Thursday 25 May 2006
APPRENTICES LEND A HELPING HAND TO GREAT CENTRAL
- Region & Route:
A group of Network Rail apprentices traded the South Coast for Leicestershire last week when they helped to fit out a signal box on Britain’s only mainline steam railway. The 15 apprentices are based at HMS Sultan in Gosport, Hampshire, the home of Network Rail’s apprenticeship scheme, which is largest scheme of its kind in the country. They volunteered their skills to help engineers at Great Central Railway carry out signalling works as part of a project to double the track and install a new signal box at Swithland. Peter Bennett, Network Rail’s Director of Human Resources said: “The apprenticeship scheme is part of our commitment to investing in the railway men and women of tomorrow, its intensive, and gives our apprentices real skills which they will take into the workplace as they forge a career with Network Rail. However there is no substitute for ‘on the job’ training and we are grateful to Great Central for providing our apprentices with the opportunity to put their skills to the test. “ Graham Bannister from Great Central added: “We were delighted to host the apprentices and were grateful that they could assist with this project which will give them valuable experience of working as a team in a trackside environment.”
Notes to editors
The Network Rail apprenticeship scheme is open to 17-19 year olds. Apprentices who successfully complete the scheme are guaranteed a job within Network Rail’s maintenance function which has centre’s across the country. Find out more about the apprenticeship scheme by logging onto www.networkrail.co.uk/careers or call 0800 0191 996. The Great Central Railway operates as a heritage railway line between Loughborough and the northern outskirts of Leicester. For more information on the GCR visit www.gcrailway.co.uk
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