Transport Planner Review

My apprenticeship is made up of four 6 month placements to give me experience in different planning roles across the company; at the moment I am in my first placement in the Bus Policy team. There are various elements of my day to day role which differ drastically however the overall aim is to keep London's bus network running effectively and efficiently.

I have learnt many new skills whilst working for TfL mainly using Microsoft Excel. I have learnt how to build models into Excel and to process information accordingly. I have also learnt elements of coding in Python and SQL to help build systems and also extract relevant data from existing systems.

I am really enjoying the Transport Planning Apprenticeship programme so far. The different aspects of my current role allows me to be doing something new every day which helps to keep me engaged. I am also looking forward to my other placements to be able to see how different areas across the business operate.

Although the Transport Planning Apprenticeship Programmes is only in its third year of operation, it structured very professionally. Occasionally some issues crop up as they have never been dealt with before in this specific programme due to it being relatively new, it is set up in such a way that you are always supported and any issues you may have are dealt with quickly and professionally.

Transport for London provides massive amounts of support to you during the programme. The apprenticeship is set up in a way in which you have a line manager who looks after you for the whole time you are taking part in the programme, a placement manager which changes per placement to allow an insight into the area you are working in and also the apprenticeship sponsors who always have your wellbeing as a top priority.

The training provider for the Transport Planning Apprenticeship programme is Leeds College of Building. Despite the programme only being in its third year you are provided with all the support and resources you need. The course is full of lecturers and teachers who are very passionate about Transport Planning and are happy to help you out with anything you need.

I feel my qualification from Leeds College of Building helps me to perform better in my role as they teach me ways of best practice and other aspects of Transport Planning I may not experience at work due to the limited number of placements. However by learning through the college I may also be better equipped to enter my next placements as elements that I have touched on may advance me further than if I had no prior knowledge.

At Transport for London there are loads of extra-curricular activities to get involved in. There a frequent social activities either within the team you work, the department or apprentice wide to allow you to network and build connections. Courses are also available to you to allow you to develop professionally whilst also meeting others you may not have had the opportunity to do previously.

Yes

Transport for London is a great company to work for. They are very supportive and want to see you succeed in the company through the process of the programmes they offer. They are very understanding towards any issues that you may encounter and are always willing to help out as best they can.

I would say that you need to be passionate about the area you are applying too; they value this as it shows you have initiative and a willingness to learn. I would also advise others to do some research into the company as a whole and the area you are applying too so you are sure that you want to work here.