National Grid Receives "Outstanding Provider" Designation on Apprenticeship Programmes
The most recent Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspection at our Eakring Training Centre has once again confirmed National Grid as an "Outstanding Provider" of apprenticeship programmes, a standard we have proudly upheld for 20 consecutive years.
The inspection awarded an "Outstanding" grade in every area reviewed, including leadership and management, quality of education, personal development, and behaviours and attitudes: reaffirming the strength, consistency and ambition of our training programmes.
National Grid's Electricity Transmission (NGET) Apprenticeship Programme provides a focused pathway for learners to build the technical and operational skills needed to work safely on the electricity transmission network. Through a mix of classroom learning, hands-on training and real-world experience, apprentices develop specialist capability in areas such as substations, overhead lines and system operations. This prepares them to support the reliable, future-ready operation of the UK's high voltage grid.
At the heart of our technical training strategy is a clear ambition: to equip learners with the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to build a resilient workforce for the future. With major commitments around workforce planning outlined in our RIIO-T3 business plan, maintaining high-quality, future ready training is essential to supporting both our operational needs and the wider energy transition.
The Lead Inspector highlighted several strengths, noting our "culture of continuous improvement and doing the right thing", that our trainers "are among the best in their field", and that our governance is "highly effective, utilising external experts, excellent key performance indicators and safeguarding". The inspection also praised our "strong and systematic" quality assurance processes.
Sustaining an "Outstanding" rating for two decades is a testament to the dedication of colleagues across Technical Training and NGET. As we prepare for significant future demand, our learner volumes and delivery requirements continue to increase at pace. NGET apprenticeship intake is set to rise from 129 individuals in FY24 to 310 in FY27.
Since NGET's inspection, National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) has also received strong Ofsted feedback on its apprenticeship programme, achieving a "Strong Standard" rating across all areas. NGED was assessed under Ofsted's new grading system with no improvements identified. Inspectors praised the programme's safety culture, learner engagement and high completion and progression rates, reinforcing the quality of apprenticeship provision across the wider National Grid group and the important role these pathways play in developing future skills.
The recognition of our apprenticeship programmes not only acknowledges the quality of our technical training provision but also strengthens National Grid's position as an Employer of Choice. It allows us to engage directly with the UK Government on upskilling the workforce and enhances our ability to build the capabilities needed to deliver our long-term strategic goals.