Media centre

Tuesday 6 Feb 2024

Number of TRU rail apprenticeships in West Yorkshire continues to grow

The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) has so far taken on 44 apprentices in West Yorkshire, who have been involved in some of the project's biggest pieces of work across the region including the building of the new station at Morley, the ground-breaking TRU Safety Centre (pictured) and the upgrade of Huddersfield station.

TRU is close to reaching the halfway mark of its ambitious aim to take on 590 apprentices across the rail upgrade between Manchester and York, via Leeds and Huddersfield.

Apprentices are working in various disciplines across TRU, including Civil Engineering, Project Management, Quantity Surveying and Ecology, while simultaneously undertaking a degree and applying theory learned in academia on the largest rail project in the North of England.

The number of apprentices on the multi-billion-pound programme has already reached 264, primarily recruited from locations along the route, and amounting to £14.3 million in value to society, according to the Rail Social Value Tool.

Apprentices on TRU identify the cost of living crisis, tuition fee debt, career prospects and enhanced hands-on learning as reasons for choosing apprenticeships.

TRU, which recently secured a further £3.9 bn of governmental funding, marks the milestone during National Apprenticeship Week, which takes place 5-12 February.

TRU is creating tens of thousands of jobs both directly and indirectly, including 8,000 new and safeguarded roles, with 60% of the construction workforce employed from within 25 miles of the route and 80% within 40 miles.

TRU is also set to deliver a minimum 50p value to society for every £1 spent on construction, generating £4.28 billion of social value, as outlined in the TRU Sustainability Strategy ‘Our Guiding Compass’ which was published last Summer.

Bethany Draper, TRU Commercial Apprentice said:

“I was accepted into two Russell Group universities but If I were to have gone to university, I would have been in a lot of debt.”

“Financial independence is a key part of choosing an apprenticeship. With expanded work experience in an office or site environment, you have a better start to your career than other students.”

Amie Symonds, Head of Programme Integration Apprentice said:

"It is key younger people know they can approach all sorts of organisations, not just engineering companies. You can do an apprenticeship in pretty much any subject. TRU has 4 different ones, but the rest of Network Rail does as well. If you go and look, they’re there. But do it in good time, don’t wait for the end of sixth form."

"Apprenticeships are really wide breadth, you’re less pigeon-holed than with a degree. Don’t be worried about taking one on, you have a world in front of you. You’re opening your doors, not shutting them."

Christopher Walker, TRU Commercial Apprentice said:

“Someone I know went to a good university and got a first-class honours degree in architecture, but couldn’t get a job due to lack of experience. I didn’t want that to happen, I wanted to work in what I’ve chosen to do. That was the main deciding factor in choosing an apprenticeship for me.”

“There's a miscomprehension that you get paid very little to be someone’s printing assistant, getting told what to do. But the truth is that companies like TRU put time and effort into developing you as an apprentice.”

Neil Holm, TRU Managing Director said:

“Providing opportunities through apprenticeships is at the heart of the TRU story. A railway fit for the North of England is being built by the communities through which TRU travels.

“Our nearly 590 apprentices are key to the TRU programme and reaching the halfway point of our ambitious apprenticeship intake underlines our commitment to developing skills and employment prospects for TRU communities.”

TRU apprentices of various disciplines are available to interview across broadcast, digital and print media. Please contact alec.herron@networkrail.co.uk.