue to provide residents with the power they need for their day-to-day activities, even as more demand is placed on the network in the coming years.”
Mark continued:
“I was also keen to speak to them about the opportunities which they are offering to young people with an interest in engineering. I have always been a great supporter of encouraging our young people to pursue an apprenticeship and it was great to hear that WPD’s scheme is attracting such high levels of interest from the engineers and the technicians of the future.”
Roger Hey, our Future Networks Manager, added:
“WPD was delighted to host this visit. Changing technology will have a significant impact on the way distribution networks operate but it won’t change the need for STEM qualifications or our commitment to investing in our people.”
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