By Melissa Blewitt

New apprentices and trainees have joined Essential Energy at Condobolin and various locations across the state.

According to Essential Energy, it is part of the company’s ongoing investment into the future of the business, bringing the total number of apprentices in the business to 152.

The 42 new apprentices and trainees will be based in 33 different locations across the network footprint including Condobolin, Albury, Barraba, Bathurst, Bourke, Braidwood, Broken Hill, Buronga, Canowindra, Coffs Harbour, Coonamble, Corowa, Cowra, Dorrigo, Dubbo, Ewingsdale, Goondiwindi, Goulburn, Grafton, Griffith, Guyra, Kempsey, Kyogle, Moruya, Mudgee, Murwillumbah, Narrabri, Nyngan, Orange, Queanbeyan, Tamworth, Tumut, and Wagga Wagga.

Luke Jenner, General Manager Customer and Network Services, said the new apprentice intake includes 26 Powerline Workers and three Zone Substation Electrical Technicians.

“These new recruits will undertake a four-year program, combining formal training with on-the-job experience, covering all aspects of operating a modern electricity network,” he explained.

Eight Asset Inspection trainees are also commencing a 12-month training program with the business.

“This will be the third year for the program, with all trainees from last year’s program successfully moving into permanent Asset Inspection roles this year,” Luke stated.

In addition, Essential Energy’s Indigenous Pre-Employment Program has also recruited five Field Operations Trainees that will start at the same time as the apprentices.

“This program continues to provide a career pathway for Aboriginal an

d Torres Strait Islander men and women into the business and is one that I am really proud of, with two Trainees from this year’s program transitioning to Apprenticeships in 2021.”

Three engineering and one information technology graduates have also been recruited.

The new apprentices, trainees and graduates come from a diverse range of backgrounds, with almost 50 per cent of the new Apprentices and Trainees identifying with at least one diversity group, including 11 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and eight females.

“I’m thrilled to welcome these new colleagues to Essential Energy and wish them all the best in their new roles this year,” Luke said.

Essential Energy’s footprint covers 95 percent of NSW and traverses 737,000 square kilometres of landmass with 183,612 km of powerline, 163,417 of those in designated bushfire zones.

They build, operate and maintain one of Australia’s largest electricity distribution networks, servicing 865,000 customers across regional, rural and remote NSW and parts of Southern Queensland

The network has approximately 5.1 customers to each kilometre of powerline, which is almost one-tenth the customer density compared with our counterparts in NSW.

Essential Energy’s footprint also includes 1.38 million power poles, equating to nearly 1.6 power poles per customer.