Substation Engineer Advanced Apprentice North East Asset Operations

2026 Substation Engineer Advanced Apprentice North East (Sheffield), Asset Operations

Join to apply for the 2026 Substation Engineer Advanced Apprentice North East (Sheffield), Asset Operations role at National Grid.

Work at the heart of National Grid. You will be working towards a Level 3 EAL Subsidiary Diploma in Engineering Technologies and be paid over £24,000 a year while you train, with free food, accommodation, and travel. The training is carried out through a combination of courses run at our Global Technical Training Centre of Excellence and on‑site training on real transmission equipment in a live substation environment.

Our three‑year Advanced Apprenticeship Substations will train you to become a technician in one of our 347 substations that are instrumental in the transmission of high‑voltage electricity over England and Wales. Transforming high‑voltage electricity into low‑voltage electricity, which can be used in homes and businesses.

• Maintenance work on power transformers, main connections, and terminals.
• Repairing different types of joints and working with air systems, batteries, and environmental battery charger systems.
• Carrying out the maintenance, repair and monitoring of high‑voltage substation equipment – including circuit breakers, transformers, disconnectors, compressors and auxiliary systems – following strict safety guidelines.
• Delivering all works with safety at the heart of all actions and decisions, demonstrating safety behaviours by not walking past, following process and rules and speaking up where things don’t look right.

• Five GCSEs, including passes in Maths and English Language (or equivalent) graded 4/C or above.
• By the end of your first year, you’ll need a UK driving licence that permits you to drive in the UK.
• You must be able to live away from home during your training; primarily at our Eakring Training Centre in Nottinghamshire. Typically you’ll stay on‑site Monday to Thursday and return home for the weekend (Friday to Sunday). The amount of time spent at Eakring will decrease as you progress through the programme:
  Year 1 – about 75 %, Year 2 – about 50 %, Year 3 – about 25 %.
• Location:
  
  North East Sheffield region – you must live within a 45‑minute drive of postcode S60 5PA and be willing to travel around the region as part of your role.

• You’ll get a starting salary of £24,306.
• 26 days annual leave plus statutory holidays.
• Potential £250 bonus, depending on performance.
• Double‑matched pension contribution scheme.
• One professional membership subscription paid by National Grid.
• My Discounts scheme offers discounts on everything from the weekly shop to your annual summer holidays, cinema tickets and high‑street retailers.
• Structured training and on‑the‑job experience with support for personal development and a tailored Personal Development Plan.

National Grid is at the heart of the energy future, and our people are at the heart of National Grid. We’re 30,000 colleagues strong. In the UK, National Grid doesn’t generate or sell energy – we join the dots to get energy from A to

B. From making a cup of tea in the morning, to keeping the lights on in hospitals, our electricity network puts power in the hands of people. Without it, the world as we know it would grind to a halt.

The world of energy is changing beyond recognition as we focus on building a cleaner, greener future. Working at National Grid, you won’t just be touching the lives of almost everyone in the UK – you’ll be shaping the way we use and consume energy for generations to come.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the heart of who we are and what we do. Our commitment to these values is unwavering and central to our mission. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries and we are happy to discuss any adjustments that you require.

We recruit on a rolling basis and reserve the right to close our vacancies once we have enough applications. Assessment centres will be held between January and April 2026. The programme is open to all applicants who meet the eligibility criteria and have a valid right to work in the UK. You must provide evidence of your right to work before starting.

National Grid is not able to offer sponsorship for employment under the UK points‑based immigration system, except in exceptional circumstances.