How to Get Into the Gas Industry: Routes, Tickets and First Roles

The UK gas network needs people. Distribution networks are replacing ageing iron mains, transmission assets are being upgraded, and hydrogen trials are adding new work on top. At the same time, a large part of the experienced workforce is heading towards retirement.

That makes gas one of the more accessible technical careers in the UK right now, as long as you know where to start. Here's how people actually get in.

Understand how the industry is structured

The gas industry is bigger than most people realise, and the work looks very different depending on where you sit:

• Transmission: the high-pressure National Transmission System that moves gas around the country, including compressor stations and the offtakes where gas passes to the regional networks.
• Distribution: the regional networks that carry gas at lower pressures to homes and businesses. In Great Britain these are run by Cadent, SGN, Northern Gas Networks and Wales & West Utilities, plus independent gas transporters.
• Contractors and delivery partners: the companies that design, build, maintain and replace network assets on behalf of the network owners. This is where a large share of the jobs are.
• Downstream: domestic and commercial gas work beyond the meter, where Gas Safe registration applies.

Knowing which part of the industry you want to work in makes it much easier to pick the right training.

Entry routes that work

There's no single way in. The most common routes are:

• Apprenticeships with network operators or their major contractors, usually in gas network operations, mains laying or engineering maintenance.
• Trade transfers from civil engineering, groundworks, mechanical fitting, electrical or instrumentation work. These skills carry across well, especially into construction and AGI work.
• Graduate and technical routes into design, project controls, quality and project management.
• Moving across from another utility such as water, power or telecoms, where site discipline, street works and permit systems are already familiar.

If you already have a trade, you're often closer than you think. Our guide to moving into gas from another sector covers this in more detail.

The tickets employers look for

Most site roles need a core set of safety cards before you can start. Which ones depend on the role, but the common ones are:

• EUSR SHEA Gas, the safety, health and environmental awareness standard for the gas utility sector.
• CSCS, or a trade equivalent such as an ECS card for electrical roles.
• NRSWA street works qualifications if you'll be working in the highway.
• CCNSG Safety Passport for many industrial and transmission sites.
• Confined space and first aid certificates for some roles.

We've written a separate guide that explains the main gas industry qualifications and which roles need them.

First roles that lead somewhere

Good first roles give you site hours, supervision and exposure to the permit and competence systems the industry runs on. Look at:

• Operative and mains-laying roles on distribution replacement programmes.
• Trainee or assistant roles on AGI and pressure reduction installation projects.
• Technician and inspection roles, particularly if you have a mechanical or EC&I background.
• Document control, quality and project support roles if you're heading towards the office side.

Whatever you start in, keep a record of the work you've done and the assets you've worked on. Competence in gas is built on evidence, and a well-kept record makes each next step easier. Our article on competence in HAZCON explains why experience counts for so much in this industry.

Put your CV in front of the right people

Gas is a relationship-driven industry, and many roles are filled before they are ever advertised. A specialist recruiter who knows the sector can match your skills to roles you won't find on the big job boards.

Take a look at our current gas jobs, read our guide to writing the perfect CV, and register with our candidate team so we can get in touch when the right role comes up.