Apprentice Signalling Technician Review

As an apprentice signalling technician I began my first 6 months in initial residential training. After this I was assigned to a signalling and telecoms depot to receive on the job training/ experience. However we also have block release training at training facilities such as Westwood (Coventry) and HMS Sultan (Gosport). I report to my depot on a day to day basis and follow a faulting and maintenance team. We are responsible for maintaining the signalling infrastructure in our district. We are given a list of planned maintenance that has been scheduled for that day and also attend any faults that may arise throughout the course of the day.

Absolutely, as a signalling technician you will require lots of practical skills as well as theoretical ones. The training reflects this as you have theoretical units such as Principles of Electrical Science, Signalling Technology and Signalling infrastructure. As well as practical training which also incorporates technical knowledge such as, Wiring and testing, Signalling Engineering Maintenance 1 & 2 and Signalling Maintenance Testing Handbook.

As a large national company you will meet many other apprentices and make lots of friends from around the nation when attending residential training. You will form a close relationship with your team at depot who will encourage you to strive for success and support you to the best of their ability.

The program is very well structured, you attend your first 6 months of residential training at Westwood where you will learn basic engineering skills to give you a baseline knowledge. You will then be assigned to your local depot to gain on track experience and knowledge. Which is supported by regular block release to supporting training for your NVQ/ apprenticeship. The course is designed to fast track individuals to becoming technician grade.

You will form a close relationship with your team at depot who will encourage you to strive for success and support you to the best of their ability. As well as regular progress reviews with your line manager where they discuss your career goals, performance, progress and what you need to do to succeed within the apprenticeship scheme and your career.

The training provider will always take you through the theoretical aspects of any task before you perform it so that you can gain an understanding of it. They will also demonstrate any practical tasks you are required to perform and advise you of any safety issues you should be aware of.

The training that is received provides you with competencies which are registered on your sentinel card. These competencies can be seen by the person in charge when you go out on track and certain tasks require certain competencies if you do not have these you are not allowed to carry out the work.

Within your time as Westwood there are many sporting events and competitions organised by both the staff and apprentices. Every sporting event a member of your house participates in gives points towards that house leading up to the winning house being presented with the house cup. There is also non physical activities such as quizzes, gaming (board games/ games consoles)

Yes

Network Rail always encourages and provides opportunities for their staff to advance as far as they can and learn new things. They also look after the wellbeing of their staff and provide lots of training and support on things like mental and physical health. As well as support in the form of subsidised health insurance, financial advice and mental health helplines. The staff at Network Rail are all very supportive and friendly.

When attending the assessment centre make sure you be yourself, showcase your strengths and what you feel you can bring to the table but don't be afraid to mention your weaknesses, show a thirst for knowledge and the drive to succeed, demonstrate you are a team player and can think outside of the box to resolve problems.