Apprentice Review

As an apprentice I learn off of my colleagues whether that is on track or in the office. I will observe what they do, ask questions on what they have done and then I will try and integrate into the team to get some practical knowledge of being in that role with its responsibilities.

I have learnt many new skills such as working safely out on track, carrying out maintenance activities on track including sleeper changing and fixing track geometry faults. In the Office I have developed my computer skills in using Excel to input data recorded manually or by measurement trains and to adapt formulas or create spread sheets for a new task.

Whilst being in the apprentice role for one and a half years now. I realise that the apprenticeship has its ups and down. Some parts can get really confusing with all the technical information. After you take some time with it, it becomes easier and more understandable and then you feel the responsibility of your role and belonging to a team.

The apprenticeship in the first 6 months was well organised with getting all the modules done whilst up at Westwood. However, once you get into the depot, the communication with the apprentice team is very limited and with my cohort, the visits to Portsmouth are very spaced out which means more time to do assignments but it is really slowing down the progress I am supposed to make in comparison to previous apprentices.

My managers in depot support me in any way they can to make sure that I have work to do, I am completing my assignments on time and I am doing everything I need to do to complete my apprenticeship. They also do not shy away from my questions no matter they are and they answer in full or get me to try and figure out the answer myself.

Whilst up at Westwood we were well supported by the Babcock to make sure we had everything that we needed to complete the assignments on time. they would also provide guidance I any of us were struggling. However, the Network Rail trainers in Portsmouth just brief us on the assignment and then we are left to on our own to complete them.

The qualifications from my time up at Westwood provided me with a base knowledge of maths, practical working and business. The training in Portsmouth provide me with greater in depth knowledge of tasks that I will be carrying out on the railway. This also gives me competencies which I can be mentored on and then carry out the task independently.

Whilst up in Westwood they had many activities for us to do such as quizzes, team sporting events as well as charity events that we could support together. In depot, They carry out many charitable events such as cake sales where they all come together to support a chosen charity.

Yes

It is a good apprenticeship for any young person starting out and provides an opportunity for them to thrive in an industry which they might not think is so diverse. They can choose many pathways to reach there goals in career and Network Rail provides basis for any individual to move and continue learning to become a greater asset to the team.

take mock interviews before having the interview. This allows the individual the understanding of a interview format so that they do not get stuck with any questions or sections. I also recommend going into the apprentice scheme with an open mind, as there are many paths that you can take after the apprenticeship to find what you really want to do.