Media centre

Wednesday 11 Jan 2012

RAIL INDUSTRY UNITES TO LAUNCH 18-MONTH WORK PLACEMENT SCHEME

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

• Network Rail-funded scheme to create 10 new graduate training opportunities in Scotland

More than 25 companies across the rail sector have joined together to help up to 100 out-of-work graduates get their careers on track by launching a new cross-industry, paid internship.

The Network Rail-funded scheme - Track and Train – will provide an all-round industry experience over 18 months, where graduates will enjoy three, six-month placements: one at Network Rail and two at either a passenger or freight operator or another company within the rail sector.

The scheme involves 27 partner companies based across Britain providing local employment opportunities, including 10 positions within the rail industry in Scotland.

Track and Train will target young people who have graduated in the last two years but owing to the tough economic times have found themselves either unemployed or under-employed in a non-graduate level role.

Patrick Butcher, Network Rail’s group finance director, said: “We know that there are many smart, talented individuals out there that haven’t had their break yet and as a growing industry we can work together to provide challenging, valuable and paid work experience to kick start their careers.

"What sets this scheme apart is those involved will work across the rail industry and by linking it all together, develop a fantastic knowledge and understanding of the challenges we all face and the opportunities for the future.”

As thousands of young people start 2012 looking for meaningful work, Network Rail surveyed those who have graduated in the last two years and found:

• Four in 10 people (41%) are unsure if they made the right degree choice and a further 14% believe they made the wrong choice.
• Graduates have applied, on average, for nine jobs since leaving university.
• 8% have been offered no job interviews
• 65% have been offered between one and three interviews and a quarter (24%) have had more than five interviews.
• 43% have found it extremely hard or hard to narrow down the type of job they are looking for with a further 34% finding it sometimes hard.
• One in five (19%) are not interested in doing voluntary work with a third (33%) only wanting paid work. 19% have already done voluntary work.
• When asked what they think employers value most:
  - 40% said “work experience relevant to the job”
  - 28% “skills relevant to the job”
  - 14% believe that top qualifications are most valued
  - 10% said “where someone went to university” is what employers are most interested in
  - 29% believe that a lack of experience most puts off potential employers in an application or interview
• More than one in four (27%) rated their university careers service as “not very good” or “poor” with a further 34% saying it was “only partly helpful”.