Jess Bardwell

When did you join Natural Power? 

My first day was on the 4th of September 2023. 

Was the transition from education to your Graduate Job smooth? 

I completed my degree in environmental science at the University of the Highlands and Islands. I managed to join the mentorship program in my 3rd year which involved being paired up with a mentor in the renewables sector. This consisted of monthly meetings where you had the chance to discuss early careers, interview tips and CV guidance. This led me to a summer internship with a renewables company after my 3rd year. 

I heard about the Natural Power Graduate Scheme through an internship I had completed, finished in university in May and got offered a job in June. 

How did you find the first couple of months of your new job? 

I started my role offshore in the Consenting and Environment team. The first few months included a lot of onboarding training, getting used to systems and meeting new people. Once I had settled in, I was then able to help on a few existing projects. 

You went between onshore and offshore; did you prefer either and what sorts of things were you doing on a typical day for each one? 

I completed 6 months with the offshore team to begin with and then swapped over to the onshore team. Both roles involved similar work in terms of projects. 

When working onshore I had more opportunities to get involved in ecological survey work and get out on site. While working offshore I had the opportunity to do figure and map creation using QGIS. 

Do you have a highlight from the experience? 

Notable things I’ve done during my Graduate scheme include writing the monthly Aurora reports and year 1 summary. I also helped with constraints analysis assistance by writing multiple revisions and coordinating with specialists to create QGIS figures. I enjoyed visiting the different Natural Power offices and getting the chance to see Glasgow, Stirling, Newcastle and the Green House in Castle Douglas, which is an amazing building. 

Throughout the year I managed to attend events including the Young Professionals Green Energy Awards 2024 representing Natural Power and I attended the UK Offshore Wind Supply Chain Spotlight 2023 where I spoke to people about the services we offer. 

What advice would you give to someone who’s looking to do a Natural Power Graduation Scheme, and would you recommend going into a career in renewables? 

It is a great introduction into the renewables Industry, especially having the opportunity to experience both Onshore and Offshore roles. Within each team my advice would be to try to get exposure to all the different departments as Natural Power are very accommodating, particularly if there is something you want to learn or experience. 

Life after the Graduate scheme... Where is Jess now? 

I have now secured a position at Natural Power within the Geospatial team as an Offshore GIS Technician. I’m excited about this as I will be involved with marine-based mapping using QGIS whilst still involved with offshore project work.