Electricity generation worker
Electricity generation workers operate and maintain equipment in power stations.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
As an electricity generation worker, you'll:
- operate machinery from a power plant control room
- carry out scheduled maintenance work
- follow electrical diagrams to find and fix faults
- isolate and test equipment to make sure it's working safely
- respond to emergencies, for example shutting down part of a plant
- monitor control systems and report issues
- work closely with engineers and contractors
Working environment
You could work in a control room or in a workshop.
You may need to wear protective clothing.
Career path and progression
With experience and further training, you could become a supervisor, operations and maintenance technician or control and instrumentation engineer.
You could also take a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in power engineering and become an electrical or mechanical engineer.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- the ability to operate and control equipment
- observation and recording skills
- the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- excellent verbal communication skills
- knowledge of maths
- to be flexible and open to change
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
Restrictions and Requirements
You'll need to:
- pass security checks
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
You could take a college course, which would teach you some of the skills needed to apply for a trainee job.
Courses include:
- electrical or electronic engineering
- engineering technology
- engineering maintenance
- electrical systems engineering
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
More Information
You can apply to do an apprenticeship with a power generating company to get into this job. For example:
- Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
- Project Controls Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
- Electrical Networks Power Engineer Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
These can take around 3 years to complete and combine on-the-job training with off-site learning with a training provider.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
More Information
Some power generation companies run training programmes for their workers, who have the potential to become successful technicians and engineers.
You might be able to apply for jobs directly if you've got experience and qualifications in electrical engineering or maintenance work from another industry.
Career tips
Power industry employers welcome applications from ex-military personnel who have developed technical skills during their time in the armed forces.
Further information
You can find out more about careers in the power industry from Energy and Utilities Jobs and National Grid.
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External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.