A NEWTON Abbot man is one of seven newly qualified graduates joining UK Power Networks' graduate development programme.

Daniel Steel, of Bunting Close, Ogwell, will be based at UK Power Networks' Crawley office.

He graduated from Southampton University with a masters degree in electrical engineering.

Daniel, 24, always wanted to be an engineer. He said: "It was one of those things my father got me in to. He's a mechanical engineer and he got me interested from a very early age.

"I'm delighted to win a place on the scheme — it was a tough application process. I can't wait to get started.

"One of the things I liked about the programme is that it is a structured system — and working on one of the most important networks in the country is also very exciting."

Chris Degg, UK Power Networks' director of human resources, said: "The quality of service we provide for our customers depends on us having the right people with the right skills. Our graduate development programme is one way in which we attract, recruit and develop our employees. We are continually looking for ways to ensure we have the right mix of skills and graduates are an important element of our strategy."