Career Prospects at Western Power

No promotion at the moment

I'm just starting my second year, so I don't have extensive information about promotion opportunities yet. For technology graduates, although permanency isn't guaranteed, the company strives to place you in a permanent role upon completing the program. Typically, showing strong performance and taking on extra responsibilities can facilitate career advancement.

At Western Power, promotion opportunities are designed to support career growth and development. As a graduate engineer, there are clear pathways for advancement based on performance and experience.

Unknown. As a graduate rotating around I can probably move laterally quite well, however I'm not even guaranteed a permanent position after 2 years unlike the engineer graduates.

I've worked here a month, as if I know?

I would like to see myself having a career progression in my current company and there are a lot of opportunities since future of energy utility companies is taking a huge step ahead.

I think Western Power has pretty good opportunities to get promoted. Many previous grads are now senior engineers or in senior leadership roles. It appears if you do good work for your team, you can easily move up the ranks.

I feel that after my 2-year graduate program, the opportunity to be promoted to a permanent position at 1 of the 4 teams I rotated through will be exciting. To move up the ranks at Western Power, I think it takes dedication to the team's values and processes, whilst also adopting the company's values and culture along the way.

The promotion opportunity is very much limited to likes of the management. At times there are huge disappointment and false promises.

There is a comprehensive personal development program for every employee that is reviewed every 6 months. The program allows you to justify your improved skills and knowledge to move to the next pay level and take on more responsibility. Senior roles are offered to suitable employees and there is also a job board on the intranet that advertises positions available. There are opportunities for secondment to different departments if there is a shortfall in those areas or if there are urgent projects that need to be completed. It is also common that employees can move between departments if they are interested in a career change within the company. On completion of the graduate program, graduates are given an opportunity to directly move into a permanent position without having to go through the recruitment process (application, interview, etc) if there is a position available in their preferred area of interest.

This is possibly the one downside of working at WP: it is unclear about promotions and career progression possibilities. When I have asked, they either say its based on performance or it takes much longer than private firms, both of which aren't that nice to hear. But I expect this from a government organisation and don't mind as I'm here to learn.

Very good and flexible opportunities coming off the graduate program, with support by organisers to find a suitable role within the company, even if your program concludes before you find a role. After the program progression is dependent on your performance.

Standard processes - demonstrate you possess the right qualities/knowledge

Difficult to see where to go up right now.

As a graduate, at the moment there are many opportunities to apply for engineer positions.

Western Power is very strict on finishing the program even when you have been offered a position following a competitive process. Once the program I finished they can help you unofficially to find a position.