Career Heroes - Robert Robb

Tell us more about you

My name is Robert Robb and I am now a Trainee Linesperson having completed a 3-year overhead lines apprenticeship with NIE Networks.

 

What kind of work do you do?

A typical day would involve meeting at the yard in order to gather materials for the day ahead. Once gathered, we would make our way to site. After taking precautions to ensure the work could be carried out safely, we would then start.

There are different facets in working with overhead lines. You could be working on a pole, carrying out work on the ground assisting the work on the pole or carrying out work at customers properties. No two days are the same and that is what I enjoy most about the job. Being in a different location with a different job each day keeps things interesting for me.

How did you become a Trainee Linesperson?

I was one of the older apprentices within my cohort. I aimed to reskill as I came from a job where work was not always consistent. The thought of a good career in a solid firm and steady salary appealed to me. I was was aiming to study within the electrical field which would have taken a number of years and would have been hard financially. Upon hearing about the apprenticeship program within NIE Networks, I was excited about the prospect of not only learning on the job, but also getting paid whilst learning.