Media centre

Monday 6 Feb 2012

WEST COUNTRY WOMEN WHO WANT DEGREES URGED TO TAKE THE APPRENTICE ROUTE

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

Women across the West Country are being encouraged to consider a career in engineering with Network Rail.

The company believes many are missing out on a career in engineering because traditional university routes are closed to them because of subject choices they made pre-GCSE.

A Network Rail apprenticeship can reopen those academic doors with the company funding around 40 apprentices a year to further their education with a part-time HNC in engineering. The best are then supported to do foundation degrees, undergraduate degrees and reach chartered engineering status.

Applicants can visit a new Facebook page - www.facebook.com/ontrack - with videos, profiles and content managed by current apprentices who can respond directly to any enquiries and showcase the opportunities on offer.

Official figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency show that women get better grades at university than men with 66% achieving a first or 2:1 compared to 60% of men. However only 15% of people taking engineering or technology undergraduate degrees are women.

A focus group with women on the Network Rail scheme revealed that recognised qualifications and the opportunity for further training and development were one of the main reasons they were attracted to joining the company.

Commenting on the new campaign, Patrick Hallgate, Network Rail’s route managing director, said: “We recruit smart and ambitious women and men through our apprenticeship scheme who we know if supported can go on to higher academic achievement. As a growing sector, rail needs to recruit and retain top quality engineers for the future.

“Our recruitment experience tells us that many young people find the route to higher education in engineering closed because of their GCSE choices, which has a knock on effect to A level and degree options. By reopening the academic doors to those who have not taken the traditional route, we hope to attract more talented women to apply and nurture that engineering expertise that will make our business stronger, more successful and better value for the British public.”

Rachel McDonnell, 22, is a technical officer based at the Swindon maintenance depot. She said: “After I left school I started applying for apprenticeships as I had always been interested in engineering and this seemed the best way to gain the skills that I needed. My neighbour recommended the Network Rail scheme and here I learned both new skills and improve on old ones from my car mechanics course.

“I have made some amazing friends who I still see on a regular basis and would recommend the scheme to anyone as it helped me to find myself. I had a great time working out on track and the gang I was placed with could not have been nicer to me. The team leader constantly helped me whenever I was struggling and I am still grateful for all the support he gave me.”