Media centre

Monday 6 Feb 2012

YORKSHIRE AND LINCOLNSHIRE WOMEN WHO WANT DEGREES URGED TO TAKE THE APPRENTICE ROUTE

Region & Route:

Women across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire 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.

Today, the start of National Apprenticeship Week, the company is urging young women who are interested in a career in engineering to apply for its advanced apprenticeship scheme for 2012 – with 200 places up for grabs across Britain.

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, Phil Verster, route managing director at Network Rail, said: “We want to recruit and retain the best quality engineers for the future to enable Network Rail to provide a safer, more reliable and better value railway for the public. The apprenticeship scheme allows us to do this and provides smart and ambitious women and men with an opportunity to begin a career in engineering which may not have been possible through their GCSE choices.

“Engineering is traditionally seen as a male orientated career but nothing could be further from the truth. We hope to attract talented women to apply and nurture their skills to help Network Rail deliver the engineering expertise needed across the railway.”

Karis Brown, 24, who is from Bradford and studied track maintenance in Leeds, said: “From being a young girl I knew I wanted to work in engineering but didn’t fancy going to university so I applied for the apprenticeship. It sounded perfect - a year away from home, a chance to make new friends and start an exciting career with no expensive university fees. It was a brilliant experience and I would love to do it all over again. We had less than 10 girls in my year but all of us became really good friends and I have made some best friends for life on the apprenticeship.

“I sometimes get comments asking how I can do a man’s job but it’s not a man’s job at all. I break the odd nail every now and then and the uniform isn’t ideal but that’s the only down side. I would encourage any girl who is considering an exciting and challenging career to find out more about the apprenticeship.”

Sophie Fardell, from Lincoln, began the course in 2010. Commenting on why she chose a Network Rail apprenticeship, she said: “I wanted a job that would enable me to build a career for myself. I learn better from practical learning and so an apprenticeship in engineering seemed to be the best option for me to learn while on the job and earning so I could support myself.”