Meet Phil

Our Head Learning and Development, Phil White, tells us about his career journey and how he started off as an apprentice training to be a Mechanical Engineer.

“I joined United Utilities in 1997 as an Apprentice Mechanical Engineer. The application was fairly similar to how it is today in terms of an initial application, psychometric tests, practical tests and an interview. Looking back, it was daunting as a fresh school leaver but I had my sights set on an engineering apprenticeship and was determined to do well. I was attracted to United Utilities because of the size of the organisation. I was fortunate to have a few job offers at the time but I (and my dad) felt that this company would provide stability and career growth and we were proved right!

“I’m the Head of Learning and Development so I oversee all training within United Utilities. As a company, 76% of all our training is delivered internally and we have a really varied curriculum, ranging from soft skills to detailed technical programmes and a number of apprenticeship pathways. I believe we have access to the best trainers in this sector who have a wealth of knowledge and the ability to develop our trainees’ practical skills in a safe environment.

“The Bolton Technical training centre is a fantastic building for learning. During the design and build of the centre we always strived to make the learning as realistic as possible. It has always been important for us to ensure that what is learnt in the centre is easily transferred back into the day job by using the same equipment, assets and introducing realistic scenarios.

“The advice I’d give to our new apprentices is always to be willing to listen to those who are prepared to give up their time to teach you new things. I’ve always found that there are lots of people willing to help and pass on their knowledge and experiences, and you need to be a good listener to take it all in and learn from them.

“Since finishing my apprenticeship, I’ve been fortunate enough to be sponsored to complete a HND in Mechanical Engineering, a Graduate Certificate in Management and a Master of Business Administration degree which I passed with distinction.

“I’d say that the best part of my job is being able to watch and play a part in the development of people, ranging from apprentices on programmes to field staff completing upskill programmes. It’s great to watch how the right training can have such a positive impact on their day to day work. It always amazes me how quickly the apprentices develop at the training centre and it’s really pleasing to watch them go on and have successful careers within the business.”