Steve works for Scottish & Southern at their Fiddlers Ferry Power Station in Chesire. He has been with the company since 1999 having started as a Mechanical Fitter and now has a more than varied role. We caught up with Steve to discuss his time to date with the company and how he came to be in his present role which sees him split his work between his original job while preparing to become the Internal Verifier for the Power Station.
What is your educational background?
I gained 7 O Levels at school before serving a 4 year mechanical Apprenticeship where I obtained an ONC and HNC in Mechanical Engineering from Carlett College in Merseyside. Due to the fact that there were no positions available at the time I obtained my HND IN Business Management.
How did you get into the industry?
I started my career with Colas as a Mechanical Supervisor and worked there for 8 years before moving to Fiddlers Ferry Power Station. I started my career here as a Mechanical Fitter back in 1999 carrying out planned and routine maintenance on conveyor systems as well as associated plant such as pumps, gearboxes for example.
How has your career developed since then?
Having participated in a number of training courses such as Fork Lift Truck, 25 Tonne Crane, Ladder inspector I was nominated for the position of being responsible for all fixed and mobile fire systems for the whole of the coal plant. My role involved firstly passing a course licensed by the FPA (Fire Protection Association) which you need in order to work on Fixed Fire Protection Systems.
In 2007 I became Fire Services Technician, responsible for all of the fixed fire systems within the Power Station. The role involved being personally responsible for fixing and resetting the systems while supervising the contractors working on the systems in the event of overhauls or upgrades etc.
In 2008 I was asked to become involved with the training of Apprenticeships on the Power Station. In order to carry out the assessment of NVQ Level 3 Mechanical Apprentices I enrolled on a City & Guilds course, acquiring the A1 certificate.
What does your current role involve?
I am currently completing my V1 Certificate which will lead to me becoming the Internal Verifier at the Power Station and I still have my responsibilities for fulfil on the Fire Systems
What do you enjoy most about the job?
I really enjoy the versatile nature of the role, working with a variety of plant and equipment. I also get a great sense of achievement helping the Apprentices develop their careers.
