EGL2 inspires future talent at Hull and East Riding Apprenticeship Fair

Members of the Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2) project team joined more than 2,250 students from across the region at the Hull and East Riding Apprenticeship Fair at Bishop Burton College. 

The event gave young people the opportunity to meet employers, explore different career pathways and learn more about the skills needed to build their future careers.  

Throughout the day, the EGL2 team spoke to students about the project, National Grid’s role in the UK’s energy transition and the wide range of careers available across the energy sector.  

Neil Lyons, National Grid Project Director for EGL2, said: 

"It is fantastic to see so many young people interested in learning more about careers in the energy sector and the opportunities available to them. 

"Delivering projects like EGL2 requires people with a huge range of skills and experience, and events like this allow us to show students that there are many different ways to build a career in our industry. 

" We hope the conversations our team had at Bishop Burton College inspired students to explore where a career in energy could take them." 

Councillor Victoria Aitken, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said:  

“The apprenticeship expo is always a great event for our young people and this year was bigger and better, with over 1000 young people coming along with their school, and a further 1000 young people and their families attending at the evening session. 

“It’s the perfect opportunity for young people to speak to a range of organisations to explore the opportunities available here in East Yorkshire, helping young people as they plan their next steps and future careers. 

“We are grateful to National Grid for being one of the organisations that were involved in the day, and we had great feedback about their stand.” 

As one of the UK's largest electricity infrastructure projects, EGL2 requires a wide range of skills throughout its development and construction. The EGL2 team was joined by contractor partners BAM and Balfour Beatty, demonstrating the wide range of opportunities available in the construction and engineering sectors. The event provided an opportunity to show young people how major infrastructure projects are delivered and the variety of careers that contribute to them, while helping students think about where their own skills and interests could take them in the future. 

Simon Davis, Social Sustainability Manager for BAM, said: 

"The turnout at this year's expo was outstanding and made for a busy event full of energy. We spoke to lots of students at the BAM stand, and we were really encouraged by the quality of the questions being asked about careers in construction and our training pathways. It was noticeable how many students arrived well prepared and with a positive attitude, which is a real credit to the region's parents, schools and colleges who support them."

Phil Waines, Project Communications Officer for Balfour Beatty, added: 

“From the off, there were waves and waves of young people coming through, all with a variety of interests. Some made a beeline for our stand, while others needed a little more coaxing after their initial approach. 

“The level of interest throughout the day was fantastic. Having Alfie alongside me meant we could not only talk about the opportunities available through apprenticeships, but also give young people the chance to hear directly from someone experiencing that route first-hand.” 

EGL2’s attendance at the fair forms part of our wider commitment to supporting STEM education, developing future skills and helping young people understand the career opportunities created by the UK’s transition to a cleaner energy system. 

We look forward to supporting more events like this in the months and years ahead. If you manage or know of community events that could benefit from our involvement, please get in touch with the EGL2 team at [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.