RWE’s Will Sealey on the opportunities in the energy sector
The original article can be viewed here: https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/25235445.rwes-will-sealey-opportunities-energy-sector/
Will Sealey, community liaison officer for RWE’s Vanguard West, East and Boreas Offshore Wind Farms, discusses the breadth of opportunities in East Anglia’s energy sector for the next generation, while sharing his own journey into the industry.
Growing up in East Anglia, I’ve spent my whole life surrounded by the clean energy industry, seeing fields of solar and onshore wind around Cambridge, Sizewell on the Suffolk coast and turbines out to sea all along the Suffolk and Norfolk Coast.
I chose to study here in Norwich at the University of East Anglia, and when the opportunity came for me to choose my modules on my BSc geography degree, I naturally focused on those related to energy and climate change. UEA is globally renowned for its climate research, which goes on to inform policy decisions and influence industry like the energy sector.
UEA has produced home-grown talent that remains in our sector and region.
My colleagues Aitana Ramon Guillena and Matt Keal were engineering students who took ‘Year in Industry’ placements working for multi-national offshore wind developers with local projects. They went on to secure permanent positions and are now with RWE.
I took a slightly different approach, joining Vattenfall as a higher-level apprentice while completing a masters in climate change.
The Vanguard West, East and Boreas offshore wind projects, now owned by RWE, first caught my attention when I took part in a 3D virtual reality (3DVR) wind farm design workshop as a uni student, an activity which I now deliver as part of my role at RWE.
This programme has also inspired several others over the years, for example Jovita Beeston, Bailey Woolston and Mike Denby, who came from University Technical College Norfolk (UTCN) and have gone on to complete degree-level apprenticeships and are now working as technicians, keeping RWE’s and Scottish Power’s offshore turbines spinning.
Sasha Knight, a current T Level student, has completed a plethora of work experiences and an Ogden Trust internship with us and other developers. She is now in the process of applying to RWE’s turbine technician programme, following in the footsteps of the aforementioned UTCN alumni.
Young people in East Anglia often believe they have to leave for London to find exciting careers. In reality, there are incredible and long-lasting opportunities growing here on their doorsteps.
The energy sector is helping to reverse this ‘brain drain’ of skilled and educated individuals leaving the region; with world-leading offshore wind projects and multi-national developers investing billions off our coast, and in the facilities ashore needed to maintain their offshore powerhouses.
EastWind estimate that 90% of UK homes will be powered by fossil-free generation from the east by 2030, with half of this coming from offshore wind.
Those mentioned here – and I – hope our journeys can inspire the next generation to become part of this green growth in East Anglia. They show that it is never ‘just a workshop’ or ‘just a placement’; these opportunities, no matter how big or small, are chances to connect with the people and teams driving some of the world’s largest clean energy projects.
Whether individuals then go on to complete degrees, apprenticeships, or a combination of both, we are hugely fortunate to live in a region that is home to world-class facilities, organisations and a sea of opportunities.