Signalling Technician Review

I work in a works delivery (installation) depot. We work on large renewal projects installing level crossings, track circuits upgrades over large stretches of track, installing new signals etc. we also have to right about all the jobs we work on on a daily basis as evidence and we have different task books and knowledge question booklets to complete.

I have learned many new skills using different tools and equipment that I had never encountered before as well as developing the skills I already had from a previous job. we have a lot of very experienced guys from many different backgrounds who enjoy showing us new tricks of the trade that will help us get the job done more efficiently.

I enjoy the practical side to my work however attending training feels like being back at school and you are treated as if you are a school child by instructors. in the depot we are treated very fairly and given the opportunity to learn and earn money at the same time.

It is not a very well organised apprenticeship and a lot of the course work is irrelevant. the communication of the apprenticeship scheme is awful. you can sometimes wait weeks for an answer to a question and in some cases you never get an answer. We are meant to complete six different courses as part of the apprenticeship however 2 of my courses have been removed from the timetable without any explanation.

I receive a lot of support from the management at my depot. They do everything they can to help. The same cant be said for the people running the apprenticeship. they don't really give us any guidance on our course work after the initial briefing and so we are very much left to our own devices.

Very little. it seems that outside of the training school they don't want anything to do with you and any coursework that is to be carried out outside of the training school "you just have to get on with it and see how it goes" (quote from a trainer)

The qualifications we get from the apprenticeship are very good for setting us up and getting us to a higher grade within the company however all the courses are maintenance based and I work in an installation depot so it is difficult for me to cover all the tasks. I have to go on placement to other depots and get very little assistance fro the trainers who blame me if I do not get to go out on placements when it suits them

within my depot we play 5-a-side football every Monday night. we also have nights out around Christmas time where all the teams get together for a meal and few drinks. this is encouraged by management who see it as a great way of celebrating our hardwork throughout the year.

Yes

I would recommend the working for the company however I would never recommend the apprenticeship to anyone unless they were a school leaver who is used to being treated like a school child. Network rail offers a great career to its employees with job security and a wide range of employee benefits.

if you wishto apply to network rail apply for an operatives role which is a pretty basic grade however the pay is still good. it does take longer to work your way up and get the desired courses however you are not limited to how much over time you can do and so you are able to earn a lot more money.