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Friday 11 Mar 2016

Network Rail apprenticeship scheme helps Suffolk based rail engineer rise to the top

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| Eastern: Anglia

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Ipswich-based signal maintenance engineer, Owen Flanders, is proof that an apprenticeship can get you ahead in the workplace and he has taken part in a video to encourage people to think about apprenticeships ahead of National Apprenticeship Week (14-18 March). Owen works on one of the most heavily-used freight paths in Britain, covering the mainline from London Liverpool Street to Norwich, which also sees around 32 million passenger journeys a year.

Owen, now 28, started out as a Network Rail apprentice in 2007 and worked his way up to his current role as a signal maintenance engineer at Ipswich, managing a team of over 100, who manage the safety and reliability of the signalling equipment on the railway.

Owen has also progressed his education while climbing the career ladder. He has gained a Bachelor’s in engineering and is soon to complete a Master’s degree in engineering at the University of Birmingham, which is also funded by Network Rail.

Commenting on his experience, Owen said: “I’d encourage anyone who is leaving school or wants to change their career to think about an apprenticeship. It has given me a good knowledge of the job, and has really helped me to get where I am now. The usual route after school would be to go to college and then university, but learning while earning has meant that I can apply what I learn in the classroom to real life experience out on the track. I’ve always been ambitious, and the apprenticeship has shown me that I can have a job and get an education at the same time.”

Apprenticeships are not simply a route for students who do not have the grades to go to university – far from it. They provide a fantastic opportunity for anyone who wants to learn new skills and is prepared to work hard and get ahead. And this is the message from Network Rail chief executive, Mark Carne. 

Mr Carne, the boss of one of the UK’s biggest employers with 35,000 staff across Britain, wants to challenge the ‘stigma’ associated with apprenticeships, and is calling on teachers, parents and employers to work together to educate more young people about the benefits they can offer. This is in line with Network Rail research showing that graduates from the company’s Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme are often the first in their friendship group to achieve their personal and professional goals.

Commenting, Mark Carne, said:

“Our apprenticeship scheme has been running for ten years and we are incredibly proud of what our graduates have gone on to achieve. Many tell us that our scheme has fast-tracked them towards achieving personal and professional goals ahead of their friends, such as managing a team and buying a house.

“Our graduated apprentices are living proof that there should be no stigma associated with apprenticeships, and that with the right attitude and work ethic, you can reap the rewards alongside those who have chosen a university route. In fact, many of our apprentices have gone on to gain higher qualifications, including degrees, through our education programme. I would urge employers, teachers and parents to join forces to educate young people about the fantastic benefits that an apprenticeship can offer, both in a personal and professional capacity.”

Research from Network Rail shows that it’s Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme puts people on track for a prosperous and rewarding career. A survey of graduates from the scheme found that:

More than half of those surveyed were the first among their friends to buy a house (52%)

Almost three quarters (71%) said they were the first in their friendship group to be promoted

Nearly half (43%) say they are on track for a senior management position within the next five years

69% of those surveyed said they feel they are in a role where they are making a real difference

62% of our graduated apprentices feel they have made decisions that directly impact the business

Network Rail apprentices form part of the company’s 20,000-strong orange army of front line engineers and technicians who maintain, renew and upgrade the railway across Britain. This year, Network Rail is looking to recruit 150 apprentices nationwide to help deliver the biggest investment since the Victorian era through its £40bn Railway Upgrade Plan.

Notes to editors

About Network Rail’s Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme

Network Rail’s Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme is a three-year programme that equips people with the skills and experience to become a maintenance engineering technician. The scheme is open to applicants over 17 years of age and has no upper age limit. There are five engineering programmes: track, signals, electrification and plant, signal design and telecoms. Each one gives you the chance to work in a critical area of the business, where your development will continue beyond the three years of the scheme.

Pay and benefits:

As an Advanced Apprentice, you’ll earn while you learn, with free food and accommodation during the period of your residential stay in your first year. There are plenty of holidays: 28 days plus bank holidays and Network Rail will pay for apprentices to travel home for long weekends and Christmas, Easter and summer holidays. During the scheme, you can claim all our company benefits too, such as discounted train travel to and from work and a pension.

Qualifications:

After three years, apprentices will have the qualifications (NVQ, BTec and ILM (Institute of Leadership and Management)) and skills to develop a long-term career with Network Rail. Many apprentices complete their first year and soon start to think about their career options – and many set their sights on becoming technical officers, team leaders or managers. There are even further opportunities to study a foundation degree for those who demonstrate the commitment and ability.

About the research

The survey was conducted in July 2015 by Network Rail and polled 355 employees who have completed the company’s Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme.

About Network Rail

Network Rail owns, manages and develops Britain’s railway – the 20,000 miles of track, 40,000 bridges and viaducts, and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations (the largest of which we also run). In partnership with train operators we help people take more than 1.6bn journeys by rail every year - double the number of 1996 - and move hundreds of millions of tonnes of freight, saving almost 8m lorry journeys. We’re investing £40bn in the railway by 2019 to deliver more frequent, more reliable, safer services and brighter and better stations.