Employer profile: Centrica, A British-based multinational energy company

Energy companies supply us with things like gas and electricity for cooking, heating, and watching tv, but what's it like to work for one? In this guide, you’ll learn all about working at Centrica, what apprenticeship opportunities are available, and how to apply.

Centrica at a glance:

Aleksandra Morozovaite, who is Early Careers Recruitment Consultant, tells us what it’s really like to work for the company.

What does Centrica do?

Centrica is a multinational energy services and solutions company. This means that we have several businesses in the energy sector. British Gas is one of them, and they provide energy to over nine million homes across Britain. 

All of our businesses focus on developing cleaner and greener energy. One example is Hive – they make smart products to help you reduce the amount of energy you use at home.

Where is Centrica based?

Centrica’s headquarters are in Windsor. We also have offices in Stockport, Leicester, and London. We have 18,000 staff members, but given the diverse nature of our work, they can work in very different locations or environments. 

We offer a FlexFirst way of working, so you can combine working at home and at the office! The split will depend on your team. Our engineers work on site full-time.  

Our offices are modern and have collaboration spaces. We have a flexible desk policy, which means there are no assigned desks. So people who come into the office can book any desk available or use any space that’s free.

What is Centrica’s work environment like?

The day-to-day working environment here is fast paced and collaborative. People are friendly and happy to connect with you, online on Teams, or face to face at the office. 

We’re diverse and inclusive, and welcome people from different walks of life, regardless of their skin colour, sexual orientation, or disability status.

We’re dedicated to helping to close the diversity gaps in the workplace by actively recruiting a diverse workforce. Working hard to close the gender gap, we want 47% of all our employees to be women by 2030.
How does Centrica meet the needs of employees with additional requirements?

We provide colleagues and their families with the wellbeing resources, tools, and benefits they need to be able to get the right support at the right time. For example, we offer private healthcare plans, gym membership discounts, and access to a virtual GP.

Some benefits are company funded and included in your employee package. Others are optional extras you can pay to take advantage of.

We’re a Disability Confident employer, which means that we support colleagues with reasonable adjustments. All of our offices have lift access. We also host a large number of employee networks, like our Diverse-Ability network, which work to support our colleagues with varying conditions to thrive at work by advising, providing resources, and raising awareness.

Who would be a good fit for Centrica?

We’re looking for people who are passionate about sustainability and working towards net zero emissions in an inclusive environment. If you think that you’d be a good fit and want to kickstart your career in a fast-paced industry, then check out the latest opportunities on our website.

What are some of the most common roles at Centrica?

Our work spans lots of different businesses like British Gas, which means there are a huge variety of roles at Centrica! Some of our roles include customer service advisers, digital communication managers, gas engineers, IT systems architects, and project managers.

What kind of apprenticeship or training opportunities are there and what are the entry requirements for these roles?

Our apprenticeship roles include our Smart Energy Expert Apprentices, who visit customers’ homes and fit new smart meters that record your gas or electricity use.

You start your apprenticeship with a 13-week training programme at one of our Academies in Dartford, Leicester, or Hamilton, before gaining six weeks’ experience by visiting our customers’ homes. Once the training is complete, you’ll have everything you need to succeed including your van, tools, uniform, and safety equipment, all provided by British Gas. 

We offer graduate training programmes in a range of areas including business management, marketing, HR, engineering, software development, and finance. These are two- to three-year programmes with placements where you’ll get the chance to learn about relevant specialisms. For example, our marketing graduate trainees learn about branding, product development, sales, and digital advertising.

Entry requirements vary depending on the type of apprenticeship that you’re applying for, but you’ll need a Level 1 qualification in English and maths (which is the equivalent to GCSE grades 3-1). You’ll also need to take your Level 2 qualifications in English and maths before finishing your apprenticeship.

Graduate roles are offered to those students who meet the requirements for the scheme they’re applying for. We look for those who have completed a degree, who show they have a passion to become part of our workforce, and who demonstrate the values that Centrica stands for.
What skills does Centrica look for in applicants?

We assess applicants in lots of different ways. We look at someone’s personality using personality tests, assess their existing skills and knowledge using numeracy and literacy tests, and we also think about someone’s potential to develop and grow at Centrica. 

Some of the skills we look for are teamwork, problem-solving, commercial awareness, self-management, self-awareness, business acumen, and digital and data skills. We don’t expect you to be able to show evidence of every skill on the job description, so we’d encourage you to apply even if you’re only able to perform some of the required skills.

Related Unifrog skills:

• Teamwork
• Problem solving
• Learning
• Organising / time management
• Reflectiveness
• Digital literacy
• Numeracy
   

What is a top tip to help an entry level applicant succeed at Centrica?

Take your time to research Centrica and understand what we do as a company and what we stand for. Think about whether our values and goals align with yours. If they do, make sure you show it to us!

Also, do your research on our organisation, industry, and current context. A great way to do this is by reading up on our website and keeping up to date with relevant news.

What work experience or internship opportunities are there at Centrica?

We offer work opportunities for undergraduate students. Current university students can apply for our summer placement, a nine-week long internship. We also have our ‘Year-in-Industry’ roles for undergraduate students in a range of areas across our businesses. School leavers are welcome to apply to one of our apprenticeship programmes.

What opportunities are there to progress at Centrica?

At Centrica, we care deeply about all of our employees’ development. We don’t have set times for progression, but there are lots of opportunities for people who are driven and motivated. 

Apprentices at Centrica will be given a full-time permanent role if they pass their probation process and meet performance expectations.
 

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