Apprentice Rail Technician Review

My role as an Apprentice rail technician has varied throughout my apprenticeship. My first year consisted of attending college full time, gaining basic knowledge and skills in the engineering field. My second year I am on placements in 4 different locations, gaining practical skills and evidence to count towards my level 3 qualification.

I have gained a majority of my current practical skills during my apprenticeship, working on trains, bogies, lathe work & milling. Whilst working for Siemens I have also gained many valuable life skills, especially communication skills, working with people from all sectors of the business and engaging with people in the community.

I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my apprenticeship so far. It's given me many experiences to improve myself professionally and personally, and the opportunity to be a part of a great project that will become a part of peoples every day lives. It's also great to help the community and have an impact on those who need it the most.

My apprenticeship has been well organised, however the first year ( at no fault of my company ) was badly organised by the college attended, however they have now switched college providers to improve the issues we had. Despite the lack of organisation we still got support we needed to complete our tasks.

The support Siemens has to offer for all issues is incredible, we have multiple points of contact for help and receive help promptly, and have many resources acceptable 24/7 when someone isn't available there and then. The support from tutors for written work is also fantastic which helps with stress etc.

We have contact with tutors whenever we need help, and a weekly call which is optional to join when and if you have a question or general help. In my personal experience they have gone above and beyond to accommodate my needs to complete my assignments and work to the best of my ability.

It's hard to say as we are unsure of the role we will be in exactly at the end of our apprenticeship, however I feel comfortable in all the placements I have had so far and comfortable in certain jobs that I could complete these individually, and I'm confident my qualification will give me most if not all the information I need.

There are many opportunities to engage in activities and work events. I personally have been involved in multiple networking events involving women in stem, coffee roulette where you can meet people in the business, and also volunteering opportunities to meet people in our local community who we work close with.

Yes

I would and have recommended Siemens to many of my colleagues. I think it's a company that can cater to what everyone needs/wants in their job, and there are endless opportunities to further your education which Siemens support. Also, with the wide option of types of jobs in Siemens I think there is one for everyone.

Ensure you show your personality and hobbies, and show a keen interest in the company and the work that they do. For me I wanted to be an engineer for a long time, and my hobbies etc reflected this which I think helped my application process a lot. Show off all of the valuable skills you currently have and what you want to gain from what could be your new role.