A former electrical engineer apprentice traded trains for telecoms to help keep people’s lights on across the region.
Tom Skeet lives in Hazlerigg, Newcastle and spends his day working behind the scenes to ensure the region’s electricity network is talking to its engineers to identify any faults.
The 28-year-old began his career as a Tyne and Wear Metro apprentice, where he trained in electrical engineering for three years.
Tom wanted more than a job, something that would challenge him and provide him with variety in this role every day.
That’s when he applied for a technician position at the region’s largest electricity distribution network operator, a role that he could really get his teeth into.
Tom has been with Northern Powergrid in a few different roles for almost seven years now and is loving every minute.
Tom’s current job mainly focused on telecoms projects across the business, he helps with the roll out of new technologies that will help engineers communicate with the electrical network and each other more easily.
So, when there is a power outage, the Northern Powergrid control room can see the equipment that is out in the field and control the electrical network to restore power as quickly as possible.
This is all thanks to the communications technology that Tom and he colleagues in the Telecoms team have deployed in the field.
But he does more than that when he is needed, Tom also trains people across the region in the new skills, helping them get the most out of the technology to make their lives easier.
Tom said “The work we do in Telecoms go beyond just phones, we deploy and manage all of the technology that enable our systems and colleagues to communicate with each other.
“We’ve got quite a small team so you end up doing a little bit of everything to make sure we can hep the people on the ground repairing faults as quickly as possible – it keeps work interesting.
“But in that small team, we’ve got a huge skill set which means we are always learning from each other, some have been here for decades and some only a few years but that’s why I like my role and team so much.
“My role has seen a lot of digital integration over the last even five years so there is no doubt that will continue, this means we’ve got to constantly be learning.
“You never know what you’re going to get with this role and that’s why I enjoy it so much.”
Rachel Ironmonger, Head of Service and Support for Northern Powergrid, said “People often don’t think about now important Telecoms is for a business as large as Northern Powergrid, but it’s critical to keeping your lights on.
“We’ve got to be able to talk to our customers, our colleagues and our assets to help understand what has gone wrong on the network and get everyone back on supply.
“Hearing Tom talk about his passion for his work is incredibly inspiring, and you can see how that encourages a positive attitude in the team which when you are working in high pressure situations really does matter.
“The world of Telecoms is changing and as Tom said the need for new skills to understand that digital world is essential.”
Feeling powered-up and inspired? Northern Powergrid is recruiting now for experienced learners in their craftsperson trainee programme.
Applications are open until 19 January 2025, you can apply to via northernpowergrid.com/careers
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