SKILLS MINISTER SEES THE REAL APPRENTICE SHOW

Thursday 5 Jun 2008

SKILLS MINISTER SEES THE REAL APPRENTICE SHOW

Region & Route:: National

David Lammy MP, Minister for Innovation, Universities and Skills this week got the full apprentice experience, seeing how hundreds of aspiring engineers are learning how to 'get hired' with Network Rail's advanced apprenticeship scheme at HMS Sultan in Gosport, Hampshire - europe's largest specialist engineering training centre.

Ahead of this summer’s crop of school leavers looking for an alternative route into employment than university, the Minister was invited for a tour of the state of the art facilities to see how Network Rail is providing people with the skills in track, signalling, electrification and plant, and telecoms to equip them for a long-term future within the rail industry.

Commenting on the tour and the centre Mr Lammy said: "I am delighted to be able to come and visit Network Rail's training centre, to see both the state-of-the-art facilities and meet the hundreds of apprentices from all around the country. This represents not only our investment in a modern rail infrastructure but also our investment in the skills base of the country."

Ian McAllister, chairman of Network Rail, who led the tour said: "A growing and improving rail industry needs the very best in engineering skills. What better way to help bring that about but by investing in our own future. This vital investment in people will deliver over 1,000 skilled technicians who will become the backbone of Network Rail for the next 25 years."

Notes to editors

The Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme was launched in 2005. Around 240 first year students undertake the course at HMS Sultan in Gosport. Network Rail has an annual budget of £23million allocated towards vocational training. Our Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme is a three-year programme that equips you with the skills and experience to become a Maintenance Engineering Technician. By the end of the three years, you will have the qualifications (NVQ and BTec) and skills to develop a long-term career with Network Rail. The first year of the Advanced Apprenticeship is spent at Europe’s largest specialist engineering training centre, HMS Sultan at Gosport. We have a unique relationship with the Royal Navy, which means in addition to a dedicated on-site training centre we also have access to their extensive facilities. In the second and third years of the scheme, apprentices work as part of an engineering maintenance team in a chosen location. At the same time, they will work towards NVQ Level 3 in railway engineering, and this will involve a combination of rail-specific technical courses, work experience and formal assessments. Visit: http://www.everydaybrilliance.com/ for more information including a day in the life video from an apprentice Alex Randall in the Training section of the site.

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