'Grid for Good' celebrates one year of bringing young people opportunities in the energy sector

In a year where the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated circumstances for many, programmes like Grid for Good have been more important than ever in helping young talent access and explore the energy sector.

The programme has given young candidates from the UK and US the opportunity to fill existing roles and also new ones, which emerge as the journey to net zero evolves.

Here are just some of the brilliant results achieved in this first year:
 

Grid for Good’s first year in numbers

• Over 3000 young people have been part of the Grid for Good programme

• …with the help of over 1000 National Grid volunteers

• 500 events have been held – the majority of these were virtual

• 9 charity partners and 5 energy industry partners have participated in helping us to reach candidates

This has resulted in:

• over 120 young people from the Grid for Good programme receiving work experience placements across National Grid

• almost 100 young people applying for graduate and apprentice roles

• …and 7 have started other early-career roles in National Grid
   

How does the Grid for Good programme work?

Grid for Good focuses on delivering a positive impact to socio-economically disadvantaged individuals, who often don’t have access to the same opportunities as many of us.

The opportunities that the programme provides are mutually beneficial; as well as working with supply chain partners to provide training and employment opportunities, Grid for Good also partners with charities to access a diverse range of talented young people with the potential to help us reach our net zero goals.

Dina Potter, VP/Global Head of Social Impact, said: “In the UK, we know the industry needs to fill 400,000 jobs to reach net zero and we also know diverse young minds are critical to this. I’ve seen some exceptional talent come through the programme already and it’s exciting to see more people considering the sector, who previously wouldn’t have done so.”
 

What does Grid for Good’s second year have in store?

The ambition of the Grid for Good programme is to create lasting and positive change for disadvantaged young people and, in turn, to positively affect our communities as a whole.

Following the fantastic impact after just one year, the next 12 months include plans to onboard more industry partners and move towards making this a collaborative, sector-wide initiative.

The programme will also be expanding to cover a broader age range and different needs with the following initiatives:

Grid for Good Middle Years: ages 3-15 Providing engaging and inspiring content to introduce young people to the world of energy and sustainable futures, through a variety of media and teaching aids.

Grid for Good Access: ages 16-25 Our current initiative remains focused on helping the most under-served young people in our communities with upskilling and training, to develop their employment opportunities in National Grid and the energy sector.

Grid for Good Excel: ages 16-25 A STEM focused pathway to get the best diverse young minds into graduate and early career opportunities, with National Grid and our energy industry partners.

Grid for Good Accelerate: ages 25+ Aiming to work in partnership with government and local authorities to implement practical routes to learning – such as bootcamps, T levels and apprenticeships – to provide job opportunities for skilled, predominantly shock-unemployed people over 25.

Find out more about Grid for Good