Apprentice Track Maintenance Engineer Review

My apprenticeship job title is an Apprentice Track maintenance Engineer with Network Rail. Day to Day can be very varied, depending on the placement you are on. For example, my first placement has been with the Technical team who are responsible for conducting important surveys on the track and railway structures to make sure they are safe for use. Such as conducting platform surveys to make sure that the track is a safe clearance from the platform edge so that the gap is not too big for passengers getting on and off train, as well as the train doesnt strike the platform! I have been in this placement for a couple of months and am learning things everyday! You go on multiple placements during the apprenticeship to gather an overview of the industry and gives you an insight into what role you might want to go into after the apprenticeship.

After 7 months I have achieved a qualification i ILM, which is essentially team leading and working skills. In addition, I have learn emergency first aid and learnt how to drive the company vehicles such as the crew bus. By the end of the apprenticeship I will have a level 3 qualification in engineering and ILM. Throughout the apprenticeship you go on training courses to gain new skills to use equipment such as drills and impact wrenches, known as 'tickets' which makes you a valuable member to the company.

I find the work enjoyable because it is varied as there is so much to learn within the business and is completely different from my previous job (retail!). The company is very safety conscious and you get the feeling that they look after there employees. I can imagine the work may get a bit repetitive after a while, however, most jobs do and the work feels like you are making a difference.

I do feel valued by network rail as my manager has been very considerate in what I need to learn and easing me into the business. He use to be an apprentice himself and is now a Assistant track maintenance engineer after 10 years in the company! There is alot of opportunities to jump on additional shifts to gain more experience of different work and the track gangs make you feel pretty welcome.

The initial induction to the apprenticeship lasts 21 weeks at west wood training facility in Coventry. This facility is amazing and the staff make you feel at home which is especially important if you haven't lived away from home before. To be honest the organisation of the programme was a bit hit and miss for the first couple of months, however this is because the apprenticeship programme has only just moved to westwood from down south and I was in the first cohort. From then on however, things have run a lot smoother. You have regular meetings with a member of staff to catch up on how you are doing at depot and if you have any problems or queries, so you feel supported in that sense.

As mentioned above you get a regular meeting with a mentor so you can get any questions answered and goes through your progress and performance with your line manager. You can also email any of the training providing staff freely. During the training at westwood it was quite easy to get any support as everything is on site so you can easily find your instructor if you have any questions. Overall I did enjoy the intial training as it gives you a wide range of engineering knowledge - alot of maths!

As mentioned i have been recieving a lot of support from a busy manager and have been made to feel welcome and that I am contributing to the team. They also seem to be open to offering whatever support I need and is very easy to ask them any questions that I might have for them. I have been given opportunities to go out with my manager just to observe and learn rather than to help them in anyway, so that shows that they are thinking with their apprentice in mind.

The first 21 weeks in west wood you cannot complain as you get your onsite accommodation completely paid for which is basically a hotel type room with a en suite ! You get brilliant food 3 times a day and have access to a gym, pool and sauna! Some travel costs are paid for to and from westwood on given holidays, not just any weekend though. At depot all travel costs to another place of work by train has been covered for me. Therefore, the salary for the first year is pretty low (£8150ish) but as you are away for 6 months of that anyway it hardly matters! And you get a £1150 bonus on the completion of the first year as well, in addition to the comapany bonus

From my time at westwood there was volunteering oppurtunies to go to such as helping out at a natural trust locations, which we did clearing back vegetation from a pathway through a wood. In addition, charity events are organised by the staff and apprentices such as 10k runs and cake sales. At westwood there is a squash court, gym and swimming pool which you can use in your free time. At depot, I have been to a railtek event at the nec with work. At west wood outside of work, we went to Coventry and Birmingham and did normal things with mates such as bowling and going to the cinema.

Yes

Its a large company, with many opportunities and great training. You are in a good position to make a lifetime career!

Make sure you look into the role of Network rail for the interview, why you want to be in the railway industry and where you see yourself going!