Substation Engineer Advanced Apprentice North East Wearside Asset Operations

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

Join to apply for the 2026 Substation Engineer Advanced Apprentice North East Wearside (Durham), Asset Operations role at National Grid
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Work at the heart of National Grid
Would you like to work for a company that makes electricity happen for every single person in England and Wales? A company that invests billions in Net Zero and creating a brighter energy future?

On this apprenticeship you will be working towards a Level 3 EAL Subsidiary Diploma in Engineering Technologies. You will also 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. Our substations are instrumental in the transmission of high‑voltage electricity over England and Wales, transforming high‑voltage electricity into low‑voltage electricity that can be used in homes and businesses.

Our technicians play a vital role in looking after our substations. Without their careful maintenance the safe, reliable supply of electricity simply could not happen. This apprenticeship will allow you to become one of them.

You’ll be learning to do things like maintenance work on power transformers, main connections, and terminals. You’ll be repairing different types of joints and working with things such as air systems, batteries, and environmental battery charger systems. Following strict safety guidelines, you will carry out the maintenance, repair, and monitoring of high‑voltage substation equipment, including circuit breakers, transformers, disconnectors, compressors, and auxiliary systems.

As you can probably tell, these apprenticeships are for people who really want to get stuck in. If that sounds like it might be you, we’d be very interested in receiving your application.

• Five GCSEs, including passes in Maths and English Language (or equivalent) graded 4/C or above.
• Must be at least 18 years of age by the start date of the programme (1st September 2026).
• By the end of your first year, you’ll need a driving licence that permits you to drive in the UK.
• You’ll need to be able to live away from home during your training; primarily at our Eakring Training Centre in Nottinghamshire. Typically, you’ll stay on‑site from 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: 75% in Year 1, 50% in Year 2, 25% in Year 3.

This role is based across the North East Wearside region. This means you'll be expected to travel around this region as part of your role. Due to the nature of this role, you'll need to live within a 45 minute drive of the following postcode: DH6 2RX
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We are proud to offer a starting salary of £24,306. You’ll also receive 26 days annual leave plus statutory holidays, a £250 bonus depending on performance, a double‑matched pension contribution scheme, and a professional membership subscription paid for by us.

• 26 days annual leave plus statutory holidays
• £250 bonus, depending on performance
• Double‑matched pension contribution scheme
• One professional membership subscription paid for by us

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…