Media centre

Thursday 9 Jul 2009

YOUNG APPRENTICES IN SOUTH WEST MAKE THEIR MARK ON THE RAILWAY

Region & Route:

Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

The young trainees are among over 200 in Britain to have completed their first-year of training this year with Network Rail’s award-winning advanced apprenticeship scheme. The company has this week signed up its 1,000th aspiring railway engineers since it was launched just four years ago.

The apprentices will now be working alongside experienced engineers to acquire on-the-job training on improving and maintaining the signalling, track, electrification and plant on the railway in Gloucester, Swindon, Bristol, Westbury, Plymouth and Par.

The successful apprenticeship scheme is a testimony of Network Rail’s commitment in investing in talent, creating new jobs and training apprentices for the future.

Its effort has also brought home today a coveted business award - the Serco Talent Award, in association with the Talent & Enterprise Taskforce - at the annual Business in the Community (BITC) Awards for Excellence, presented by HRH the Prince of Wales.

The awards are the UK’s most influential, independent, peer-assessed corporate responsibility awards. They recognise and celebrate those companies who have shown innovation, creativity and a sustained commitment to corporate responsibility.

The award-winning advanced apprenticeship scheme, which combines personal development with technical training, will continue to train an additional 1,200 in the next five years across Britain.

In 2009 alone, the company will spend more than £30 million on vocational training and is set to take on 280 graduate recruits, about double last year’s intake.

Chris Rayner, western route director for Network Rail said: “Congratulations to the young apprentices for their latest accomplishments. It will no doubt be a rewarding career for them after they graduate from the scheme, as they join us at an exciting time when the western route continues to thrive in performance.”

Iain Coucher, chief executive of Network Rail added: “We believe in investing in our people. A bigger and better railway needs the very best in skills to succeed. By investing in the future of hundreds of young men and women, we invest in our own future too. We are immensely proud that we have reached this milestone of 1,000 apprentices and look forward to training the next 1,000.”

David Willetts MP, shadow secretary of state for universities and skills said: “I have been very impressed by the Network Rail apprentices that I have met. They are learning a valuable trade and getting excellent training at the same time. I am particularly impressed by the residential aspect of the programme, which teaches important life skills, and am very glad to see the scheme is growing - even during the recession. We want to see a big increase in apprenticeship places and are committed to ensuring there are more opportunities for young people than in the past.”

Geoff Lloyd, Serco group HR director, judge and sponsor of the 2009 Talent Award, said: “Network Rail’s approach to talent has seen them create a culture of learning and change throughout the organisation. This holistic approach to the development and investment in talent is characterised by the boldness of the scale that they have aimed to reach. The judges were impressed by the clear leadership that has created an opportunity for life for Network Rail employees both present and future. Network Rail is a great ambassador for how business can support, develop and grow talent despite challenging business issues and is therefore a deserving winner of the Serco Talent Award, supported by the Talent & Enterprise Taskforce.”

Stephen Howard, chief executive, Business in the Community, said: “Network Rail is a tremendous example of a company succeeding in their efforts to look outward, as well as inward, for talent during a recession. By investing in existing employees’ training and development needs, as well as promoting its apprenticeships and graduate training schemes externally, they send a clear signal to others that maintaining this level of commitment is possible, even during tough times. Our people are our future, and I congratulate Network Rail for achieving this award, after putting people at the heart of programmes that have improved the business on multiple levels.”

The next advanced apprenticeship scheme intake is in January 2010 and more information can be found on http://www.everydaybrilliance.co.uk.