Innogy Expands Wales Wind Farm Apprenticeship Programme

RWE Innogy UK (Innogy) is expanding its highly popular Wales wind farm apprenticeship programme for a third year running and is now recruiting for new candidates.

Five more bespoke, highly skilled engineering posts have been created to support the business’s onshore and offshore activities, taking the total number of wind turbine generated apprenticeships in Wales to 16.

RWE’s Chris Griffiths who has lead the development of the scheme said: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to expand the scheme for a third year running. These are very highly prized posts, which will deliver excellent, bespoke engineering skills training and experience for the lucky candidates. Once qualified, the apprentices will work on some of our most prestigious flagship projects, including Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm – shortly to become the second largest operating offshore wind farm in the world.

“The skills from this programme are specific to the sector, and are also highly transferrable, making our apprentices very highly sought after, and qualified. It’s a tremendous scheme that’s directly linked to the building and operating of wind farms in Wales, and we’re absolutely delighted to be able to take on five new candidates.”

The Apprentice Scheme, was first launched by RWE Innogy UK in partnership with Grwp Llandrillo Menai, becoming the first apprenticeship of its kind in Wales and was fully supported at the official opening in December 2012 by First Minister Carwyn Jones.

Recruitment for the third intake of applicants is now well underway online, and prospective recruits from all corners of North, Mid and South Wales are already applying for the five places up for grabs.

At the same time, the first ever intake of six wind turbine apprentices from 2012 are coming the end of their two-year-long, classroom based training and will begin working from Innogy’s Operations bases at Llanidloes, Mid Wales, and Port of Mostyn, North Wales.

RWE Innogy UK has an operating portfolio of seven onshore and two offshore wind farms in Wales, all of which will become the workplace once the apprentices become fully trained turbine technicians.

Offshore, Gwynt y Môr will provide a further significant opportunity, once it enters full operation, while proposed onshore wind farm developments at Taff Ely, Brechfa Forest West and Mynydd y Gwair, all in South Wales, could offer further security for the future.