UK Power Networks recently hosted a two-week work experience programme, dubbed ‘Powering Potential’, aimed at providing valuable industry insights to sixth-form students from under-represented communities.
The initiative is part of the company’s commitment to the Levelling Up Goals agenda, which was launched by the previous Conservative Government to help address social mobility challenges across the UK.
The programme engaged 11 students selected from areas served by UK Power Networks, which supplies electricity to 8.5 million homes and businesses across London, the South East, and the East of England. To participate, students needed to meet certain criteria, including coming from a family with a combined household income of less than £30,000, being entitled to free school meals, living or having lived in local authority care, or being the first in their family to engage in further education.
During their placement, the students worked in pairs at local depots, including locations in Peterborough, Colchester, London, Borehamwood, and Gatwick. They received bespoke insights from field experts across the company and concluded their experience by presenting their learnings to senior staff through posters and presentations.
Yusra Batool, a participant in the programme, shared her enthusiasm, “With this work experience placement, I feel like I know exactly what type of career that I would want to look for. I feel like engineering is something that I want to take on and hopefully it’s electrical engineering.”
Oliver Kingman, another student, expressed his newfound connections and insights, saying, “I always thought I’d like to be an engineer. I think Powering Potential has helped me, as during the two weeks I’ve now been able to gain a lot of valuable connections, lots of people that can help me and offer to assist me if I ever need it in the future. There were so many opportunities, not just to talk to people or learn about their jobs at a desk, but to go out on site and see things happening, things in motion and things you wouldn’t really be able to see online.”
Natasha Paramasamy, a STEM outreach and development specialist, commented on the significance of the initiative, “This year’s cohort of Powering Potential students have shown why levelling up and our commitment to social mobility is so important. Each and every one of the students taking part has shown why we must give opportunity and access to people who do not have the traditional pathway into our industry.”
STEMpoint, collaborating with UK Power Networks, added, “We are delighted to work alongside UK Power Networks to deliver high-quality Experience Placements to students in 2024. This opportunity has enabled us to provide invaluable hands-on experience to students in their chosen STEM field.”