Three South Shields teenagers have begun apprenticeships at Dogger Bank Wind Farm as the giant project in the North Sea begins to deliver a whole new era of job opportunities to South Tyneside.
Eighteen-year-olds Logan Ebanks, Bridie Gallagher and Jamie Edwards have started two years training at the wind farm’s Tyne Dock headquarters with Bridie and Logan apprenticed in electrical engineering while Jamie is specialising in wind operations maintenance and logistics.
It is the first time apprenticeship training for future wind farm technicians has started in the borough and represents a significant contribution to skills training and technical education in the offshore wind industry.
Bridie’s arrival is particularly welcome in an industry which has traditionally been male-dominated. She said:
“It’s still a bit uncommon for women to be in engineering – I’m one of two women out of 15 or 20 in my classes – but my dad’s an electrician, Harvey of BHN Electrical, so I picked up an interest from an early age.”
The former St Wilfrid’s School pupil added:
“There might not be many women involved in offshore wind at the moment but I think the numbers are growing and I’ve found it a very welcoming and supportive environment so I would definitely encourage other women to get involved if they can.”
Logan, a former St Wilfrid’s RC pupil, who is from Whiteleas, said:
“I saw an advert and aplied straightaway – it was all a bit overwhelming at first, but everyone has been great.
“It feels refreshing to be working in an industry and environment which is not harmful to the planet.
“There’s no doubt that wind is going to be a growth industry, so it’s a job for the future.”
Jamie is working in wind operations, maintenance and logistics, and will be part of the team responsible for supplying essential components to the wind farm.
For Jamie, the new job could hardly be more convenient.
Having travelled the world in bulk container ships previously, he now finds himself with a job minutes from his South Shields home. He said:
“It’s just around the corner, and it’s exactly the sector I wanted to be involved in.”
The former Whitburn Church of England Academy pupil who went on to become a cadet in engineering at South Shields Marine School, said:
“I loved offshore work but wanted to get involved in renewables.
“I’d been working with Catapult at the Port of Blyth and had heard loads of good stuff about Dogger Bank, so I went searching for it online and saw the apprenticeship opportunity.
“It was really good timing and everything has just fallen into place.”
It’s good timing for Dogger Bank HQ too, with the management team there delighted to be able to recruit locally.
The wind farm owners have identified there’s a future skills gap looming and are looking to address it ahead of time, to keep the hundreds of wind turbines off the coast turning seamlessly.
And the new apprentices have started their training in a variety of roles, including electrical engineering and warehouse logistics.
Over the next two years they will study the operations, maintenance, and logistics of the wind farm, gaining the skills required for a career in the renewables sector. Each will also gain a professional qualification in their respective field.
Two will learn the skills needed to maintain the giant 260-metre tall turbines more than 130km from the North East coastline, gaining a L3 MOET qualification and a foundation degree in engineering.
This will include high voltage training, addressing that future skills gap and enabling the apprentices to support the first UK High Voltage Direct Current connected offshore wind farm.
Mark Halliday, operations director at Dogger Bank Wind Farm, said:
“Apprenticeships will play a crucial role in our long-term success, and we are committed to providing early career development opportunities.
“Apprenticeships offer a mutually beneficial pathway for both us and the apprentices.,
“They gain specialised skills and competencies that enhance their career prospects and by investing in apprenticeships, we benefit from developing highly skilled and motivated employees who have the opportunity to work on the Dogger Bank Wind Farm across its planned 35-year lifespan.”
For more information about opportunities at Dogger Bank can be found here: https://doggerbank.com/recruitment/.
