What does it take to build a rewarding career in engineering — and does it matter how you get there? Not as much as you might think.

In this final episode of the Workplus NIE Networks series, host Richard Kirk sits down with two engineers whose routes into the company couldn't be more different. Joel McCreery studied electrical engineering at Queen's and joined NIE Networks' network innovation team straight from university.

Sinéad Norwood worked at Next for ten years, was a classroom assistant, and applied for a cable jointing apprenticeship at the age of twenty-six — after watching the children in her class apply during a careers session.

Together, they paint a vivid picture of what a career at NIE Networks really looks like: the variety, the responsibility, the learning, and the sense that no two days are ever quite the same.

Whether you're a parent, teacher, young person exploring careers, or someone thinking about a career change at any age, this episode is full of honest insight about what it means to do work that genuinely matters.

In This Episode:
— How Sinéad went from Next and classroom assistant to cable jointing apprentice at twenty-six
— Why Joel picked up a Queen's engineering brochure in the back of a classroom and never looked back
— What cable jointing actually involves — and why it is probably less dangerous than you think
— How NIE Networks supported Sinéad through a degree in electrical engineering after her apprenticeship
— What the network innovation team does and why flexibility services are key to Northern Ireland's net zero future
— Why resilience and adaptability matter more than any module you studied at university
— What change management looks like inside a major utilities company
— Why no two days are the same — from underground shutdowns to community forums
— The advice both guests would give their sixteen-year-old selves
— Why the possibilities within NIE Networks are, in Sinéad's words, endless

YouTube Chapters:
00:00 - Opening quotes
00:29 - Welcome to Workplus
01:14 - Meet Joel McCreery and Sinéad Norwood
01:20 - School subjects and early interests
02:32 - Sinéad's non-traditional path
03:09 - Joel's part-time work and summer jobs
04:22 - Joel's work experience in aerospace manufacturing
05:51 - How Sinéad's varied career led her to NIE Networks
07:39 - Applying for a cable jointing apprenticeship at twenty-six
08:53 - What cable jointing actually involves
09:54 - From apprentice to graduate: Sinéad's degree journey
11:17 - How Joel found his way to NIE Networks via Queen's and SONI
13:09 - What the network innovation team does
14:57 - Flexibility services and the energy transition
16:16 - Skills needed every day on the job
18:34 - Change management, resilience and adaptability
19:44 - Data, net zero and the future of the network
21:06 - Advice to their sixteen-year-old selves
22:59 - What is so good about work?
25:00 - Closing thoughts

Thanks for watching Workplus, the podcast that shines a light on the people doing good work across Northern Ireland.

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#careerdevelopment #apprenticeships #northernirelandcareers #workpluspodcast #nienetworks #energytransition #womeninengineering #youthemployment

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Produced by APodcastGeek https://apodcastgeek.com/

What if you don't know what you want to do at sixteen — but you're willing to work hard and stay open to what comes next?
Everything.

Meet Mark Nixon, Head of Digital Delivery at NIE Networks. Mark didn't have a five-year plan when he left secondary school. He studied economics, English, and geography at A-level not because he knew where they'd take him, but because they interested him. His career breakthrough came from a summer placement at an insurance company, then a clerical trainee role at Northern Ireland Electricity managing the company fleet.

But here's where the story shifts: Mark became curious about the IT systems behind his job. An aptitude test, a programming course in Austria, and thirty years of growing expertise transformed him into one of the people driving net zero ambitions across Northern Ireland. He even left NIE for eleven years to develop himself elsewhere — then came back stronger, eventually leading the entire digital delivery function.

This is a story about attitude, openness, and the power of a strong work ethic. Mark's advice to his younger self applies to anyone questioning their path: don't stress about knowing exactly what you want to do. Find an organisation that lets you explore, stay honest, work hard, and stay open to opportunities as they come.

In This Episode:
• Why not knowing your career direction at sixteen is completely normal
• From clerical trainee to Head of Digital Delivery
• The one thing that matters more than qualifications
• Why technology and IT are genuinely solid career choices right now
• Cybersecurity as a fast-growing, essential field
• How IT systems are central to achieving net zero
• Using data to make safer, smarter decisions on energy networks
• What it means to work as part of Northern Ireland's fabric
• Developing and leading the next generation of talent
• How the meaning of work evolves as your career grows

YouTube Chapters:
0:00 – Why technology is a strong career path
1:34 – School subjects and career uncertainty
2:36 – First work experience at Friends Provident
3:59 – The power of being part of a team
6:07 – First real job: clerical trainee at NIE Networks
7:10 – Managing the vehicle fleet
8:20 – How curiosity sparked a career change
10:12 – Discovering your passion through doing
11:44 – What really drives success in tech
12:30 – Attitude and work ethic are everything
14:08 – Why IT is central to decarbonisation
14:45 – Technology as a solid, secure career choice
16:29 – The huge demand for cybersecurity skills
18:25 – Being part of the fabric of Northern Ireland
20:03 – Advice to your sixteen-year-old self
21:25 – Career growth, leaving, and coming back
22:59 – What's really good about work

Thanks for watching Workplus, the podcast that shines a light on the people doing good work across Northern Ireland.

Find more stories, resources, and tools to help guide the next generation at workplus.app

Know someone exploring their career options? Share this with a parent, teacher, or future leader.

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#Workplus #CareerAdvice #Technology #CareersInTech #NIENetworks #NorthernIreland #NetZero #YoungPeople #CareerJourney #Podcast

🎧 Thanks for listening to Workplus, the podcast that brings real jobs into the light.
🔗 Find more stories, tools, and guides to help young people and returners explore meaningful careers at workplus.app
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🎧 Thanks for listening to Workplus, the podcast that brings real jobs into the light.

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What does telling the story behind the numbers have to do with building a meaningful career? Everything.

In this episode of Workplus, host Richard Kirk sits down with Claire Woolsey, Senior Manager of Financial Planning & Regulation at NIE Networks, whose career journey — from a village bakery and university summer jobs to leading a team at the heart of Northern Ireland's energy transition — proves that you don't need a maths A-level to thrive in finance. You just need curiosity, people skills, and the courage to take a leap of faith.

From a joint law and accountancy degree at Queen's, to a training contract at EY, to a 20-year career at NIE Networks that she genuinely loves, Claire's story shows how following your interests — even when you're not sure where they'll lead — can take you further than any fixed plan.

Whether you're a parent, teacher, young person exploring careers, or someone considering a move into finance or the energy sector, this episode is packed with honest insights about career progression, leadership, and what it really means to do work that matters.

In This Episode:

- Why geography, history and politics at A-level led to a career in accountancy
- The part-time jobs that built the skills Claire uses every day as a senior leader
- What a training contract at EY really involves — and why Saturday classes are part of the deal
- The temporary role at NIE Networks that became a 20-year career
- What financial planning looks like when you're forecasting a decade into the future
- How NIE Networks supported Claire through maternity leave, job shares and flexible working
- Why the most important skill in finance is telling the story behind the numbers
- What it means to lead a team with purpose — and make people feel genuinely valued
- NIE Networks' triple Investors in People accreditation — the only company in the UK to achieve it
- Claire's advice to her 16-year-old self: follow your passion, embrace the tough moments, grasp every opportunity

00:00 - Opening quote: Leading the team is the privilege of my role
00:28 - Welcome to Workplus
01:06 - Meet Claire Woolsey
01:20 - School days: geography, history, politics — and PE
02:50 - Part-time jobs: the bakery, the lifeguard pool and the electoral canvass
05:00 - The skills those jobs built — and why they still matter
07:05 - Choosing a degree: law, accountancy and a year in the States
08:12 - Why you don't need maths at A-level to work in finance
09:29 - The story behind the numbers
10:00 - From EY to NIE: a leap of faith on a temporary contract
12:57 - What's changed at NIE Networks in 20 years
14:29 - Flexible working, job shares and balancing a career with family
15:18 - Financial planning and the energy transition
16:08 - Regulatory finance and what a price control involves
16:35 - Leading a team of eight with purpose
19:25 - Advice to her 16-year-old self
20:03 - What's so good about work?
21:27 - Closing thoughts


Thanks for watching Workplus, the podcast that shines a light on the people doing good work across Northern Ireland.

Find more stories, resources, and tools to help guide the next generation at https://www.workplus.app/.
Know someone exploring their career options? Share this with a parent, teacher, or future leader.

Subscribe so you never miss a story.

#CareerDevelopment #Finance #NorthernIrelandCareers #WorkplusPodcast #NIENetworks
#EnergyTransition #Apprenticeships #YouthEmployment

🎧 Thanks for listening to Workplus, the podcast that brings real jobs into the light.

🔗 Find more stories, tools, and guides to help young people and returners explore meaningful careers at workplus.app

📩 Know someone who would find this helpful? Share it with a parent, teacher, or future changemaker.

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