Her Lightbulb Moment: Ellie’s Path to a Career in Environmental Sustainability

This National Apprenticeship Week, we’re proud to spotlight Ellie Straw, an Environmental Apprentice at E.ON, who discovered her own lightbulb moment and is now shaping a more sustainable future.

As part of E.ON’s Lightbulb Moments campaign, we’re celebrating the sparks of curiosity and realisations that inspire people to choose a green career. Every journey into sustainable energy starts somewhere, whether that’s a conversation, a classroom, or a moment of inspiration, and through sharing stories like Ellie’s, we hope to light the way for more young women to explore STEM and energy careers. Because every bright future starts with a lightbulb moment.

A spark of inspiration

Ellie’s journey into sustainability began with a love of Geography at school. She had assumed that the natural next step would be a traditional university route — until a visit from E.ON’s Early Careers Expert Bal Atwal introduced her to the world of apprenticeships.

“Until that moment, I had no idea an apprenticeship even existed in the exact field I wanted to pursue. Hearing about the Environmental Specialist Degree Apprenticeship at E.ON was my lightbulb moment. It made perfect sense — a chance to earn and learn at the same time, while building a career in an area I’m truly passionate about. It made me realise it wasn’t just an option; it was the right path for me.”

Making a real Impact on sustainability

Within her role, Ellie’s work goes beyond theory. She contributes to projects and processes that shape how the business manages its environmental responsibilities: “Through my placements, I’ve supported work on biodiversity, environmental compliance for large-scale solar arrays and PFAS. I’ve also worked within the ESG team on initiatives that strengthen our wider sustainability strategy, such as competitor analysis. These experiences allow me to play an active role in reducing environmental impact, supporting the transition to cleaner energy, and embedding sustainable thinking across the business.”

What surprises her most is how sustainability is woven into every part of E.ON. “It’s not just a specialist area here. It runs through everything we do, from engineering and operations to social impact and customer projects.”

The moment everything switched

For Ellie, the most rewarding moments come when she can see the tangible effects of her work. “I had a real ‘this is why I chose this career’ moment while working with the Coventry Strategic Energy Partnership team on Social Value initiatives. Supporting projects that directly benefit communities showed me that an environmental career isn’t just about protecting nature — it’s also about improving lives. Seeing the wider impact first-hand made everything click for me.”

Advice for aspiring apprentices

Ellie’s advice for anyone considering a degree apprenticeship is clear: “Go for it. It’s the perfect balance of earning while learning, gaining real industry experience from day one, and building confidence as you apply what you study straight into your role. You’re surrounded by support from managers, mentors, and other apprentices — and you graduate with a degree and several years of hands-on experience behind you.”

Through campaigns like Lightbulb Moments, E.ON is proud to showcase the sparks that inspire young people, particularly women and girls, to explore careers in green energy, sustainability, and STEM.

Feeling inspired? Take a read of Alice, Erin and Lucia’s ‘Lightbulb Moments’.