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WUN's mission is to help women to connect with other women, so they can share learnings, build confidence, and develop their own passion for the fast moving utilities space. Through our podcast episodes, we aim to provide our listeners with the skills they need to build long-lasting and fulfilling careers in the sector.
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WUN4ALL
Ep 87 Apprenticeships with Matilda Gent, National Gas & Aimee Konieczny, WUN Advocate
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In this latest WUN podcast, WUN Advocate Aimee Konieczny chats with Matilda Gent, about her experience as a Mechanical Apprentice with National Gas.
Matilda Gent, is a 17-year-old Mechanical Apprentice at National Gas based at Bacton Gas Terminal, Norfolk. She is currently working towards her Level 3 Multi-Skilled Technician qualification, gaining hands-on experience while developing my engineering skills. She is passionate about STEM and dedicated to inspiring young people to pursue careers they are passionate about.
Matilda has delivered presentations to employers about the value of apprenticeships and shared her experiences through interviews with Insight Energy Magazine, the Eastern Daily Press, and appearances on BBC and ITV News. Through her journey, she hopes to encourage others to explore opportunities and build fulfilling careers in STEM.
Welcome to the Women's Utilities Network One for all podcast. Our corner of the world, where we'll be talking all things energy, water, sharing personal stories and debating female issues. Enjoy.
Speaker B:Welcome to the latest Women's Utilities Network podcast, where I'm going to be your host. I'm Amy Knech, the commercial director at Indigo Swan and one advocate, and I am joined by by the wonderful Matilda from National Gas. Hi, Matilda.
Speaker C:Hiya.
Speaker B:And we're going to be talking about apprenticeship and how you got into becoming a gas engineer. Is that right? I think that's where we're aiming for.
Speaker C:Yeah. I'm a mechanical technician.
Speaker B:Amazing. A mechanical technician and a gas engineer. That is fab. It's something you won't be able to see because this podcast is voice only, but Matilda's very, very young. How old are you today, Matilda?
Speaker C:I'm 17 years old.
Speaker B:That's fab. And to go into, like, utilities, it's something that not a lot of young people actually kind of think about going into. But how did you even find this role and what got you into utilities?
Speaker C:It started off with me not being able to cope with traditional school settings and sitting down and learning that way. And so I joined an engineering school in year 10, so I was able to do two engineering courses alongside in my GCSEs. And that's when I really realised that, like, I enjoyed doing practical work. And so in year 10, I did work experience at Bacton Gas site as I used to live in Bacton, and I drove past it and always wondered what went on there. So I did my working experience there and I really enjoyed it and realized that that was what I wanted to do. So on my last day, I went to go see the terminal manager and he told me to apply for the apprenticeship. So the next year I applied for the apprenticeship, hoping I was able to secure myself a spot.
Speaker B:That's fantastic. And well done, you for being like, so brave and so on it and just going, do you know what? That's a place I'm going to work and really going for it.
Speaker C:I think it's definitely a lot harder than I thought it was going to be, but I'm so glad I did do it.
Speaker B:Yeah, that's fantastic. So, just to recap, the Bacton gas terminal is sort of the main point of entry to the UK for gas from Europe, isn't it? Bringing everything across to UK market. So it's a really, really important piece of infrastructure and you get to do this amazing apprenticeship route. So tell us, you know you're working at a piece of nationally significant site. What would a typical day look like for you at Bacton? What have you done today? Monday. What does a Monday look like for you today?
Speaker C:I have been prepping for filter vessel removal and reinstallment. So tomorrow we will be opening up the pipe work and replacing all the valves, cleaning all the seals and then shutting them back up before then having to bring them up slowly and leak, checking everything and finally you'll have brand new and then you can you are able to de isolate it.
Speaker B:Wow. It just is amazing. And as part of your apprenticeship do you still have to do sort of study days? Is there still, you know, sort of classroom things as well as being hands on and practical? What does that side of of a day look like for you?
Speaker C:So for me I was able to do 20 weeks straight after I joined my apprenticeship of just pure college which allowed me to down my college time to I think two and a half, three years. So now after that 20 weeks I'm just going in on a Wednesday.
Speaker B:So one day a week, that's fantastic. And if you know, traditional education wasn't the route that was going to suit you, probably doing one day a week is quite nice, isn't it? Because you get to do four days a week of actual on site stuff.
Speaker C:I think doing one day a week is so much better. However, I think the learning that I am doing I'm finding a lot more interesting as it is something that I want to do and something that I need to do to be able to do something that I love. So it's more interesting and that's something I aspire to be. So I need to be able to do this.
Speaker B:Yeah. Learning maths and physics in a classroom based setting is completely different, isn't it to when you're actually out looking at pipe diameters and actually working out tensile strength of materials and stuff. Like it's a very different set of skills. Isn't it so great that you've been able to do that? I imagine working on a site like Baxter is going to have quite a few surprises. What do you think has been the biggest kind of surprise or thing that you were least expecting since you've been doing your apprenticeship over there?
Speaker C:I think the thing that surprised me the most was realizing actually how much pressure everything is under and how much 60 bars, 80 bars actually is if you think about it, when you're letting out a little bit and it's only a couple bar and then realizing that you've got however many times that Amount actually going through the pipe work and realizing that can actually be very dangerous and that it is something you need to take very seriously and that is a very important infrastructure to upkeep.
Speaker B:Yeah, because I think that's a really good point as well, isn't it? Because I think when you think about electricity infrastructure and you talk about the tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of volts going through the overhead and what comes out of your plug sockets, like 230v. Quite like that in gas, isn't it? You've got massive, massive pipes coming in and then how do you regulate it around the site? I think, yeah, gas pressure is definitely something that most people wouldn't even think about, would they, day to day.
Speaker C:I think that's a. The same with electricity. I would, I don't think about it as much beforehand that how much there is, how many volts are going through something and how dangerous it actually is. You don't think about it until you're doing it and you're in the industries.
Speaker B:Yeah, absolutely. I think for the most part the general public wouldn't get it. They'd understand that gas is dangerous, you know, smell gas, you report it. But actually those pressures and the volumes and if you get one of your calculations wrong, then that can result in quite a big situation, wouldn't it? So in terms of your apprenticeship or what you've been learning at college, what do you think has been the thing that has built your confidence up the most so far?
Speaker C:I think going off of on a very different route. I've been able to do a MOE course that includes electrical mechanical welding, business improvements and a lot of work as well. Now I think the thing that built my confidence the most was welding as I'm. I have a fear of fire, so being able to weld and do all that and I, I actually really enjoyed it and that was something I found a good passion in and I'd love to be able to do like on the side at home. Yeah, I did really enjoy welding and I think that brought my confidence up because I didn't think I'd be very good at it and I was also terrified of it. But I realized that I was the best out of the class and that I found it fun instead of terrifying anymore. So I think that was definitely a thing.
Speaker B:Oh, well done you. I think there's always a lot to be said when you've developed a skill and you've gone in and you've really pushed outside your comfort zone. That's something that so many people that so many women that listen to the podcast, they go, oh gosh, I just don't have that bravery to push outside my comfort zone. So it's fantastic to hear that that's already an attribute that you've got and long may that continue. It's always just say yes, isn't it? Just grab every opportunity and just go with it. That's fantastic. Were you the only. You said you're the best in the class in your world. In class we're the only woman in the class. Have you got a bit of a mix up? It must be pretty male dominated. I'd imagine so.
Speaker C:Our classes are very small. I think mine is eight people, including myself. I'm the only in that class. I think there were two others in the college on different like days than me, but I think there were only two others before I joined. But now we've got a few more girls joining, which is very good. And there's two that are in one group now, so that's exciting to see more women coming in.
Speaker B:And do you think your skills, why do you think you became the best welder in that class? Do you think that you tend to outperform your peer group? Do you think there's anything that you're doing differently or do you think your outlook on things is different and helping push you forward?
Speaker C:I think mostly what motivates me is I want to be better than the boys. Yeah. I want to make sure that I'm proving myself. Not that I have to, but being able to prove that a girl can be just as good or better at something. And I think welding, as my tutor had said, my welding tutor had said, women find it a bit more, bit easier to do because we're used to multitasking and doing a lot more at the same time. Thinking about a lot of things at once, which I found really interesting. But I think I crack down and I'm able to focus a lot of the time. I'm not always top of the class and I don't. I think that's a really good as well because it pushes me to keep being better and keep pushing myself. And I think that's really good.
Speaker B:Yeah, that's fantastic. Do you know what I'm. I'm thinking maybe I could become a welder. Maybe that's a skill that I need to do. I think not enough people, well, not enough people have the opportunity to learn those kind of practical daily things. And if you're saying, you know, you might want to do some welding on the side as well, that's. That's a fantastic kind of extra hobby to have, isn't it?
Speaker C:It is amazing being able to go in and try something new, even though I was terrified. I think it is good to be able to push yourself and feel that you can push yourself with the right support around you.
Speaker B:Yeah, absolutely. So talk to us a bit about that support then. So I assume you've. You've got a mentor at National Gas. I know we're going to come up to, to talk about Eager. That's the east of England Energy Group in. In a few questions time. But what does support look like? Have you got, you know, tutors, family, people that are pushing you to kind of do this apprenticeship the best you can?
Speaker C:My family are absolutely amazing and they always support me and making sure that I'm pushing myself, but not pushing myself too hard and trying to strive for too much perfection that also can damage you in some ways. Tutors at college are always supporting me. They have from day one to make sure that I'm okay because not only was I the youngest, I was also the only girl. So they wanted to make sure that I had the right support. And around me at National Gas, I do have a mentor. However, I think everyone there has been amazing and supporting me in any way. I don't feel that I need to go to a single person. I can choose anyone and they'll listen to me and they'll help me in any way they can.
Speaker B:That's fantastic. Yeah. A couple of. I'm not even sure when that would be now. Probably a couple of months ago, I saw that you had a fantastic opportunity to go down to the Houses of Parliament with iga. Tell us about that. How did that opportunity come about? What was the day like? What did that involve for you?
Speaker C:So the opportunity was asked of me as they wanted some inspirational people coming from Reagan College, and I was picked to be one of those, which was amazing in itself. The day started off, we traveled up on the trains together and me and Brandon were practicing our speeches in front of everyone. Not only the people that we were there with, but everyone else on the train.
Speaker B:Brilliant. Yes. Live performance.
Speaker C:YouTube got a few extra claps from just passerbys and then we made it there. We were able to have a look at the stage before we went on and then everyone started crowding in and I was thinking, oh, dear, there's a lot of people here and I've got to speak in front of all of them and I've got to come right after all these amazing speakers that I've already heard at different places. So I went up thinking, okay, this is gonna. This is gonna happen. So I did it. I thought I'd done it terribly, thought I'd done it horribly. But after I came off and everyone clapped me, I was like, maybe, maybe it wasn't so. And I listened back and saw back, and I thought, oh, I think I was just terrified. But it went really well. And before that. Sorry, I forgot. Before that, we got interviewed by some TV companies. I can't remember exactly.
Speaker B:I think ITV did one of their interviews with you, didn't they? ITV were there, I think, yes.
Speaker C:We were cut out of the end after an incident happened in London. But we had done it, which was amazing. And I had done that previously. An interview over at Parenco. Yeah, the eager as well, which was amazing. Just talking about my experience once again and hopefully inspiring other women, girls, young people, anyone, to come join the industry and make sure that they realize that is something that everyone can do.
Speaker B:Yeah, absolutely. So you. You talk about being an inspiration for other young women, but young people in. In general, have you got any tips or anything to share with those young women? Primarily, you might be a little bit anxious, unsure about whether a technical apprenticeship or working in utilities or working in gas, whether that's the right kind of role for them. Have you got any tips or advice for them?
Speaker C:I think if you know that you're into something more practical, then you just need to make sure that you don't limit yourself on anything. I was terrified when I started. I left school, and I barely spoke in school. I didn't like putting my hand up. I didn't like speaking in front of people. So doing all these things has been terrifying for me. But I think just pushing yourself and making sure that you push yourself out of your comfort zone enough to be able to push yourself forward and do things that are helping you.
Speaker B:Yeah, that's fantastic. It's that. It's that element of bravery, isn't it? And I think a lot of people, it's scary to be brave. And sometimes you do just have to go, oh, gosh, no, I want to do this. And almost force yourself into that position, don't you? That first day, either getting in the car or getting on the bus and going to college that first time, and then you realize it's not quite that scary anymore.
Speaker C:There's definitely the hardest to do. Do that first push every time, even after I've spoken in front of people, speaking again is horrible. But you've just got to know I have done it before, I can do it again.
Speaker B:Absolutely. And you're doing fabulously, so that. That's brilliant. So, just on that parliamentary experience you mentioned, you know, there was a. An incident there and as there often is at Parliament Square, and, and there's people and there's protesters and there's all sorts of people, especially in our industry, people complaining about oil, gas, nuclear, fossil fuels. People don't always like the industry that we're in. What did you take away from the experience of being down at the Houses of Parliament with other people in our sector? How did you come away feeling from that?
Speaker C:I think I came away feeling a lot happier because you realize that there is a lot of people out there doing it and a lot of support around you, no matter whether it's in your company, other people, different support systems, everyone is there to help each other. And not only is it just that people think it is bad being in this kind of industry, it's the way that we keep the country running at the moment. There's so many different ways that we're all developing to try and find a way to have a greener to support the country. However, it's not happened at this current moment. So being able to support the country is amazing. And I'm also being able to be in the future of it as well. I'm going to be here for the development and I'm there to see the whole way through.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's such an exciting time to be in the utility space. And I think anyone that's looking at, oh, what career path should I follow? What sector should I follow? Utilities is so broad. Electricity and gas and renewables and nuclear, you can do literally anything like it is just amazing. And when you think about your future, I mean, you've touched on it there and we've obviously talked about welding and things like that. But what does your future look like? What kind of path are you envisaging your career is going to take right now?
Speaker C:I honestly have no idea. There are a few things that I think about and I'm like, oh, maybe I could do this. And the next day I change it. I definitely want to make sure I keep doing something to benefit others as well. I really enjoy being able to help others around me. And because I've had a lot of help of people that are older than me and there to support me, I think I'd love to be able to do something along those lines, either alongside my job or being that as my job.
Speaker B:That's fab. I think that Helping others piece. We, I think. I mean, I'm a lot older than you, Matilda, but I think. I think we lost our way a little bit over the last sort of 20 years or so with helping others and moving to a society that maybe became a little bit selfish. But what's really great to see is your generation and other young people coming through, really refocusing on that people aspect and helping others and actually, you know, having a career that develops and yeah, if you can help other young people get into this industry, then fantastic. I will assume, at least until the end of your apprenticeship that you'll be staying in this sector, you'll be focusing on gas a little while. What is it that excites you the most about staying in this field right now?
Speaker C:I think all the development that is going on behind the scenes that not everyone sees and all the different plans that are in place and all the different tests that are being done to see what we can develop and see how we can keep the country running, but. But on a different kind of support, I guess.
Speaker B:Yeah, I think there is a lot of. There's a lot of change coming up, isn't there? There's a lot of opportunity, as you've already sort of said, in lots of different sectors and things. And you'll have so many transferable skills now, won't you, from having such a technical apprenticeship, which will be fantastic. So, yeah, long may you stay in the sector. Long may you stay in Utilities. I think that's great. For anyone that's listening that might be on the fence about joining Utilities. Perhaps they're school leavers, perhaps they're finishing an apprenticeship. Perhaps it's university, perhaps it's people returning after a career break. What would your kind of thoughts to them be? What would you say to somebody who's considering this sector for their. For their career?
Speaker C:I think people forget that there are so many different jobs, so many different roles and responsibilities within the utility sector. You don't have to be doing something like I am, practical. You can be doing something at the computer, design, work and project. When you're working with other people to make a massive project happen, there's honestly so many different roles to go into and it's definitely something to look into.
Speaker B:Yeah, massively. You know, I was fortunate enough to deliver a speech to some school kids. They were year seven. Can you imagine? There was like 130 of them. That was a challenge. But even just bringing to their attention, if you like English, you could be a proposal writer. If you're good at maths you can do your technical side of things if you're more creative. You could work in marketing, as roles in hr, finance. There's all sorts of things in utilities that I think people forget about. You're absolutely right to flag that there is that technical side of things. But yeah, there's just literally any career you want to do, you can attach it to utilities and have a great time with it, which is fabulous. And finally, you are still young. But what would 17 year old Matilda go back and say to maybe 10 year old Matilda? What, what would be that piece of advice that, that you'd go back and
Speaker C:say be brave, always be bold and stay true to yourself.
Speaker B:What a fantastic note to end on. Be brave, be bold and be true to yourself. I think that is advice that lots of our listeners today can, can take away and, and really focus on not just, you know, for their young, for their, their future careers as well. Thank you, Matilda. That has been really, really fun. I've enjoyed chatting to you and learning all about your, your role at National Gas. I think it's fab and you're definitely going to be one to watch out for. So keep tracking your career progress and keep getting on TV and keep speaking to Parliament because you're going to be an absolute superstar. So thank you for joining us today. If you've enjoyed listening to our podcast, you can listen to our other Women's Utilities Network podcast either on our website site or wherever you get your normal podcast listens from. So thank you for joining me and thank you for joining Matilda today. And we hope that you will listen to a future podcast that we put out as well. Thanks ever so much,
Speaker C:Sam.