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Wednesday 24 Jun 2015

Apprentice encourages others to join the front line to deliver £38bn railway upgrade plan

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Wales & Borders

| Wales & Western

An award-winning Welsh apprentice is encouraging young people across Wales to start an exciting career in engineering.

Dion Thomas, from Carmarthen, was named Network Rail’s track apprentice of year for 2015 and wants to inspire other young people to follow his example. He joined the Network Rail apprenticeship scheme in 2012 and is now based in Swansea.

Dion, 22, said: “The Network Rail apprenticeship scheme has been the best three years of my life. I have gained a network of friends across the country, been taught by knowledgeable staff, gained formal qualifications and been offered a rewarding career with a number of different opportunities.

“As Network Rail continues to invest in my career I continue to learn within the job.

“With over 100 students in my discipline, I feel honoured that Network Rail named me as the track apprentice of the year for 2015.  I hope that this inspires other apprentices within Wales to work hard and get the careers they deserve.”

Following in Dion’s footsteps, almost 200 apprentices have joined railway maintenance teams across Britain to start their on-the-job training after successfully completing their first year of the award-winning Network Rail Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme.

Network Rail apprentices spend their first year training at Europe’s largest engineering training facility at HMS Sultan in Gosport, Hampshire, specialising in track, signalling, telecoms and electrification.

During their second and third years, apprentices like Dion continue to earn while they learn and experience work on the rail network’s front line, gaining vital experience as they train to become maintenance technicians. Throughout this time they regularly return to HMS Sultan for further courses and training.

Neal Lawson, maintenance and operations services director at Network Rail, said: “We are investing £38bn building a better railway for Britain and to meet this challenge, we need highly capable people.

“By developing the enthusiasm and talent of our apprentices, we are creating the skilled workforce vital to our future success.

“I wish all of them good luck as they continue to build their skills and knowledge and help us move more than four million people across Britain every day.”

Network Rail’s Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme is open to applicants over 17 years of age and has no upper age limit. Apprentices come from all over the nation and range from those who have just left school or college to those changing careers. All share an interest in engineering.

Notes to editors

About the Network Rail advanced apprenticeship scheme:

It is a three-year programme that equips you with the skills and experience to become a maintenance engineering technician. www.facebook.com/ontrack

There are five engineering programmes: track, signals, electrification and plant, signal design and telecoms. Each one gives you the chance to work in a critical area of the business, where your development will continue beyond the three years of the scheme.

Paid learning:

In the first year, apprentices will be paid £8,400 + £1,150 when they successfully finish the year; the salary will rise to £11,750 in the second; and £14,000 in the third.

In the first year, Network Rail will also feed, pay for accommodation and provide the clothing and personal protective equipment that they need. There are plenty of holidays: 28 days plus bank holidays. Network Rail will pay for apprentices to travel home for long weekends and Christmas, Easter and summer holidays.

Qualifications:

After three years, apprentices will have the qualifications (NVQ, BTec and ILM (Institute of Leadership and Management)) and skills to develop a long-term career with Network Rail. Many apprentices complete their first year and soon start to think about their career options – and many set their sights on becoming technical officers, team leaders or managers. There are even further opportunities to study a foundation degree for those who demonstrate the commitment and ability.