We entered the Investors in People 2025 Awards to shine a light on the incredible work that our business does in the Apprentice space in Northern Ireland. NIE Networks employs a highly skilled workforce of 1,578 people (2024 average) ranging from lines persons to meter readers, jointers to electrical engineers, and finance professionals to human resource experts and our apprentices are integral to our business.
At NIE Networks 30% of our current senior management started as apprentices within the business, demonstrating the importance of this talent pipeline within the organisation. Indeed, over the past five years, we have retained 100% of our apprentices, with many progressing to key positions within the organisation. This high retention rate is a testament to the effectiveness of our structured learning pathways and mentorship programmes, which are designed to provide comprehensive support and development opportunities for our apprentices.
By entering The Investors in People awards we are celebrating all the apprentices past and present throughout the organisation as well as showcasing the world class work our Apprentice Academy delivers daily and paying tribute to their ambition to create opportunities across Northern Ireland for our talented young people.
We recognise that the future of the energy sector relies on nurturing and growing the next generation of skilled professionals and the work that we do with apprentices is a critical part of how we will work to enable the region’s energy transition on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland.
It is a huge honour to be listed amongst some of the best organisations throughout the UK and to have our work judged and ultimately acknowledged will motivate us as a team to continue to strive to continually improve our apprentice programme. As a team we feel validated that our work is being recognised as best in class, we really respect the Investors in People ethos and feel very proud to be shortlisted.
One of our core values is to be People Focused, to act with empathy, integrity and honesty. We feel that our apprentice programme, which is really about nurturing the next generation of talent, allows us to live that value by fostering an environment that allows our apprentices to develop and be an integral part of our staff community.
NIE Networks is part of the Green Skills Delivery Group for Northern Ireland, established by the Department for Economy and part of the Northern Ireland Skills Council (NISC). As part of our commitment to achieving net zero by 2050 we are very aware of the changes needed to equip our workforce of the future to meet the unprecedented challenges. Being shortlisted for this award demonstrates again that we are on the right track, we know that by creating a forward-thinking approach to apprentices we are future proofing our workforce and helping to build a sustainable future for Northern Ireland.
It would be a huge milestone for us as an organisation to win an Investors in People 2025 Award and an incredible recognition for the dedication of our Apprentice Academy team. Moreover, it would be an immense acknowledgment to the longstanding Apprentice programme.
Apprentices enrich our organisation and are a key part of our organisational DNA, so it would be fantastic to celebrate them and those that nurture and develop them by winning such a prestigious award.
We know that our apprenticeship programme positively impacts the community by providing high-quality training and career opportunities. Our programme supports the local economy by creating jobs and engaging in community outreach initiatives, we partner with local schools and colleges to promote STEM education and inspire the next generation of engineers. We also participate in community service projects, demonstrating our commitment to social responsibility and making a positive difference in the communities we serve. These achievements collectively demonstrate the effectiveness and impact of our apprenticeship strategy, driven by our dedication to excellence, innovation, and inclusivity. If we were to win this award it would be an incredible validation that our work is recognised at the highest level and a massive motivation to keep striving to be the best.
NIE Networks is so proud to be an Investors In People Platinum Accredited business, as an organisation we are incredibly proud of this and very aware that we are only one of a small number of companies in Northern Ireland to have this respected accreditation. As such we are hugely invested in being part of the Investors in People community, we truly recognise the value that being part of these events gives. Awards are really important to motivate and inspire excellence within our teams but also recognise best practice and encourage us to keep striving to be the best.
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Ready to make work better? Complete the form below and one of our team will be in touch to discuss your accreditation enquiry.
