Rampion appoints seventh wind turbine technician apprentice

Thomas Winter a 16-year-old from Eastbourne who this summer completed his GCSE’s at UTC Harbourside in Newhaven was selected from over 130 applicants, and as he starts out in his career as an offshore wind technician, Rampion’s first two apprentices are coming to the end of their apprenticeships.

The apprenticeship takes around three and a half years to complete. The first two years are predominantly classroom based and spent completing a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma qualification in Electrical and Electronic Engineering as well as a range of practical training courses. Tony Walker and Ross Muirhead started their training in 2015 and are now in the final year of their apprenticeship and based at the Rampion Operations and Maintenance site in Newhaven. Both are now working to complete a Level 3 NVQ Extended Diploma in Engineering Maintenance.

Richard Crowhurst Plant Manager at Rampion, said: “We’re delighted to be able to offer this apprenticeship programme which provides a level of training second to none within the industry. The development of highly skilled personnel is key to the fast-growing renewables industry and we’re delighted to welcome Thomas to the team.”

Rampion’s other apprentices, Sussex locals Alex Reah and James McMiIlllan joined the team in 2016 and have now completed their BTEC qualification. Toby Newman and James Daniels also from Sussex started their apprenticeship in August 2018.

Apprenticeships are not the only career paths currently being offered at Rampion. The site was recently home to undergraduate Xiaojing Li, for a 12-month placement, and who is now studying Chemical Engineering at Leeds University. As part of E.ON’s graduate scheme, Rampion also provides six monthly graduate engineering placements, which last year led to Ross Bickerstaff being recruited full-time as an Operations Engineer.

The Rampion Offshore Wind Farm, located 13km off the Sussex coast is due to be fully operational later this year. Once complete the project will provide enough electricity to supply almost 347,000 homes a year⁽¹⁾, equivalent to around half the homes in Sussex.

E.ON offers a range of apprenticeship opportunities from engineering focused roles including wind turbine technicians, as well as highways lighting and smart meter technicians, to more office based roles such as customer services.