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 an multinational energy services and solutions company. This means that we have a collection of businesses that operate in the energy sector. For example, British Gas is one of our businesses and they are responsible for providing energy to over 9 million homes across Britain. 

All of our businesses are focusing on developing cleaner and greener energy. One example of this is our business called Hive – they design and produce smart home products to help you reduce the amount of energy you use at home.

Where is Centrica based?

Centrica’s headquarters are located in Windsor, and we also have offices in Stockport, Leicester, and London. There are 18,000 colleagues across the business but given the diverse nature of our work, our colleagues can work in very different locations or environments. 

We offer a FlexFirst way of working which gives our employees the opportunity to do hybrid working and combine working at home and at the office! The split between working at home and in the office will depend on the individual’s team. Our engineers work on site full-time.  

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

What is Centrica’s work environment like?

The day-to-day working environment at Centrica 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 are diverse and inclusive, and welcome people from different walks of life, regardless of their skin colour, sexual orientation, or disability status.

We are dedicated to helping to close the diversity gaps in the workplace and as a company we are 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?

Employee wellbeing is important at Centrica and we provide colleagues and their families with the wellbeing resources, tools, and benefits they need to be able to access and choose 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 which you can pay to take advantage of.

We are a Disability Confident employer which means that we support colleagues with reasonable adjustments throughout their journey with us. 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 thrive at work by advising, providing resources, as well as raising awareness.

Who would be a good fit for Centrica?

We are 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 and critical industry then check out the latest opportunities available on our website.

What are some of the most common roles at Centrica?

Our work spans across a variety 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?

At Centrica we offer a variety of apprenticeships. For example we have our Smart Energy Expert Apprentices who visit customers’ homes and fit new smart meters that automatically 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 field experience by visiting our customer’s homes. Once the training is complete, you’ll have everything you need to succeed including your van, tools, uniform, and safety equipment which are all provided by British Gas. 

We offer graduate training programmes in a range of different areas including business management, marketing, HR, engineering, software development, and finance. These are two to three-year programmes which include a number of placements where you’ll get the chance to learn about relevant specialisms. For example our marketing graduate trainees will learn more 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 are applying for. We look for individuals that have completed a degree, who show they have a passion to become part of our workforce, and also demonstrate the values that Centrica stands for.

What skills does Centrica look for in applicants?

We assess our applicants by looking at a variety of different things. We look at someone’s personality using personality tests, we 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 applicants to be able to show evidence of every skill that is listed on the job description, so we’d encourage you to apply even if you’re only able to perform some of the required skills.

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

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

Also, make sure you understand 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 which is a 9-week long internship. We also have our ‘Year-in-Industry’ roles for undergraduate students which are for 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 do not 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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