Signalling Maintenance Technician Apprentice Review

As I chose Signalling for my discipline, I am known as a Signalling Maintenance Technician Apprentice. My day to day life is going out on track with colleagues, identifying and fixing faults, performing maintenance etc. I also spent 4 months training in Coventry before going out on track to have a base knowledge on Maths, Electricity and Health and Safety, amongst others.

I so far, in 6 months, have achieved the following qualifications: NVQ2 in Performing Engineering Operations, BTEC National Award in Engineering and an Institute of Leadership Management (ILM) Level 2. This was all at Westwood over 4 months. I also have had a PTS course which allows you to work or railway, plus DCCR to work near third rail.

Now that I'm at depot I am enjoying the job a lot more. While the Westwood facility and friends I made there were great, I felt the training left me in the dark. While the Babcock trainers knew about their subjects ok, the organisation of the assignments felt on the fly, plus they all had little to no railway knowledge. However, at depot I feel I am learning every day, I just wish I had that head start.

I feel very welcomed by my new manager and team, who have all been supportive. Similar to Question 3, I wish I knew more railway knowledge from Westwood so I wasn't too clueless when I first went out on track, but my team understood. The apprenticeship staff have been very keen on me achieving and getting involved in activities e.g. organising charity works.

I feel that the Network Rail side of things has been, for the most part, a smooth transition from point to point. Some creases needed ironing but that can be chalked up to this being the first year at Westwood for the apprenticeship scheme. I feel that the Babcock side has been a bit disappointing, with instructors not being able to answer questions about the railway. There was always lots of confusion around assignments, with constant changes and errors corrected that should have been sorted months earlier. Marking with Babcock was another problem; one assignment I had to chase 3 months after submission. The ADF team from Babcock I do like as they seem to care about how I'm doing and have helped, but several instructors I felt treated me and co-workers like children, which I didn't expect as an adult training at work.

On the Babcock side I have an ADF, who I know I can contact via email. I also have scheduled meetings with my ADF where we talk about my progression and how to keep it moving forward. At Westwood, they had a learning support officer that would help those with learning difficulties and, although I didn't need it, it was good to know if I did the facility was in place.

My manager is very supportive, often asking how I'm doing and offering me avenues if I need any assistance. I was nominated a mentor at depot who I can turn to if I need any help or guidance. I have found all my co-workers to be helpful with and questions I have and understand if I'm a bit slower; it's good to be in such a big support network.

For the moment, I'm doing ok on the basic money, however I have a lot less expenses than other apprentices; I live at home, don't have children and don't own a car. Due to me being on the Wessex route, I also get free train travel to work, cutting out another expense. When I do get a car, which is pretty necessary in this business, my wage will have to go a lot further than at the moment. I do believe the first year wage should be increased due to the fact we only spend half a year at Westwood, with previous years being away from home for the entire first year.

In Westwood, there was plenty to do outside of work. There was always sports and exercise classes, plus the gym, sauna and swimming pool. Then there was quizzes and board games in the bar with TV's for football at the weekends. I also helped organise a National Trust charity works where we built a walkway for pedestrians, which was a lot of fun and helped my leadership skills.

Yes

I'd recommend this apprenticeship scheme to anyone looking for a career in engineering as well as a future in management and leadership. I believe this scheme shapes you into a leader, improving confidence all round. As a company, I'd recommend Network Rail to anyone; it's rare to find an organisation that truly values the safety and skills of their employees as much as Network Rail.

My biggest tips for applying for the apprenticeship are be confident and know your stuff. No one's going to expect you to know everything on the first day, but showing you're passionate and interested is the first step to success, and coming across as confident in yourself is the best way to make a good impression. I'd also recommend making sure this is the right path for you; engineering can be intensive and is almost a way of life, so really make sure it's for you.