Drax 2024 Work Experience
Location: Drax Power Station, New Road, Selby, North Yorkshire, Y08 8PH
Dates: two dates available: 1-5th July and 22-26th July (only available on these dates)
Closing date – 8/01/2024

At Drax, work experience is all about discovering the ins and outs of the working world. It's an incredible chance for you to gain valuable experience and add some impressive skills to your CV! This way, you'll have the opportunity to get an idea of the various roles available and what it's really like to work here at Drax. We totally get it - choosing a career path can be overwhelming with so many options out there. But fear not, we're here to help you navigate through the exciting world of work!

What will you do?

If successful, you’ll be offered a five-day placement at the location above. The week will mostly consist of time in your placement team, though we’ll weave in an induction to get you started, a short project to work on with others and some careers skills workshops. On the Friday you’ll have the chance to do a mock interview with your manager and present your project to the work experience team and get feedback. Finally on successful completion of the week you’ll be awarded a £100 bursary and a certificate.

At the Drax Power Station site in Selby, we have two weeks we’re offering placement opportunities. Please apply for the week that bests suits you. Wherever we’ve put a ‘*’ next to the position, this means there are paid apprenticeship opportunities here starting August 2024:

Week 1 option 1st to 5th of July 2024

• Cyber Security (1)* where you’ll learn about the Security enterprise which is physical security (camera analytics), cyber security (attack and defence), information security (risk analysis) and business resilience (crisis management). This team are responsible for helping to build our defence against modern day technology threats, and would suit anyone with a mature outlook, and interest in technology and STEM.
• Logistics, planning or fuel quality (2) team placements. There are two placements available in this team, one is centred on the physical logistics operations of our rail and planning functions. The second is in our fuel quality team that would benefit anyone pursuing a career in the sciences. There may be some off site travel and this is ideal for anyone who is Year 12-13 though not limited to!
• Community and education (1) based placement, where you’ll get involved in a number of projects based around science, educational outreach, community and stakeholder relations. This team is all about inspiring STEM, engineering and technology with our younger generations. If you’re passionate about STEM and community / engaging others then this could be a great placement for you.
• IT applications support (2) where you’ll be learning basic app support skills, how our internal management systems work and what a Product and a business relationship manager does. This is a technology and IT focused placement, perfect for someone who’s interested to learn about IT.
• Generation portfolio office (2) where you’ll engage in a variety of activities for our Operations, maintenance, and engineering Teams. You will attend meetings, review project risks, develop plans and timelines, meet with key stakeholders and produce project reports. If you like working alongside people, want to learn more about what’s going on at our plant, like solving problems and are super organised we'd love to have you with us for the week!
• Trading and optimisation (1) this is a great placement for anyone who enjoys maths and might want a future in science or engineering. Our trading team is a great place to analyse information, optimise operations and work closely with traders. You’ll also do a small data driven project involving Power BI dashboards and analysis.

Week 2 option 22nd to 26th July 2024

• Maintenance contracts and coordination* (1), you’ll engage with contractors and work with them on a small task. You’ll spend some time in our warehouse to understand the maintenance responsibilities in the plant. This is perfect for someone who’s really interested in seeing the workings on a power station and getting some experience on plant.
• Strategy, Markets, and transitions (1) placement, to learn about the energy and carbon transition. This would suit someone who is numerate with good attention to detail, but also able to see the bigger picture! If you have an interest in STEM subjects, or climate change/engineering this is for you.
• Community and education (1) based placement, where you’ll get involved in a number of projects based around science, educational outreach, community and stakeholder relations. This team is all about inspiring STEM, engineering and technology with our younger generations. If you’re passionate about STEM and community / engaging others then this could be a great placement for you.
• Capital Projects (2) Explore diverse career paths in engineering. This opportunity will provide valuable insights into the distinct differences between engineering fields. During the week, you will complete a task using Microsoft Office applications that heavily relies on analytical and organizational skills, making it an ideal experience for those with a focus on STEM disciplines.
• Turbine engineering (1) this is a great placement for anyone eager to explore the world of energy, science and engineering. You’ll gain hands on experience working closely with the steam and gas turbine plant areas. You’ll also work with our generation operations, electrical engineering and maintenance teams.
• Safety and occupational hygiene (1), this is a unique opportunity for a motivated student interested in science to learn valuable skills in the field of occupational hygiene. Responsibilities will include assisting with sampling and testing programs, gaining hands-on experience in various scientific disciplines, and supporting the team in ensuring the safety and well-being of all employees at Drax through data-driven advice and control measures.
• Trading and optimisation (1) this is a great placement for anyone who enjoys maths and might want a future in science or engineering. Our trading team is a great place to analyse information, optimise operations and work closely with traders. You’ll also do a small data driven project involving Power BI dashboards and analysis.
• Business ethics and Wholesale market compliance (1) Discover the world of corporate and energy-related laws and regulations. You'll have the opportunity to gain insight into our compliance programs, ensuring Drax's adherence to essential regulations. You may also interact with our Technology, Trading, and Engineering teams, potentially getting involved in analytics, systems, and projects, making this an ideal experience for students interested in law, technology, maths, or engineering.
• Trading and commodity risk (1) Embark on a unique learning experience at Drax Power Station by gaining insight into the world of energy trading. You will delve into the intricacies of the Drax Trading business and its role in powering the UK. You’ll get the chance to develop or enhance a risk assessment model, offering hands-on exposure to mathematics and programming in a real-world setting.

How do I apply?

We believe it's important for you to truly experience what work is like, and the first step in that process is the application.

First we’ll ask you to complete a short form asking for some basic information. This form allows us to review all applications consistently and fairly.

Secondly we’re going to get you to do a short video for us. We will ask you three questions, and you will record your answers to these no longer than 2 minutes each. We’re doing this because we want to get to know the real you, your background and your passions. There will be a link to the video portal, SOVA, and clear instructions on the platform to set you up for success. To be best prepared, the three questions are as follows:

1. Let us know why you have chosen Drax, and what you hope to gain from this work experience?
2. If you're at school, what subjects do you most enjoy and are passionate about? If you’re not at school currently, what do you enjoy learning about?
3. Please tell us if you've done any previous work or had experience supporting & working with others outside of school e.g. volunteering? - don't forget about your transferable skills!

When you get to the SOVA platform, there will be one practice video and then the three real questions will follow. The real questions start within 60 seconds of completing the video, so please wait until you’re ready to record before selecting the ‘Video interview’ button. Ultimately, we want you to speak into the camera, and be yourself, as much as possible. Please feel free to write bullet point notes or use flashcards to help you get across your key points. Don’t worry too much about this part, just remember to communicate the key things you’d like us to know about you.

Make sure to submit your application by 8th January 2024. Keep in mind that we receive a high volume of applications for a limited number of placements. To increase your chances of success and make yourself stand out, we encourage you to be yourself and provide as much detail as possible in your application.

The selection process

Once we’ve reviewed your application, we’ll contact you by phone or email week commencing 15th January 2024 to let you know if you’ve been successful. So, please check your contact information is correct when you apply. If you’ve applied and get calls from an unknown mobile number it might be us, so make sure you answer it when you are somewhere free to talk for a few minutes.

If you have any questions or would like more information you can contact us on work.experience@drax.com. We look forward to receiving your application.