Gareth Mitchell joined our two-year IET-accredited Engineering Graduate Programme in 2014 and worked across numerous teams within the Renewables business.
“I was a member of the 2018 Wholesale Shadow Board where I participated in quarterly board meetings discussing technical and non-technical issues affecting the business. Becoming the youngest Chartered Engineer in Scotland in 2019 at the age of 26, around 10 years younger than the average age of newly registered Chartered Engineers. I’ve found the work/life balance at SSE to be great due to flexible and agile working. As long as you work your contracted hours and have agreement with your line manager, office-based staff can be flexible with their start and finish times.”
Kerry Mitchell joined SSE as a Controls & Instrumentation Apprentice in 2013.
“After my apprenticeship, I was offered a position on shift and worked alongside three colleagues before going onto my own shift rota. I’m currently still on shift but have recently started a Graduate Apprenticeship scheme and I’m now working towards a BEng degree in Controls & Instrumentation. I enjoyed the apprenticeship offered with SSE – I felt there was a perfect balance of college and workplace learning. The help and advice offered by my colleagues were outstanding. I would encourage anyone considering a modern apprenticeship scheme to go for it – you end up with a nationally recognised qualification, and get paid whilst doing it.”
Mark Butler joined SSE in 1997 as an Apprentice Electrician.
“I was surprised how much I enjoyed my apprenticeship, this is largely due to the diverse nature of the role, I worked on several great projects, at different locations, with different people to learn from and installing a range of services. I then progressed to the role of an approved electrician before taking on the role of a Trainee Electrical Engineer within the contracting business. This gave me the platform to move towards a business leader role. I have progressed further through the ranks within contracting at a steady pace ever since, moving to the roles of Project Manager, Business Manager and now as Regional Operations Director. One of the key factors in my success and progression is my own personal drive to push through doors that the company opened for me. The opportunities within SSE are wide and varied, for those willing to put in the commitment and dedication this can be very rewarding.”
Erin Gillon is currently on our IT Graduate scheme and is rotating around different teams within our IT function.
“My role within BE IT PM is to assist project managers with governance and reporting, assisting with small scale projects and coordinating some system go-live activities. More recently, I have taken on the role of Portfolio Management Office due to maternity cover which involves gathering relevant project data and producing information to be presented for review by the management. My biggest achievement so far was mentoring prospective graduates at the Everywoman Tech conference in London. The day involved 10-minute sessions with prospective graduates where they asked us questions regarding our graduate scheme and experiences to date. The variety that SSE offers in the IT graduate scheme means that every few months you are gaining more experience in different areas of the business. Additionally, the flexibility and support offered are the biggest benefits.”
