High Output Track Engineering Apprentice Review

So far, the majority of the apprenticeship and my role within it has been learning basic engineering skills, such as maths, mechanical principles and the basics of the Permanent Way structures. Further to this, some experience has been gained of working on the railways performing some basic track maintenance activities. Typical responsibilities include attending courses in a timely and positive manner, completing assignments and assessments to a high standard and working towards a skilled career within Network Rail, getting the best out of what is being taught and what is on offer. The apprentices have now moved into their individual depots and are getting a good insight into the day to day work of all disciplines within Network Rail.

In the first part of the apprenticeship, basic and railway specific maths and engineering principles were built on, expanding my knowledge of the way the railway works. Taking in part in subjects such as hand fitting and Maintaining Mechanical Devices has helped me learn a great deal about using hand tools, precision measuring equipment and the way in which parts work together to create a mechanical device. I have also been taking part in the ILM team leader qualification, to develop and improve my management skills. This is also contributing towards an NVQ level 2 in railway engineering, a BTEC in Performing Engineering Operations and ILM level 2 in team leading.

I have enjoyed the programme greatly so far because it has been an amazing opportunity to learn new skills and get qualified in this line of work. I am hoping to take these skills and experiences a lot further within Network Rail and the support the company provides is excellent, especially when it comes to the apprenticeship scheme. There has been a lot of potential for team work and the structured sporting activities have certainly helped in maintaining good fitness levels, and team bonding.

At the moment I feel greatly valued by Network Rail as they are providing support for me to complete this apprenticeship and work hard to succeed in this company. I have received praise from many members of staff and peers on several occasions so I know my hard work and dedication definitely does get recognised. I have received much praise as well from instructors on the course and this has been passed on to me through one to one meetings held with the apprentice development team, which allows individuals to see how well they have done and any feedback from instructors.

The programme is mostly well structured but there has been a couple of administrative issues regarding training course dates, that I managed to resolve. The induction was up to Network Rail standard and gave a full picture of what is expected as a Network Rail employee. The training has been very good so far and has built upon knowledge of basic engineering skills. This has been delivered well by the instructors but sometimes there are issues with one or two instructors, who have little experience on the railways as they come from an external company. The support has been good, from the development team, as they work hard to make sure the apprentices have social activities to do, as well as providing learning support with a dedicated learning support specialist, where it is needed.

The training provider supports as much as they can, in most cases. The majority of instructors will provide good learning skills and advice when it comes to their specialist subjects but one or two instructors do not provide enough support and seem inexperienced as some information they passed out was contradictory to what was previously said by those individuals. However, the general attitude and focus of the instructors is very good and they are keen to support and develop the apprentices who are putting in the effort.

There is quite a lot of support from the employer and they are quick to resolve any issues that may occur on the course. Although some apprentices have experienced a less helpfulness with the manager and administrator, in my opinion they do not try to help themselves in any way and think they will have their hands held throughout the course. In the main though, I have readily received plenty of support and where my manager, mentor or the HR team cannot help, they will point me in the right direction.

The salary, although expected, is not very good for my costs as I have several household bills to pay for and the salary does little to support this. I have been able to be relieved of council tax but it is still quite a chore to keep up with the incoming versus outgoing costs. The majority of travel costs are supported, however, and the expense system is easy to use. The location of the Westwood training facility and my depot are both in good locations and not a hassle but the HMS Sultan training facility is a long way away from me and so can be time consuming and costly to get there.

There are lots of charity opportunities for apprentices to get involved and there is a lot of emphasis on the apprentices organising and involving themselves. There is plenty of social and sports opportunity too, and regular core fitness lessons are organised to help keep the fitness and wellbeing of the apprentices up. There are plenty of evening social events such as quizzes and pool competitions, and the on site gym had classes and good facilities to support an active lifestyle. There are benefits within the company that allow you to get some discount on certain health clubs and gyms within your area and this can help get people into a more healthy lifestyle also.

Yes

I feel the Network Rail apprenticeship scheme is, overall, very well organised and supportive of any individual who passes through there. Of course, the harder you work, the more rewarded you will be and the apprenticeship, and the company as a whole, really pushes that ethic onto it's workforce. The majority of staff are willing to help and will definitely be supportive of each individual. The qualifications and career opportunities that come out of the apprenticeship are phenomenal too, are it can certainly set you up for life.

When applying, be honest about yourself and be passionate about what truly makes you happy. It is worth reading up about the company and researching Network Rail's policies and projects before, during and after you go for interviews, as it will strengthen your knowledge of the company, and make you a more lucrative candidate to the employer. When it comes to assessment days and any other opportunities, throw yourself at them and get involved, making sure you push yourself out of your comfort zone, to build your confidence. This will make you a stronger candidate and you will enjoy yourself more, especially if you enjoy being challenged. At then end of the day, you can only be the best you can be but it is up to you to push yourself to that limit and get the best out of the experience.