Braidon Nurse, wind turbine technician apprentice with SSE Renewables, explains how he secured his role – and the long-term appeal of working in the green energy sector
People always ask what it’s like being at the top of a 100-metre-high wind turbine. It does make your legs go a bit funny when you look over the top. But before I started as a wind turbine technician apprentice with SSE Renewables last year, I was more worried about being sick on the two-hour boat journey you have to take to reach the Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm, 12 miles off the coast of Suffolk.
I grew up locally and did well in my science GCSEs before opting to take a level 3 BTec diploma course in maintenance engineering at East Coast College in Lowestoft. I already had some practical skills and was interested in learning more about electrical systems. Towards the end of the course, I started looking into apprenticeships. I wanted to earn money while I continued studying, rather than building up debt. A lot of my dad’s friends worked in the offshore oil industry, and I liked the sound of working outside, being busy and keeping on my feet. I’m not sure how I’d cope being stuck in an office all day. Everyone I spoke to said the same thing: oil is dead, renewables are the future.
