News

APPRENTICES are the future.
Alderney Electricity is bringing
through the next generation of electri
cians and electrical network manager,
Pete Allen, has said that apprentices
are what the island needs to keep the
community going.
‘Without the apprentices, who keeps the island
going? Where do we get people to go out and fix
your lights at night? Who’s going to do all the jobs
that keep a community going? It is the people that
leave school, raise a family, stay on the island –
these are exactly the sort of people that we need,’
he said.
Apprenticeships also benefit the people taking
them. Not only are they gaining a qualification, but
learning on the job and earning while doing so.
‘There’s a very good salary at the end of it, and
there’s a set of transferable skills worldwide,’ added
Pete.
‘There is a lot on offer.’
As one apprentice completes their course, Al
derney Electricity looks for another to continue
bringing new talent through. Alderney Electricity
is currently looking for a new apprentice to start
in September.

GRAHAM
CRAWFORD
‘IT’S never too late to start an apprenticeship.’
Words of advice from one of Alderney
Electricity’s mature apprentices Graham
Crawford.
Graham – known as Lofty – is in his early 40s
and is in the second year of his apprenticeship
after deciding he wanted a change in career.
‘I was working for Blanchard, the local
builders merchant at the time. I just thought,
“I’ll give it a go”,’ he said.
‘You’re never too old to be an apprentice.’
Graham attends the college side of his
apprenticeship in the UK, so rather than
travelling to Guernsey once a week to go to
college, his ‘classroom’ element is in England.
These are usually two-week blocks and sit
alongside self-study at home.
‘It’s sort of doing the same thing as Owen, but
it can be a faster course. When you feel ready
to go to the college to do practical science
and the exams, you go, so it’s good,’ he said.
‘It works for me with my home life and family,
so I can be a dad and study at home and then
when I’m ready to go, rather than having to
go down to Guernsey, I go to the UK for a
fortnight.
‘Guernsey college worked for me when I was
younger, but I don’t think it’d be too good
now.
‘I thought I was going to be the oldest one
there, but they’re not all Owen’s age – there
are other people who are older, like me – and
it’s good because everyone is there because
they want to do it and everyone’s motivated.’

OWEN
CARRE
EARNING while learning is often the main
draw to doing an apprenticeship.
Each year school leavers and graduates
embark on apprentices in various trades
and, for Owen Carre, he knew what
he wanted to do and was given the
opportunity to learn the trade while
earning.
Owen is in his final year of his
apprenticeship with Alderney Electricity,
and is set to go into full-time employment
with them when he finishes.
‘I started my apprenticeship just after
Covid and I went into it straight from
school,’ he said.
‘It’s five years of going to Guernsey once
a week during term time. It started as
something as silly as wiring a plug and I
enjoyed that, and then thought I’d get an
apprenticeship.’
This year Owen travelled to Guernsey
to attend college on Fridays and said he
enjoyed it, and that even when travel
was challenging his tutors were very
understanding.
Owen said that he enjoyed working
with Alderney Electricity because of the
people.
‘I would say personally there’s a good
bunch of people who work here. Everyone
likes to have a laugh and it’s quite
relaxed, but a there’s good amount of
professionalism as well, and if you’re keen
to learn, which we are, then everyone else
is keen to teach you,’ he said.