Drax is offering young people a valuable insight into the world of work at its sites in the UK, including its power station near Selby in North Yorkshire, as part of the renewable energy company’s commitment to supporting education and skills.
This is the first time Drax has run its in-person work experience programme since March 2020 when the company had to stop all in person educational activity, including visits and work experience, due to Covid restrictions.
The programme gives students the opportunity to work alongside highly trained staff, observe practical tasks and ask questions to improve understanding and help them decide if a Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) career is right for them. Students who took part could choose from a variety of business areas including engineering, IT, finance, and facilities.
Abigail Cheney, who is in Year 10 at school, spent a week at Drax Power Station shadowing engineers and getting an insight into what working for the energy company is like.
She said: “I’m really glad I took part in the Drax work experience programme. The work I did during the week was really interesting and gave me an insight into what a career in engineering could be like. The atmosphere in the department was really nice, everyone was so friendly and made me feel included. Overall, it was an amazing opportunity which expanded my knowledge and gave me a better idea of the sector I want to work in in the future.”
Danny Adams, who is in Year 12 at school, also spent a week at Drax working with colleagues in the finance department.
He said: “My work experience week at Drax was amazing. It was a great opportunity for me to explore the area of work I’m interested in which is finance. I worked with some fantastic people who made me feel comfortable and like part of the team. I especially enjoyed the site tour. The week has been great for helping me get to know new people and socialise whilst gaining new skills on the job. I would definitely look into applying for a role at Drax in the future.”
Bruce Heppenstall, Plant Director, said: “We work closely with schools in our communities to inspire young people from all backgrounds to study STEM subjects, so the next generation has the education and skills needed to support businesses like ours as we continue to develop and grow.
“We’re pleased to be able to offer in-person work placements at our sites again and hope that this will give students a valuable insight into the world of work and spark an interest in STEM subjects.”
Drax welcomed 26 work experience students across its sites in the UK, including Cruachan Power Station in Scotland. At the end of the week, each student was presented with a certificate of achievement and a £100 Amazon voucher to spend on books and educational resources.
Prior to attending the five day in-person work experience, all students completed a two-day virtual work experience, which introduced them to career opportunities at Drax and gave them the opportunity to improve their employability skills, through activities such as CV coaching and interview practice.
Drax runs a variety of initiatives to support STEM education and skills including offering power station tours and running interactive workshops for students.
More information about work experience at Drax is available at;
