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Friday 4 May 2018

Final call for budding engineers to join Network Rail apprenticeship scheme across Wales and Borders

Region & Route:

Wales & Western: Wales & Borders

| Wales & Western

Network Rail is issuing a final call for aspiring engineers across Wales and Borders to apply for its apprenticeship scheme, which closes to applicants on Friday 11 May.

Places are available in Hereford, Llandrindod and Machynlleth for the three-year Advanced Engineering Apprenticeship Scheme.

Bill Kelly, acting route managing director for Wales and Borders, said: “Apprentices are the future of Network Rail, which is why we invest so much in them. And as we look ahead to our plans for 2019 and beyond, it’s a really exciting time to join Network Rail in Wales and Borders.

“Transforming the railway network means more than just getting an education. Over three fascinating, career-advancing years as an apprentice, people will gain the kind of skills that can set them up for life.”

The apprentices will play a vital role in the 20,000-strong team of frontline engineers and technicians who fix and maintain Britain’s rail infrastructure. They will have the opportunity to ‘earn while they learn’, gaining valuable work experience, transferable skills and recognised qualifications along the way.

The scheme has been running since 2005, with over 2,000 engineers trained to date, and is open to anyone who will be aged 18 on or before 29 September 2018, with no upper age limit.

The first 21 weeks of the scheme are spent living and learning at Network Rail’s state of the art training centre in the Midlands. After that, apprentices work from a depot close to home, specialising in disciplines such as signalling, telecoms and track.

With hands-on projects and dedicated support, apprentices can also study for further qualifications and gain chartered membership of a professional engineering institute.

Apprentices are guaranteed a job upon completion of the three-year course and more than four in five of those who started on the scheme a decade ago are still working for Network Rail today.

The scheme also has a far higher retention rate than the national average for engineering. 75% of those that complete the scheme choose to go into employment with Network Rail, compared to the national average for engineering of 55%.

Visit networkrail.co.uk/careers/apprenticeships/  to apply or for more information.