Level 3 Rail Engineering Technician Apprentice Review

I tend to either work at night with a team from my depot, or be on a training course either remotely or somewhere I have to travel to. In the first few months I went out on track on days with teams from my depot, however there is far more planned maintenance that happens overnight so it is more useful for me to work then to gain experience.

I have developed my academic skills, especially maths, in my remote classes with Inspiro. I have learnt so many new skills regarding the maintenance of the railway as I had next to know knowledge of how maintenance is carried out when I applied for this apprenticeship. I have also developed some physics skills when on a Wiring and Testing course in Leicester.

I am enjoying my course a lot and now that I have a good basic understanding of how to do my job, I have been able to get more involved on shifts and gradually improve my skillset every shift. I prefer the training provided to me by Network Rail over the external training.

I am currently switching from training courses to shift work then back to training courses. The first year involves the most training of the 3 so although it leads to chopping and changing my routine, it is important to learn the basics as soon as possible so I think it works. I have also worked with my manager to organise my shifts when I am not on training so that I can make the most of my time at work.

I have an Apprenticeship Development Coach from both Network Rail and Inspiro. I feel comfortable talking to them if and when any issues arise, and have a teams call with my ADC from Inspiro and my ine manager 4-5 times a year. My line manager is also supportive and I feel as though I am in a good environment to learn.

My Apprenticeship Development Coach from Inspiro is very supportive and helpful. I have 12-weekly reviews with her and my Line Manager to make sure I am up to date with my course work and that I am generally getting on well. She also regularly emails me updates and helpful content for me to use when working towards my qualifications.

I feel as though the qualification I am working towards improves my core skills such as maths and some elements of engineering, which is useful for when I am working on track. However, whilst all knowledge is good knowledge and it is essential for my qualification, some of the content I have been learning about with Inspiro is not heavily related to the maintenance work I do.

As far as I am aware there are no sports teams at my work. I have had some social activities outside of work with apprentices from my depot, as well as apprentices from my region who work in different depots. Training in Leicester was the best opportunity for me to get to know people and enjoy my time outside of work with colleagues.

Yes

I think Network Rail welcomes hard workers with opens arms and is a fantastic industry to be a part of, especially for myself as I have always been interested in trains and the railway. I have settled into what is my first 'proper' job well and would recommend working for Network Rail to others.

Make sure to express yourself fully to your potential employer. Be willing to learn lots of new information ad apply new knowledge to your job. Work hard and give your colleagues a good first impression - impress them! (especially as an apprentice). Respect everyone and they will respect you back, and develop good working relationships.