Rail Engineering Degree Apprentice Review

I work with the Civils design team and I help to produce wind loading calcuations; helping out with signals, banner repeaters and starting speed signs. Forms that are submitted to customers and help aid in the disign of foundations for signals, signs and LOCs. I often use spreadsheets to track deliverables and ensure the correct information is recieved from other disciplines. I have been working on multiple route sections for the project and once everything is checked I ensure all feedback is completed ready for submission.

I have learnt a lot, having no prior knowlege of this before starting. I have learnt new formula for excel to make calculations and general spreadsheets easier to use; as well as new equations for wind loading and what is required for foundation calculations. I have also become more organised and am constantly thinking of new ways to present infomation to make it easy to find and I have become more confident in myself, enabling me to get my point accross and join in potentially difficult and complex discussions even if I get it wrong from time to time.

I realy enjoy what I am doing. I have learnt a lot since starting and even given the current COVID situation everyone (not just my team) has been very accommodating and have got me involved with the business and the projects. I am participating in the DofE Gold Business Award as part of this too which has help improve my well being and get me involved in the local community as well as raising money for Cancer Research. I am always busy at work and enjoy the buzz of getting things delivered on time. I lookforward to the future years.

Being the first group to take on this challenge we have found a few problems but these are normally sorted out almost immediately. The only problem I have encountered are with the timetabling for the university but it is understandable due to the new way content is delivered and these problems have been sorted. For a work point of view, it is very organised and although I work on multiple things at the same time, deadlines and meetings make it possible to seperate out the tasks and prioritise them.

I recieve support all the time, not just from my people manager but from the whole team. If I encounter a problem a quick call and chat can sort things out very quickly and get me back on track. Somethings take a little longer but with everyone being so busy it is understandable, but its never more than a day for a responce. The university are making themselves more approachable by making contact information easily accessable. Not all problems are work related and there is a lot of support for anything out of this too!

To start with communication was a bit slow but after meetings and sending feedback to Amey, the communication has massivly improved. Contact details for lecturers are accessable through the student portal and many lecturers get back within a couple of days. We hold meetings with all the apprentices before a study block which allows us to ask any questions and ensure everything is ready for the coming week. The university clearly wants to make sure we are all learning and have a good experiance, so continue to improve on feedback both positive and negative.

Mathematics has definately helped with my calculations sheets and understanding of them. To this point it is more a refreaser of A Levels which has helped to put maths back into my mind and also created a better understanding of it. Business and legislation are key, they outline the railway structures and the health and safety standards that everyone must abide by. The rail engineering principles were unfortualy held online due to COVID meaning we couldn't complete the practicals in person, but they are very similar to A Level physics. The Thermodynamics is something I found more tricky but there is a lot of support to help you understand it and even a FAQ page that anyone can contribute to.

There are some extra curicular activities that are set up by the team. As I do a lot of walking I signed up to do 18km for DofE and get regular updates for upcomming events. I have signed up to DofE Gold which involved Physical activities, learning a new skill and volunteering; as well as a residential. This has been exciting as it has made me more active as a person and more involved with others that I might not have come accross from other parts of the business.

Yes

I think from the experience I have had so far; the support and activities and simply getting stuck into work from day 1. It is a really good company to work for. There is a lot of support such as mental health that is avalible to everyone and doesn't just have to be if your feeling stressed or anxious. I enjoyed learning about breathing and the different types and styles to help control your mood or giver you energy. There are lots of other benifits including flexitime which means I can fit work around my life opposed to fitting my life around work.

Go for it! You don't need to know everything about engineering to apply but research is a huge benifit. If you struggled at A Level maths or physics the university will help with that, so don't let that hold you back. Give it you all, especially at the interview; just be yourself! put in hard work for this day and know some stuff about the company and potentially where you want to be at the end of the apprenticeship but don't forgett to enjoy the jouney along the way. It's a great opportunity if you enjoy STEM and throw yourself at all the opportunities such as applying and once accepted in the company too.