Why UK Power Networks fund staff education

Over 900 staff from UK Power Networks - the company that keeps the lights on in London, the South East and East Anglia - have been awarded educational grants in the past five years as part of its Supported Studies programme. 

The programme pays 100% of tuition fees and gives employees paid time to attend most classes, and it is just one of the ways UK Power Networks supports learning in the workplace. The qualifications taken span all levels and range from electronic engineering to procurement, human resources to accounting.

Sarah Porcelli, Interim Head of Learning & Development at UK Power Networks, sheds light on how the firm are ensuring staff have the skills to meet the inevitable challenges the future holds. “Employee development is a key part of achieving our vision to become an Employer of Choice,” she says. “But it’s also a business need to ensure that we have the right people with the right skills to help us keep the lights on. Our employees have told us how important it is to have opportunities to learn and grow in their role, and to gain skills to progress their career.”

To drive this, UK Power Networks launched their Supported Studies programme to empower their staff, whilst simultaneously futureproofing the business. Porcelli elaborates: “We are keen to ensure that we have the right skills to meet the challenges that our organisation faces not only now, but also in the future. Our industry is changing, and we want to stay ahead of the curve by making sure we have a highly skilled workforce. By providing our employees with an opportunity to undertake business relevant training, we’re really future proofing. We’ve received great feedback from employees and they value the fact that we are one of the few organisations to fund 100% of their studies, contribute towards text books as well as providing them time to take part in classes and exams.”