🚧 NSCG | #NAW2022 Q&A with Apprenticeship provider, Capula
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8th February 2022

Apprentice employer partner, Capula has been a leader in advanced system integration for decades; optimising efficiency and delivering performance on a massive scale. They have delivered significant projects across the whole energy value chain of nuclear, power, energy networks, renewables; as well as supporting customers in utilities including water, manufacturing and process industries.

Here, HR Director Steve Tellwright chats to us about their apprenticeships programme and the exciting opportunities available for long-term career progression at their Head Office in Stone.

Q. How many apprentices do you currently employ at Capula?

A. We currently have 30 employees who are studying Level 3 to Level 7 qualifications across our business, which represents more than 10% of our workforce. Of those studying, 24 are on apprenticeship schemes.

Q. Typically, what kind of roles are available to apprentices across the business?

A. Our programmes provide apprentices with real roles and responsibilities with support from experts across our business. We aim to develop our apprentices into fully rounded engineers, so there is some rotation within departments and across our business. The kind of roles available to our apprentices are electrical hardware engineers (electrical engineers, control panel designers and builders), control system programmers, Operational technology (OT) specialists and database engineers.

In partnership with NSCG, we offer a Level 3 Engineering Technician - Product Design and Development Technician Apprenticeship. We also offer a range of advanced-level apprenticeships with a number of Higher Education institutions. Apprentices can specialise and be employed in roles such as Software Engineer, IT Consultant, Business Analyst, Cyber Security Specialist, Data Analyst, Network Engineer

Q. What are the benefits to Capula of offering apprenticeships?

    A. Capula is committed to ‘growing our own’ - attracting, developing and retaining engineers of the future. Our Apprentices spend their time studying, alongside putting their learning into practice within our business. An apprenticeship combines academic study with practical experience at work, to gain a nationally recognised qualification. As a business we benefit from apprenticeships by not only having qualified engineers but also well-rounded employees who have demonstrated throughout their apprenticeship that they have the right knowledge, skills and behaviours to be effective and productive. Apprentices bring a fresh perspective to our business and challenge our ideas and they are able to apply their learned knowledge into practical solutions. We welcome our pipeline of fresh talent via the apprenticeship route and value their contribution to the success of our business.

    Q. How has your apprenticeship programme developed over time working with NSCG?

    A. Our Apprenticeship really took off in 2016 and 2017 when we recognised the need to grow our own engineers. Working with NSCG and Staffordshire University we developed appropriate courses to ensure the programme met with both apprentice and business need. Capula has also donated state of the art technology to NSCG, which is used on the apprenticeship courses to benefit both Capula and the College. Over the last 4 years the relationship has matured and we are able to ensure that the teaching given by NSCG and the work content provided by Capula is fully aligned.

    Q. What training opportunities are on offer to your apprentices?

    A. In addition to the learning that our apprentices undertake as part of their formal qualification for the apprenticeship, we also provide further training and development opportunities to support their professional development. This may include things such as AutoCAD Electrical training, 18th Edition wiring regulations, training on specific technologies, commercial awareness, exposure and experience on different projects and customers, Schneider, Rockwell and Siemens programming tools to name but a few.

    Q. How can apprenticeships progress within your business on completion of their apprenticeship?

    A. We employ all of our apprentices as full time employees from day one, with the same job protection and benefits as all our other employees. This way they do not get to the end of their apprenticeship with a concern as to whether or not they will secure a role at Capula. This is one of the reasons why we invest so heavily in their development as we are fully committed to their future. We offer a clear career path beyond the apprenticeship programme for all our apprentices, with the option to move into other areas if they demonstrate the requisite skills, behaviours and desire.

    Interested in an apprenticeship? View our latest vacancies here.