It’s National Apprenticeship Week 2025, and apprentices are very much at the heart of our plans for the coming years. Learn more about what BayWa r.e. is doing in the UK to nurture sustainable careers.
Apprenticeships make a huge positive impact on the UK economy. Some sectors in particular always have a pressing need for fresh talent. Renewable energy is very much one of those, so the benefits apprentices bring are truly game-changing.
National Apprenticeship Week unites businesses nationwide in appreciation of these vital contributions. And 2025’s theme, Skills for Life, means this year is extra relevant to our work here at BayWa r.e. UK. We’re not only helping the environment, we’re also helping people futureproof their careers.
TJ Willett is our first ever technical operations management apprentice, currently a little over six months into his course. His is an unusual story; TJ had already been with BayWa r.e. for over two years before becoming an apprentice. We caught up with him, and Learning Development Manager, James Hunter, to hear more about his journey, and how apprenticeships fit into the bigger business picture.
First, why start an apprenticeship somewhere you’re already employed? As TJ explains, it gave him the best of two worlds: “Before joining BayWa r.e., I was doing on-site joinery. Then I came into the office here and I enjoyed it, but a part of me missed being on the tools. The apprenticeship opportunity lets me get out again, working with all sorts of people in all weathers. But there’s a clearer way to progress now; I’m already looking at being able to go into high-voltage engineering, for example.”
This really exemplifies how we structure our apprenticeships. Individuals can structure their learning, and indeed their whole careers, to be both personally and professionally rewarding. Why choose between an office job and a career in the field when you’ve got the skills for both?
So in practice, we make our apprenticeships as flexible as possible. We emphasise the value of self-directed learning, providing resources and virtual classes to back up practical on-the-job training. Monthly catchup calls with our Learning Development Manager, James Hunter, ensure everything stays on track. With one day per week spent in college, TJ also gets the benefits of a more structured learning environment when needed.
In total, TJ’s course will last anywhere between three and four years depending how fast he gets through the learning material. With a 10-month-old baby to care for, that scalability is hugely useful. Apprenticeships can fit around family life, as well as work.
Of course, apprenticeships need to be mutually beneficial arrangements to be sustainable, as James explains: “The business benefits for BayWa r.e. to run apprenticeships are significant, because we build courses around the skills the market needs right now: Skills for life.
“We know the renewable energy sector is experiencing a skills shortage. That’s not only a UK issue, it’s happening in virtually every market but apprenticeships give the UK a potential advantage. We can attract, nurture, and hopefully retain people with futureproof skillsets. People from diverse backgrounds who can help us see things from every possible angle.
“Renewables aren’t going anywhere, and neither is our planet. There will always be opportunities to drive the conversation around sustainability. As industry leaders, it’s on us to create enough pathways into our sector so young people can seize those opportunities.”
Ultimately, the goal is for apprentices to stay with BayWa r.e. for as long as possible. But even if their professional journeys take them elsewhere, we know we’ve done our part to nourish the renewables industry and nurture the apprentices on the programme.
As TJ puts it, “You always know the support is there, I see it every day. You feel like one of the team. I have daily catchups with my manager, Johnny, he actually used to play professional rugby before moving into renewables. You don’t just meet people from the standard electrical backgrounds. There’s a real mix, and I get to shadow them and learn how to do things the right way.”
When TJ’s course is complete, he’ll have his installation and maintenance electrician Level 3 apprenticeship qualification. He’ll also have a range of academic qualifications, professional licenses, and internal certifications. But perhaps equally useful will be the working knowledge he’s acquired of emerging and rapidly advancing renewable energy technologies.
“And on BayWa r.e.’s side, we’ll have an established colleague with an expanded skillset of directly relevant expertise,” comments James. “Someone we know and trust, someone who already has a relationship with our clients and customers. That’s the real value of embedding apprenticeships into core business processes.”
So, what advice would TJ have for someone wanting to follow in his footsteps? “Remember that every day will be different. Some days get spent mostly on driving; I’m based just outside Shrewsbury but I can end up driving to Anglesey, which is about a five-hour round trip.
“Other days I’m on site all day covering string repair or HV maintenance. Some days I’m in college. You’ve got to really love this; it’s not just another job. You’ve got to want to get into renewables for the right reasons. If that’s you, then this is a career that can set you up for life.”
