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Monday 23 Sep 2013

Expansion of university work placement scheme to build graduate pipeline for the future

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National

Network Rail has today launched the search for around 100 graduates to join its 2014 graduate scheme and become future leaders of Britain’s rail industry. The company has also has expanded its one-year work placement programme for undergraduates to find and secure the best and brightest before they leave university.

There will be 28 paid one-year placements for undergraduates taking a year out in industry between the second and third years of their courses*. Places are available in London, Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Rugby and Manchester.

For the main graduate programme, there will be places available across Britain in project management, group business services, engineering, general management, finance, property, strategic planning and supply chain management.

Mike Bickford, head of resourcing for Network Rail, explained why the company was expanding the placement programme: “The best candidates for our graduate programme have had excellent work experience where they have developed the skills and behaviours needed to succeed in the work place. Offering undergraduates placements helps us identify candidates that show real promise and means we can secure top talent and save money in recruitment. Building this sort of pipeline for future leaders of the company helps us deliver a better railway for everyone.”

Krishma Mistry, 24, has recently secured a full-time role as a business analyst with Network Rail after enjoying both a work placement post and then a position on the graduate scheme. She said: “I liked the business management side of the Network Rail scheme and was drawn to the fact that you could make what you wanted of it and that you could have an impact on people’s every day lives.

“When I was offered the place on the graduate scheme it was a great stress-reliever and allowed me to focus solely on my studies for the final year. I knew that I had a great job waiting for me with a big company while all my friends were stressing about what they were going to do when university finished.

“I never thought about working for the railway and I wasn’t sure if I’d fit in but now I’m here it’s definitely for me. In my role I get to see a high level view of everything and I sometimes surprise myself about how much I’ve learnt.”

Tom Coles, 24, joined the placement scheme whilst at Loughborough University and also won a place on the full time graduate scheme. In February 2012 he got his first project to run - to replace the company’s server hardware, which is now his permanent role. On the scheme he said: “My girlfriend saw the poster up at uni and told me about it. It interested me as it was more about project management rather than the coding or a very technical aspect.

“The benefit of a placement was massive and gave me a real work ethic which helped me improve my expected grade from a 2:2 to a 2:1. A placement helps you hit the ground running on a graduate scheme. I knew what was expected of me; I knew the company. After the placement it was almost like I’d been seconded back to university before starting back at the company.”