At first, I was just completing the statutory inspection work with Boston Energy until I was asked to help with the service team.  I fitted in with the team and I was put forward for the Vensys AT training in 2018. We went to Germany and spent a week in the Vensys factory with their training team which I enjoyed greatly.

After being an Authorised Technician for two years with Boston Energy, I was given the opportunity to take over the management of our Managed Service offering to Vensys in 2020. I now plan all the routine maintenance for the full Vensys fleet which are situated in Scotland, England, north & South Wales and Northern Ireland.

My journey in the wind industry has only ever been with Boston Energy; they gave me the opportunity to get started which I am extremely grateful for. Everyone in the office I’ve worked with has always been really helpful and supportive and the opportunities are there for people to get into the industry and transfer from another industry. It’s great for young people to come in and carve out a career, but if you do come from a job with transferable skills the opportunities are there to progress too.

I’ve been in the wind industry since 2004, and I’ve seen a lot of development in my time, which is why it’s such an exciting industry to be in. Compared to when I first began this career the technology is so much more advanced, and the turbines are a lot bigger – especially the direct drive wind turbines. They’re only going to get bigger too. I think my favourite part about working in this industry is just being able to stand back and have that moment where you think “We put that turbine up, and its going to be there forever.” It’s a great sense of achievement. Especially when you’ve been in the hub for hours, you’ve tightened the last blade up and you’re able to stand on the top and look out at the view and think “We’ve built this.”

Now I’m working on LID and servicing the turbines I helped to build so it’s come full circle for me really and its these moments that make me realise I am in the right place.

I’ve wanted this career for a while – It’s been about five years and up to now I’d never really had my chance to get my foot in the door of the wind industry. I’m quite a driven person and so I’d set myself a 10-year plan to achieve my goals, and when I finally got my GWO’s and was lucky enough to go to Denmark to do my SGTT training through Boston Energy, I knew I was finally getting the ball rolling to be exactly where I wanted to be.

I’ve always liked to challenge myself and put myself outside of my comfort zone having previously worked in stereotypically male-dominated environments, playing professional football and in my previous career. Not everybody wants to sit behind a desk, and I’m excited to prove that I am more than capable of rising to the challenge and being just as good as my colleagues.