Member News: Cegal champions career growth through training and apprenticeships

December 15, 2025
Member News: Cegal champions career growth through training and apprenticeships

Cegal, a global technology leader, specialising in energy, is proud to announce the continued expansion of its training, apprenticeship, and mentorship pathways, empowering the next generation of IT professionals to build rewarding careers in technology. 

At Cegal, professional development is more than a policy – it’s a passion. Cegal place people at the heart of its culture, believing that professional development, continuous learning, and mentorship are essential for building a resilient and innovative workforce. The company’s approach is designed to help employees grow their skills, confidence, and careers, benefiting not only its teams but also customers and the wider industry. 

The IT industry faces a well-documented shortage of skilled professionals, with many organisations expressing scepticism about hiring those with limited experience. For new graduates and career changers, entering the sector can be daunting. Cegal recognises these challenges and is committed to providing pathways that help talented individuals overcome barriers to entry and thrive in technology roles. 

Structured Training and Apprenticeships 

Within the UK, Cegal’s IT Operations team has implemented a structured training plan focused on building core technology competencies and supporting future career goals, fostering continuous learning. Every team member is encouraged to achieve at least two certifications annually, ranging from ITIL and CompTIA to full apprenticeship programmes. This commitment ensures employees not only advance their own careers but also share expertise with customers and colleagues. 

Cegal’s apprenticeship programme offers a structured route into technology, combining hands-on experience with real-world challenges. In partnership with QA and supported by the Scottish Government, the IT Support Apprenticeship (SCQF Level 8) covers project management, digital transformation, scripting, and professional development. Apprentices benefit from classroom learning paired with practical experience, supporting customers alongside experienced Cegal professionals. Recent apprentices, Mirela Dancheva and Richie Lornie, have thrived, balancing coursework, ITIL and Microsoft certification training, and customer support, laying a strong foundation for their IT careers. 

Chris Rankin, Manager IT Operations, Cegal commented:

“At Cegal, training and professional development are key priorities. Our structured training plan and apprenticeship opportunities enable us to grow our team, expand our collective knowledge, and continue delivering world-class service to our customers, all while inspiring new talent to pursue IT careers. It’s incredibly rewarding to see our team evolve, with apprentices like Mirela and Richie joining us and quickly contributing to our success. Many of our team members have advanced into specialised technical roles, clear evidence that our approach to training and development truly works.”

Mirela Dancheva, Service Desk Analyst and QA Apprentice at Cegal shared:

“Cegal’s decision to integrate QA’s apprenticeship programme into the working environment, has given me a fantastic opportunity to broaden my knowledge in a variety of areas. Including service support, asset management, and business initiatives, all of which I find very interesting. I thoroughly enjoy the dedicated weekly training time we receive, since it allows me to blend hands-on work with focused learning and personal development. I’ve always valued possibilities for growth, and the ability to study alongside my career is tremendously rewarding. I’m also pursuing certifications such as Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) and hope to obtain as many as possible to further develop my abilities and confidence in the IT field.”

Fast-tracking talent and building confidence with mentoring 

Cegal’s mentorship program is designed to address the industry’s biggest challenge: bridging the gap between junior and senior consultants. By pairing new talent with experienced mentors, the company ensures that juniors are guided, included, and empowered to contribute to projects from day one. This approach not only helps juniors gain valuable experience but also reassures clients that fresh talent can deliver top-quality work. The program has delivered outstanding results for many customers, where junior consultants have accelerated development and helped teams achieve their goals.

In addition, the Geoscience department at Cegal offers a summer internship program to students, providing mentorship and practical experience before graduation. 

Cegal Cloud Academy – partnering for the future 

Cegal has also launched the Cloud Academy in partnership with Microsoft, offering guided learning paths and certification programs in emerging technologies. Employees are rewarded for achieving key certifications in cloud disciplines, further strengthening the company’s technical expertise. 

Building careers, building the future 

Cegal’s commitment to investing in people isn’t just good for the team, it’s good for customers and the future of the company. By fostering a culture of growth, learning, and opportunity, where training and mentorship is central, Cegal ensures that when its people grow, everyone benefits. 

For more information about apprenticeships and mentorship at Cegal, visit Cegal ApprenticeshipsMentorship Program. 

Get in touch

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AREG has played an important role in the growth of Scotland’s renewable energy sector, engaging the supply chain and developing the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre. However, we are only at the very beginning of the transition that AREG was established to both lead and support so there are still opportunities for companies to get into the constantly evolving renewables supply chain. We look forward to continuing our work together as renewables builds on its place as Scotland’s main source of power, and as we seek to deliver real change in the crucial areas of heat and transport.

Scottish Renewables

Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce has worked closely with AREG since its formation. The recent progress in the developments of offshore wind projects by Equinor and Vattenfall are as a result of the work of the group over many years. The north-east is known as the oil and gas capital of Europe. At the Chamber, we believe the region must evolve its position to being recognised as the energy capital. Whilst hydrocarbons will continue to be essential in driving our economy for years to come, the generation of renewable resources will play an increasingly important role in providing cost-effective power, innovative development and economic growth.

Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce

The enthusiasm and dedication of the early group that would become AREG was fundamental in us choosing to launch All-Energy in Aberdeen. The first tiny show was held in 2001, and AREG’s Chairman at the time, Jeremy Cresswell, played such an active role that I often describe him in terms such as All-Energy’s ‘midwife’. All-Energy is now the UK’s largest renewable and low carbon energy exhibition and conference in terms of number of attendees, space booked, and number of exhibiting companies. As AREG became firmly established, their presence and support for the event grew spectacularly over the years. We thank them most sincerely for their invaluable input.

All-Energy

Vattenfall has forged a strong working relationship with AREG through the development of the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre. AREG has worked tirelessly on behalf of the North East and it can take enormous credit for the growth of sustainable energy in the region and the path it has cleared for the region to capture further investment.

Vattenfall

Aberdeen City and Shire is emerging as a key location for renewables by successfully transferring its world-class oil and gas expertise into the sector and AREG has done much to advance this through a broad range of initiatives. It has acted as a catalyst in driving further investment in the local economy by engaging with companies, Government, public bodies and existing projects and we have been pleased to support their efforts. Scottish Enterprise will continue to engage with AREG as we increase Scotland’s use of renewable energy.

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