More people than ever before are looking to kickstart their careers in the energy industry, with ScottishPower receiving a record-breaking number of applications for its 2026 apprenticeship programme.
The green energy company has received more than 6,000 applications for the 150 roles on offer across its businesses – including SP Energy Networks and SP Electricity North West – with opportunities available from Annan to Anglesey, Motherwell to Manchester, and Stirling to Stockport. The level of interest – a 25% increase on 2025 – reflects the diversity and variety of the apprenticeships available across ScottishPower as it takes forward its £24 billion investment programme to rewire the grid and build more clean power, expanding the workforce from 6,500 to 11,000 by 2030. Roles include data science, engineering, fitting, jointing, logistics, overhead lines, project management and software engineering.
Sarah McNulty, ScottishPower’s UK People Director, said: “We’ve been blown away by the response to this year’s apprenticeship programme, which confirms what we’ve always known – that the energy industry is the place to be.
“It’s also testament to the success of the thousands of apprentices who have come before and progressed into long-term careers across our different businesses. Our apprenticeship programme has gone from strength to strength in recent years, more than trebling the apprenticeship routes on offer as we build the workforce for a clean energy future. We’ve also extended the opportunities available from the more traditional ‘hard hat, hi vis’ engineering roles to the tech and commercial skills needed today.
“It’s a really exciting time to join the energy industry and our apprenticeship programme is just one way we’re building careers, shaping futures, and creating a legacy that we will all benefit from for years to come. Good luck to all our applicants.” More than 450 apprentices are currently working across ScottishPower and looking forward to welcoming the new cohort later this year.
Robyn McKenzie (23) from Edinburgh is a recent project management apprenticeship with SP Energy Networks where she worked on everything from operational projects to the company’s £12 billion transmission investment plan. She said: “I’ve had such amazing opportunities throughout my apprenticeship, and the culture of the business has always been supportive and development-focused.
“This programme has given me exposure, knowledge and strategic insight I’d never have gained in a standard role, so it’s no surprise so many people want to get involved.” Erin Lovett (22) from Wrexham is a first-year logistics apprentice – and a semi-professional player with Wrexham AFC Women. In her ScottishPower role, she is learning how to manage stores and resources to ensure engineers have the right equipment when needed so they can get to work immediately in the event of a power cut.
She said: “This is such a brilliant programme that allows you to earn a good salary while you learn.
“The people and opportunities really stand out, alongside a strong and supportive network. I can already see that ScottishPower is somewhere to build and make your career and will offer so many chances to go anywhere and do anything. I’m really excited to be here.”
Chloe Winder (27) from Preston is due to complete her two-year cybersecurity technologist apprenticeship in mid-2026. Chloe is part of the cybersecurity engineering team at SP Electricity North West, helping to configure, manage and monitor the deployed security tooling across the network. She said: "My apprenticeship has given me hands‑on skills in a culture that supports growth and learning.
“It has opened doors to meaningful opportunities, from contributing to live security work to exploring different specialisms, while steadily growing both my technical knowledge and the confidence I need to thrive in cybersecurity."
