National Grid
Building and running the electricity network behind the UK's net-zero transition.
Energy & InfrastructureApprenticeshipDegree ApprenticeshipGraduate Scheme
View live opportunities →About National Grid
National Grid owns and operates high-voltage transmission infrastructure in England and Wales. The grid is being rebuilt for offshore wind and electrification, which is why early-career hiring has grown sharply.
Work splits between field engineering (substations, overhead lines, cables), control-room operations and the planning/analysis functions in Warwick.
Apprentices train at the company's Eakring training centre, which has full-scale substation equipment for hands-on practice.
This is heavy, safety-critical infrastructure. Many roles involve travel to sites and some involve shift work.
Why work here
- Directly connected to decarbonisation — the projects you work on are in national infrastructure plans.
- Apprentices get residential training on real high-voltage equipment before going near a live site.
- Job security and pension terms are strong even by utilities standards.
- Expect process, permits and paperwork. Speed is not the culture; reliability is.
STEM roles they hire
Electrical engineeringPower systems analysisCivil engineeringProject managementControl room operationsAsset managementData & forecasting
Entry routes
Craft/Technician Apprenticeship (L3)
- Starts
- September
- Duration
- 3–4 years
- Degree needed
- No
- Salary
- £20,000–£25,000
Degree Apprenticeship (Power Engineering)
- Starts
- September
- Duration
- 5 years
- Degree needed
- No
- Salary
- £22,000 rising yearly
Graduate Development Programme
- Starts
- September
- Duration
- 2 years
- Degree needed
- Yes
- Salary
- £34,000
Salary and benefits
Apprentice£20,000 – £25,000
Qualified technician£35,000 – £45,000
Graduate engineer£34,000 – £38,000
- Residential training with accommodation and travel paid
- Above-average pension contribution
- Company vehicle for field-based roles
- Shift and standby allowances on operational roles
- Support towards IET chartership
Application tips
- 1.Physics and maths grades matter more here than at software employers — evidence them clearly.
- 2.Say honestly whether you are happy to travel or relocate; field roles are hard to fill and honesty helps you.
- 3.Reference a specific grid challenge — offshore connections, constraint costs, substation replacement — to show you have read beyond the careers page.
- 4.Practical evidence counts: electrics, car mechanics, CAD, DofE expeditions all read well for site-based roles.
- 5.Assessment centres include a safety scenario. Always stop the task and escalate rather than 'making it work'.