Powering the Green Future: Coleg Llandrillo and RWE Celebrate 14 years of Apprentice Success

Family, friends, college staff and colleagues from RWE came from all over the UK to celebrate the achievements of 27 Apprentice Offshore Wind Turbine Technicians heading into the field.

Coleg Llandrillo and RWE recently marked 14 years of collaboration in training Offshore Wind Turbine Technicians from across the UK with an award ceremony for the cohort of 2024-26. 

The apprentices attended the event to acknowledge the end of their first two years of full-time training in the college’s bespoke Wind Turbine Training Centre at the Rhyl campus. 

Family, friends, college staff and colleagues from RWE travelled to Rhyl from all around the UK to join the apprentices to celebrate and acknowledge their exceptional achievements, with one friend travelling from Toulouse, France, to be part of the occasion. Each apprentice has grown in confidence and developed a high level of skills over their two years at college, learning from tutors and supported by fellow apprentices. 

“If I had to sum up the last two years in one word, it would have to be development,” said Jessica Wall, who was awarded Apprentice of the Year at the event. “Living away from home, support from the college and pushing myself into a subject I had no prior experience in has really felt like a period of growth unlike any other.”

The two years of comprehensive training at Coleg Llandrillo has prepared the apprentices with the skills and behaviours needed to start servicing offshore wind turbines in the third year of their programme. The training they have received also supports Wales and the UK in meeting the growing requirement of a green-skills workforce.

“I will be completing my year in industry at Humber Gateway,” continued Jessica. “I am looking forward to getting out there and getting to know the team.”

Coleg Llandrillo Principal Paul Flanagan told the students:

“Today is all about recognising the commitment, hard work, and achievements of you all – 27 fantastic RWE apprentices. Celebrating your success is one of the best parts of my job as college principal.”

Paul ended his speech by highlighting the importance of partnerships such as RWE, and the significance of their apprenticeship programme in inspiring young people from the community.

“Today is about pride,” he said. “Pride in what you, the apprentices, have achieved; pride in the teaching and support teams; pride in the partnership with RWE; and pride in what this centre signifies: a place where world-class energy training takes place, here in Rhyl.”

Apprenticeship Lead & Wind Turbine Lecturer Phil Hughes said:

“It’s great to see the apprentices celebrating their time at college with such positivity. Their words of thanks and appreciation for the teaching team are the most rewarding part of the job.”

Paul Flanagan added:

“This programme is a model of success. Apprentices come here from across the UK, working together as one team, and the results speak for themselves.

“We are excited to have launched a new RWE-Nordex sponsored course this March with 8 students mirroring the knowledge and skills developed by the RWE Apprentices. This further enhances the impact of our partnership with RWE, not only for learners but also for our communities.”

RWE Apprenticeship Manager Luke Skeffington said:

“A world-leading apprenticeship has been achieved in Rhyl, benefitting the company and wider community.

“The Apprenticeship programme develops professional skills in addition to academic qualifications and has developed a UK wide team of RWE technicians. The team spirit was clear to see through the demonstration of comradery and friendship on this day of celebration.”

The team culture that has developed within the Engineering department at Rhyl has also resulted in multiple learners and apprentices putting themselves forward to become WelshSkills and WorldSkillsUK competitors. 

Paul Flanagan said:

“Madeleine Warburton is a third year RWE apprentice now working on the Sofia Wind Farm in Grimsby and representing the UK on the world stage in Shanghai, in September, at the WorldSkills competition – the Olympics for vocational skills. A fantastic achievement and testament to her apprenticeship training and her personal desire to achieve excellence.”