Media centre

Monday 3 Oct 2011

MORE APPRENTICES GET ON TRACK FOR SUCCESS IN GREATER LONDON

Region & Route:

| Southern

Promising apprentices have begun a three-year programme to become skilled maintenance engineering technicians at Network Rail after the company received nearly 8,000 applications for its award winning apprenticeship scheme – and 45 of them will be working in Greater London.

The apprentices will spend a year training alongside the Royal Navy at Europe’s largest engineering training facility at HMS Sultan in Hampshire.

Here they will learn both the technical skills required to work on the railway and develop leadership and teamwork behaviours which will make them more effective in their roles.

They will continue their training for two further years on-the-job at depots across the capital including King’s Cross, Euston and London Bridge returning to HMS Sultan for additional courses and learning. The apprentices specialise in track, signalling and telecoms and mechanical locking.

Depot	Number of apprentices
Barking	2
Clapham	1
Croydon	4
Euston	7
Feltham/Wimbledon	1
Finsbury Park	4
King’s Cross	3
London Bridge	3
London Victoria	3
Norwood	2
Paddington	1
Romford	4
Stratford	1
Tottenham	3
West Ealing	3
Westbourne Park	3

Steve Featherstone, director of maintenance at Network Rail said: "Our apprentices will be part of a 34,000-strong team helping three million people get to work and home again to their day or night out, to their holiday or to their university or school. It’s challenging, rewarding and of great value to Britain and its economic success.

“In the future we expect the railway to become more popular and we have big plans for making it more reliable, efficient and better value for money; our apprentices will play a big role in that.”

He added: “We now have the building blocks in place so that beyond their apprenticeships, our engineers can undertake a higher national certificate, a foundation degree and then a full degree in engineering. They can earn while they learn and go as far as their aptitude, attitude and ambition can take them.”

Vicki Fox has just completed her first year on the scheme and is now based at the Euston depot.

The 23-year-old said: “I have always showed a keen interest in engineering ever since I was a young girl. I saw the Network Rail scheme and it seemed like a brilliant opportunity to gain an engineering qualification and do it with a well known company.

“Since being on the scheme I have changed so much as a person. I have outdone and surprised myself with my academic ability with the support of the instructors and fellow apprentices.”

Bilal Jamil, who is now based at the Finsbury Park depot after completing his first year on the scheme, said: “I had a special interest in engineering but didn’t want to go university. Instead I decided to study and put that into practice at the same time.

“This career path offered a lot of options and possible promotion, but if you want it you have to work hard for it. The teaching has been at a very high quality; the instructors have a very good engineering background and have developed my skills in an enjoyable way.”