North encourages next generation of technology workforce

Edinburgh-based apprentice Connor Ratter works on innovative CCTV project across capital city

North is encouraging young people to embark on a career working with a range of technologies through its dedicated apprenticeship programme.
As part of Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2023 (6-13 March), North is celebrating its team of apprentices by shining a light on the valuable contribution they are making within the industry. The team hopes to inspire more young people to explore a career in technology, future proofing the sector’s talent pipeline.

North plans to expand its apprenticeship programme by continuing to offer positions each year in disciplines including Advanced Networking, Safety & Security and Network Cabling.

With a commitment to an 80/20 split between academic and practical learning through Skills for Security, North offers apprenticeship opportunities in safety and security, data networking, and data cabling disciplines. As well as industry-specific knowledge, North upskills apprentices in soft skills, such as customer service and client management, to ensure they are workplace ready whilst completing the apprenticeship.

In 2021, North was appointed to undertake a £2.6 million project for City of Edinburgh Council to upgrade its CCTV provision across the city, including the delivery of a new CCTV Control Centre which includes a leading edge video analytic solution, and the replacement of analogue CCTV with high-resolution Internet Protocol (IP) cameras. As part of the project, the local authority officially opened its Smart Operations Centre in the City Chambers in December 2022, taking Edinburgh one step closer to becoming a leading Smart City.

As part of this project’s social value commitment, North onboarded a dedicated apprentice, Connor Ratter, to help deliver and support the roll out. As a safety and security apprentice, Connor has been trained in an area that is becoming ever more important within private and public sectors.

Throughout his time at North, Connor has now gone on to work across more service and maintenance based projects, involving fault finding and planned maintenance activities. He has also worked alongside experienced professionals with several high-profile clients, including the Royal Hospital for Children & Young People, Royal Edinburgh Hospital and the National Museum of Scotland.

On completion of his apprenticeship in 2025, Connor will be a fully qualified Safety & Security engineer and will go on to enjoy full-time employment at North.

Connor Ratter, Safety & Security Apprentice Engineer at North, said: “It can sometimes feel overwhelming to know what career path you want to take, but the North apprenticeship programme has given me an invaluable opportunity to work alongside and learn from experienced engineers, reinforcing that I want to excel as an engineer.

“Making the switch between working in financial services to engineering was no easy feat, however I have been supported by a brilliant team with the opportunity to work with interesting clients from the start of my apprenticeship. I have learned an entirely new set of skills that I will continue to develop throughout my career and I’d encourage anyone considering an apprenticeship to go for it and enjoy the journey, it’s been incredibly rewarding.”

Joining Connor on the Safety and Security programme is Kieran Wakefield and Jamie Small, based in the North East of England and on the data cabling and data engineering courses are Ben Gould, Tom King and Ciaran Falloon, also based in Scotland.

Ian Reid, Technical Field Service Manager at North, said: “We are very proud of our fantastic team of apprentices, and we are consistently looking at how we can enhance and expand the opportunities we provide at North. Intrinsic to a successful industry is investing in tomorrow’s talent, providing hands on experience in a supportive environment.
“Connor has been a real asset to the team at North, working alongside senior engineers and directly with our customers. He has demonstrated determination and enthusiasm, and undoubtedly will go on to enjoy many more successes within his career at North.”