Be part of the team that enables our railway to run safely.
During our 18-month Rail Infrastructure Operations Apprenticeship, you will learn all about what it takes to deliver the operational railway we know today, including capacity planning, control, electrical control, incident response, signalling, and stations.
You will explore our relationships with train and freight companies, the British Transport Police, and the emergency services to understand what goes into delivering a good experience.
What does it involve?
You will experience on-the-job learning, formal training, experiences, and placements in operational locations across our operations business, gaining a perspective of the challenges we all face as we work together to deliver the very best customer experiences.
As part of the apprenticeship, you’ll complete an introduction to people management and a leadership skills course, which includes modules such as leadership style, communications, managing yourself, and challenge and decision making.
You’ll also gain an appreciation of incident response and attend Initial Signaller Training as part of the scheme. This will give you a grounding in railway operational rules and principles. This will be delivered in four-week modules at our training centre in York.
What you'll get out of it
You’ll study for the Level 3 Apprenticeship in Rail Infrastructure Operations over the course of the scheme. The Apprenticeship will teach you about the whole rail system and how different roles work together to ensure a safe service. It offers a great starting point for your career in rail operations, and will give you practical hands-on experience and a strong industry knowledge.
Previous apprentices have gone on to frontline management roles across operations, including Shift Station Management, Trainee Operations Management, Seasonal Delivery, Level Crossing Management, and Operations Interface Specialist.
Is it right for you?
To apply, you’ll need to have at least GCSE English and Maths at grades 4-9 (A*-C) (or equivalent qualification). No previous work experience is required however transferable skills and experiences will aid you during your apprenticeship. This role could be ideal for someone who is just leaving education and wants a future career in railway operations or for someone who is looking to transition to a new career.
Due to the nature of the railway environment we operate certain safety checks when joining; as part of this we require all candidates to be at least 18 years old.
Our railway runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and at times you will be working weekends, bank holidays, and shifts, so you’ll need to be flexible. During your scheme in particular, you need to be able to travel to training and placement locations. This may require you to stay in a hotel or similar for the working week. Duty travel and accommodation costs will be covered by Network Rail.
You must also be willing to embrace the responsibility that safety-critical work brings, and that placements may be subject to some change as a result of operational considerations.
We look for logical thinkers who enjoy finding creative solutions to challenging problems. You should be resourceful, hardworking, good at managing your time and motivating yourself to get the job done. Other qualities we look for are:
- Great communication
- Ability to engage with people at all levels
- Good relationship building
Safety matters
We’re committed to keeping our tracks, staff, and passengers safe, so it’s important that you’re always alert when you’re working. To help manage fatigue, you must live within a 50-minute commute of your chosen location, including having access to your own means of transport. When you apply, you’ll be asked to confirm that you are able to commute to your chosen location, whether by car, bike or foot, in under 50 minutes.
If successful, you will be required to undergo and pass reference and security checks, and a full medical assessment, including drugs and alcohol testing. All positive drugs and alcohol test results for prospective candidates will be securely held on Sentinel database and a 5-year suspension from applying for a safety critical role, a role requires PTS certification or a Key Safety role on Network Rail Managed Infrastructure will be enforced.
Our Salary
During the Apprenticeship you will earn £34,871.
On completion of the Apprenticeship you may have the opportunity to progress to other roles such as shift station manager, interface specialist or as a Signaller. Your future salary will depend on the role you secure.
Our Application Process
As part of your application, you’ll be asked to verify your right to work in the UK, your travel time and your qualifications. You will also be undertaking psychometric testing and a video interview before being invited to an assessment day. We’ll keep you updated about your progress throughout the recruitment process. And we’ll keep things moving as quickly as we can.
Job Types: Full-time, Apprenticeship
Pay: £34,871.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Employee discount
- Health & wellbeing programme
Work Location: In person
