Energy & Utility Skills (EUS) has announced Hannah Moseley-Brown, our Health & Safety Apprentice, has been selected as a finalist in the Gas Industry Apprentice of the Year category at its annual awards.
EUS, which is the leading body that identifies and addresses the skills challenges our sector faces, will host the awards following its annual conference in the autumn. Last year, SGN CEO Mark Wild OBE was appointed chair of the Energy & Utility Skills Partnership.
Hannah joined us in October 2022 and has quickly made a difference by working with our suppliers to introduce better fitting personal protective equipment (PPE) for our female colleagues. Thanks to Hannah’s work, we’ve also introduced a maternity range of PPE into the business and she’s started a fit trial for a fire and electric shock proof hijab, as well as starting conversations about PPE for our transgender colleagues and making PPE accessible to all races and genders.
She was awarded a distinction for her external apprenticeship and has also been successfully working through an internal health and safety apprenticeship programme, learning about the engineering and procedures that go into maintaining a gas network.
Hannah said: “I was a little dubious at first about joining as an apprentice at 29 as I felt I was ‘too old’, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I would urge anyone considering a job in health and safety or an apprenticeship to go for it – I’ve learned so much and my confidence has grown considerably.
“I feel most proud when I do the school run in my hi-vis PPE (usually with my make-up on and nails done) and see all the children see a woman who works in the construction industry. When I was younger, I didn’t see many women in roles other than in offices or healthcare – it’s really nice to think that younger generations can have a visible woman in PPE, being a mum, having learned new skills and be inspired to think that it’s something they could do too!”
Grant Taylor, Health & Safety Apprentice Programme Manager at SGN, said: “Hannah has provided a breath of fresh air to our team since joining in October 2022. Her attitude and desire to learn has developed her into a strong person, able to deal with the many situations and conversations that health and safety professionals support daily. Her initiative and hard work has been truly groundbreaking for us and is transforming the way we work. It’s been a joy to support Hannah in developing her knowledge and skills at the start of her career. She’s a real asset to SGN and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for her.”
Winners will be announced on 10 September 2024 in Birmingham, where Hannah will also be in consideration for the ‘Helen Hawkins – Apprentice of the Year’ award if she wins the gas industry category.
