With its emphasis on attracting apprentices to the business and with its focus on greener alternatives to power West Yorkshire’s homes and businesses, NGN meets with ally, Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin who shares the company’s goals to improve skills for young people and make the region greener and sustainable. 

Mark Horsley, CEO, NGN, and his team welcomed the Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin to meet the company’s apprentices and discuss the company’s strategy on greener alternatives to power the region. 

In 2022, NGN provided an employment boost for the region’s young jobseekers after expanding and enhancing its popular apprenticeship scheme. NGN regularly took on gas and maintenance operatives with a passion for problem solving and technical innovation for multi-year on the job apprentice placements, but NGN went further and recruited seven new business support administrator apprentices on two-year placements as part of its commitment to increasing social mobility. This recruitment drive is a move that chimes with the mayor’s push to empower local people with the skills they need for a fulfilling career. 

Lili Vastel, Customer Experience apprentice said: “I am really enjoying my apprenticeship at Northern Gas Networks. I feel that I am learning a lot, I work across our customer, stakeholder, and communications teams. I feel that I am learning a lot about how the business works but also about the impact it has on people, which is a good one. The business is trying hard to plan and contribute to a greener economy. I feel that in the 7 months I have been with NGN I have already developed so many skills that will support my career ambitions.” 

Keeping 2.7 million homes and businesses cooking on gas is a resource intensive business, it’s NGN’s responsibility therefore to reduce its day-to-day carbon footprint, while helping green, alternative fuels to flourish. The senior team was delighted therefore to share with Mayor Brabin some of its green initiatives.  Aligned to the mayor’s drive to make public transport greener and more accessible, N-Gen and Hygen showcased their flagship decarbonisation project in Bradford with First Bus which will drive NetZero in the region. 

Mark Horsley, CEO, NGN said: “I would like to thank the Mayor of West Yorkshire for visiting our offices. It was fantastic that we could share with her the work NGN is doing around skills, jobs, and net-zero across West Yorkshire. It was also very inciteful to hear more about Mayor Brabin’s aspirations for the region, it seems we have many shared priorities and ambitions.” 

Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin said:  

“We are creating more skilled jobs for young people to thrive in West Yorkshire.
“It was good to hear how these bright young apprentices are using this opportunity to get involved in the company’s green initiatives.
“This is how we’ll shape a brighter, stronger future for our region.”

 ENDS