NAME: Anna Crichton
APPRENTICESHIP/JOBTITLE: Project Management Apprentice
- What do you enjoy most about your apprenticeship?
- I enjoy the challenge of the apprenticeship and how every day I am given work that continues to push me and allows me to continuously develop my confidence and knowledge within the company.
- What three words would you use to describe your experience at SPEN?
- The 3 words I would use to describe my experience at SPEN are exciting, educational and challenging.
- What are you most proud of working at SPEN?
- SP Energy Networks is a great company to work for who value the people within it. I love working for a company who not only value the people but also the planet around them and are always looking for new ideas on ways to contribute to decarbonisation and making the world a better place.
- How do you think your role makes a difference?
- Project Management is key to the smooth running of a business with such a large scale of required deliverables. Training on this area has allowed me to come into different areas of the business and do my best to improve processes to help achieve targets and increase efficiency and ease to those in the team.
- What is your stand-out moment from your apprenticeship so far?
- I was lucky enough to be involved in the RIIO-ED2 Price Control and was able to see the business plan develop from its earliest stages right until final submission. I was a part of the PMO and worked very closely in the final stages of the process to make sure the business plan and annexes were in the best condition possible before submitting to Ofgem. I am also currently starting a project where I have been asked to create a programme plan and project manage all of the work the district has to complete in St Andrews before the 150th Open this year which is an amazing opportunity.
- What lead you to this career choice? How do you think you’ll benefit from your apprenticeship?
- I started in SPEN straight from school after doing my Highers as part of the Year In Industry programme. This allowed me to gain a huge insight into the business and gain some real working experience. The amount of knowledge I gained and opportunities I was given in this year meant I was really keen to stay working within the company and the Project Management Apprenticeship was a great fit for me with my interests. I think the apprenticeship will benefit me hugely in terms of my business knowledge and I am also on track to gaining a Project Management qualification which should help in the future with any job opportunities within the company.
- What support is available to you on your apprenticeship?
- All of the apprentices are supported by the Workforce Renewals team and we all have reviews with them quarterly to ensure all is going as it should be, however they are available to support at all times if I ever have any queries or any issues within my apprenticeship. I also have regular reviews with my line manager and the district general manager to ensure I’m getting what I’m looking for from the apprenticeship and if there’s any specific areas I’d like to get involved with and how we can do this.
- What are the people like that you work with?
- The team I work with are great and have been since I started. They are really keen to get me involved in as much as possible so I am able to develop within my role. The team have shown great amounts of confidence in me with the opportunities they have given me and I’m happy to be in such a great team. I have only had great experiences with everyone I have worked with in SPEN and have been given nothing but support from those in the team.