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Monday 21 Jan 2013

Join Network Rail as a West Midlands apprentice to earn your degree

Region & Route:

The search is on across the West Midlands for young people to join Network Rail’s advanced apprenticeship scheme.

There are around 240 places available on this year’s scheme and Route Managing Director (London North Western), Dyan Crowther, wants parents, educators and young people alike to realise the future career opportunities that an apprenticeship can bring, including a university education at work.

“There are many paths to achieve a successful career” says Crowther. Whether you join straight from school or after college or work, the apprenticeship programme can be the first step to a challenging career.

An apprenticeship can also open doors to a university education. Whilst many apprentices go on to be team leaders and rise through the ranks, Network Rail also gives those who want to achieve further qualifications the chance to study part-time for a Higher National Certificate (HNC) in engineering, with the opportunity to then progress onto a foundation degree and a bachelors at Sheffield Hallam University.

Network Rail apprentices spend a year training alongside the Royal Navy at Europe’s largest engineering training facility at HMS Sultan in Hampshire. There they learn both the technical skills required to work on the railway and develop leadership and teamwork behaviours to make them more effective in their roles. For the next two years they learn their trade, working within an experienced team, continuing to return to HMS Sultan regularly for additional courses and training.

In the West Midlands there are currently nine apprentices taking part in the first year of the programme, completing their training at HMS Sultan before heading out to their respective depots in Crewe, Stafford, Sandwell and Dudley and Saltley this summer.

One of those who has already completed all three stages of the apprenticeship is 24 year-old Camilla Banner, a team leader at Rugby Maintenance Depot. Said Camilla: "I am thrilled to have completed my HNC and although it was challenging, it has really helped to prepare me for the rest of my degree. By the end of the summer, I hope to have completed my foundation degree in engineering, moving onto the full bachelors qualification. My depot and Network Rail as a whole have been incredibly supportive throughout my studies and I look forward to successfully completing my degree in 2015."

Mrs Crowther added: “Network Rail’s success is defined by its people. We need a highly skilled workforce to meet the challenges of a busier network, with a clear focus on improving performance and increasing capacity. It makes absolute sense for us to develop the talent we have coming through our apprenticeship scheme to complement our experienced engineers. This pipeline of talent development will help us retain and attract more quality people, which will help us meet the tough challenges ahead to deliver a better value railway for Britain.”