Electrical power protection and plant commissioning engineer
Level 4 · HigherEngineering and manufacturing 3 yr typical
About this apprenticeship
What it involves
Electrical power protection and plant commissioning engineers ensure that the protective relay systems and high-voltage plant used in power stations, substations, and industrial facilities operate correctly and safely. You will test, commission, and maintain protection systems that prevent damage to the electricity network during faults. This highly specialist role is critical to power system reliability and offers routes into senior commissioning, engineering management, or consultancy.
On the job
What you’ll learn
Protection relay principles: overcurrent, differential, distance, and earth fault
High-voltage plant: transformers, circuit breakers, and switchgear operation
Commissioning test procedures for protection systems
IEC and BS EN protection and power system standards
Network safety rules, authorisation schemes, and permit-to-work systems
Power system fault analysis and protection coordination principles
SCADA and secondary control systems for power installations
On the job
What you’ll do day to day
Test and commission protection relays on new or refurbished plant
Carry out scheduled maintenance testing of protection equipment
Investigate protection relay operations following network faults
Work under authorisation and permit-to-work systems on live plant
Produce commissioning test certificates and technical records
Liaise with primary plant engineers and control room staff during testing
Programme and configure numeric protection relays using specialist software
The deal
How this apprenticeship works
You earn a wage from day one. You are a paid employee, not a student. There are no tuition fees - the training is funded by your employer and the government.
About 20% is “off-the-job” training. Roughly a day a week is spent learning away from your normal duties - at a college, training provider, or online - working towards a recognised qualification.
It ends with an end-point assessment (EPA). Near the end, an independent assessor checks you can do the job to the national standard - through tests, a project, a portfolio or an interview. Pass it and you are fully qualified.
How to get there
What you need to start
Level 4 (Higher) - roughly Foundation-degree level. Usually needs Level 3 (A-levels, a T-Level, or an Advanced apprenticeship) or relevant experience.
What’s next: Can lead to a Level 5/6 apprenticeship or a more senior role.
Entry requirements are set by each employer and can vary - always check the specific vacancy.
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What it’s really like
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