Network Rail Apprenticeships

[t o m]

On the CARE scheme the contribution is decided for you, it's about 7% but you pay less national insurance.

 

[quak_C]

What percentage did you chose and did you opt out of the SMART arrangement ? Reece

with CARE its fixed at 7.2%
In the first year you get payed £8400 with SMART it becomes £7795.20 as your pension contributions are taken off before you pay tax and NI
basically just on NI contributions every 4 weeks your making like £6 more and theres tax relief too but im not sure how much
ano £6 doesnt seem like much but remember your wage will go up every year and this figure will too making your actual pay better than if you dont pay with SMART

go to the network rail pension scheme website and it willl give you the details on tax relief and stuff

and this is a good website to work out your actually wage and how much tax you should be paying

 

[harnedan]

Hi,
Just been offered a Track maintenance placement at the London Bridge depot, however I don't have a C in GCSE maths and I'm awaiting my re-sit results. Does anyone know what will happen if I don't achieve a C? Even though I passed the NR numeracy and literacy tests.

 

[Rwhunited]

Hi,
Just been offered a Track maintenance placement at the London Bridge depot, however I don't have a C in GCSE maths and I'm awaiting my re-sit results. Does anyone know what will happen if I don't achieve a C? Even though I passed the NR numeracy and literacy tests.

I imagine if you have been offered it (unless it's a conditional offer) that you have it, also I would LOVE your job at London Bridge! Haha

 

[harnedan]

Have you heard of a conditional offer before?

 

[Rwhunited]

Have you heard of a conditional offer before?

Yeah (not for this one as I've just got the apprenticeship myself) but like I had a conditional offer for my first year of college, like I had to get certain grades to get in

 

[Matty1]

Tickets came pretty quick. you should get an email from Sarah King confirming your flights.
i was at the open day on tuesday it was really good really infomative and answered a lot of questions, roll on 10th september!! lots of great opportunities and facilities, just medical on 25th aug in glasgow to get outa the way

What is the Dress code for the open day? Is it jeans & t-shirt

 

[quak_C]

What is the Dress code for the open day? Is it jeans & t-shirt

thats a good point
also what open day you going to?

 

[Matty1]

thats a good point
also what open day you going to?

The one on Wednesday mate

 

[quak_C]

The one on Wednesday mate

cool im going to the one on the 25th
almost everyone seems to be going to the one on wednesday tho

 

[t o m]

What is the Dress code for the open day? Is it jeans & t-shirt

It says 'the day will be relaxed and informal', therefore, I'd say it's just casual dress.

 

[erolosman]

interview this weds im gettin really nervous now!!! my first interview in my life lol, im hearing people say ask alot of questions, but everything i can think of was covered at the assessment day, i have one question i know i can ask but i dont know any others, would it count as cheating if i can get some ideas from you lot i need all the help i can get seeing as the sheet i have says only 1 available spot for E+P

 

[t o m]

I wouldn't say I asked loads of questions... A couple I can remember are 'how much area does the depot cover?' and 'how often do the shifts change?'.

If you feel like you want to ask lots of questions you could ask the same ones you asked at the assessment day, just to see how they answer them and they don't know you've already asked them.

 

[quak_C]

interview this weds im gettin really nervous now!!! my first interview in my life lol, im hearing people say ask alot of questions, but everything i can think of was covered at the assessment day, i have one question i know i can ask but i dont know any others, would it count as cheating if i can get some ideas from you lot i need all the help i can get seeing as the sheet i have says only 1 available spot for E+P

is your area electrified by OHL?
if so ask like what the situation is for an emergency like an accident or a OHL gets damaged and stuff
also if they ask you about why you want to do E&P talk about things like the GWML electrification and how OHL is the future and that NR have a 20-30% shortfall in OHL engineers and you see working on thoes projects a future carreer choice

 

[franny]

interview this weds im gettin really nervous now!!! my first interview in my life lol, im hearing people say ask alot of questions, but everything i can think of was covered at the assessment day, i have one question i know i can ask but i dont know any others, would it count as cheating if i can get some ideas from you lot i need all the help i can get seeing as the sheet i have says only 1 available spot for E+P

You'll be fine, where is your interview at?

 

[erolosman]

thanks quak and tom, and fran my interviews at romford, not my 1st or second choice depot but its close enough for me to be based at i guess

 

[DW89]

The one on Wednesday mate

Are you going to the open day 3rd august nd flyin from Newcastle? if so il see u on the flight mate. There seems to be a couple of ppl on ere that have gt posirions in Newcastle. Good stuff

 

[S c o t t]

I had my interview on thursday in chester for signal technician they rang me friday morning saying that I have got the job Im going to the 25th Aug opening day just waiting on medical date.

Iv already been to both bases I was in the Navy as a weapon engineer. The base where we will be living is top of the chart the dinning half is called terminal 1 because it looks like an airport terminal it also has a bar in to. The sports facilities are brilliant the gym has ever machine ull ever need olympic size swimming pool and sauna also has astro pitch. Sultan is where we will train the actual engineer trainin rooms are world class have the exact equipment we will be workin on in the field and training is done by pro's Cnt wait to get down there and do the training then get back home for rest of network rail career.

Does anyone know what the salary is once completing the course ? and does anyone know what the pay is weekly/monthly for the first year of training ?

 

[Rwhunited]

does anyone know what the pay is weekly/monthly for the first year of training ?

I think I worked weekly out at £146 which isnt too bad considering that is just spending money

 

[Matty1]

Are you going to the open day 3rd august nd flyin from Newcastle? if so il see u on the flight mate. There seems to be a couple of ppl on ere that have gt posirions in Newcastle. Good stuff

Yeah I'm going to the one on the 3rd mate. I'm travelling by train, going on the Tuesday and stopping at a local B&B.

 

[t o m]

thanks quak and tom, and fran my interviews at romford, not my 1st or second choice depot but its close enough for me to be based at i guess

Another couple of questions I asked were; 'how many people work at this depot?' and 'how many people will I be working with?'.

Can't remember if anyone's said this one but one of the questions they asked was 'why did you choose this scheme over other apprenticeships?'.

 

[Crossforth]

Another couple of questions I asked were; 'how many people work at this depot?' and 'how many people will I be working with?'.

Can't remember if anyone's said this one but one of the questions they asked was 'why did you choose this scheme over other apprenticeships?'.

That was the only question that stumped me.

What I did notice is that when they like your answer (this was certainly relevant to my interviewers) they started writing things down. So this particular question I started talking and new it wasn't a good answer until I said something (I have no idea what now (I just waffled a bit for this one)) and they started writing.

Hope that makes sense

 

[quak_C]

That was the only question that stumped me.

What I did notice is that when they like your answer (this was certainly relevant to my interviewers) they started writing things down. So this particular question I started talking and new it wasn't a good answer until I said something (I have no idea what now (I just waffled a bit for this one)) and they started writing.

Hope that makes sense

i answered something along the lines of i have always wanted to work on the railway and this apprenticeship comes with good recomendations and our pretty much guaranteed a job at the end of it and my interviewers gave me a very realistic talk about budget cuts and stuff and told me not to think it was a guaranteed job

also scottish people you guys get an email this morning about a scottish open day at larbert?

 

[Crossforth]

i answered something along the lines of i have always wanted to work on the railway and this apprenticeship comes with good recomendations and our pretty much guaranteed a job at the end of it and my interviewers gave me a very realistic talk about budget cuts and stuff and told me not to think it was a guaranteed job

also scottish people you guys get an email this morning about a scottish open day at larbert?

That's what I eventually got onto and hence they started writing things down

 

[erolosman]

if they ask me that i was thinking of answering along the lines of network rail is a very big company and would b a pleasure working in a apprenticeship thats known throughout the country and then i was thinkin of talking bout how my college teacher talked to me about it as he was the one that told me about it and how if u can get a career with them ur sorted, obviously ill be putting it into much better wording then that :P. ive only got 1 interviewer im not sure if thats good or bad i may have preferred having more interviewers lol

 

[t o m]

if they ask me that i was thinking of answering along the lines of network rail is a very big company and would b a pleasure working in a apprenticeship thats known throughout the country and then i was thinkin of talking bout how my college teacher talked to me about it as he was the one that told me about it and how if u can get a career with them ur sorted, obviously ill be putting it into much better wording then that :P. ive only got 1 interviewer im not sure if thats good or bad i may have preferred having more interviewers lol

The email I had only named one interviewer but I had two, one chap asked most of the questions and the other was doing the writing. That's similar to a point I made, big company so opportunity to move around and variety. Seems like a good industry to be in, millions being invested, lots of people rely on the railway, 3 million passengers every weekday, so lots of job satisfaction etc...

 

[Hydro]

Does anyone know what the salary is once completing the course ?

Depends on what job you decide to go for.

 

[Crossforth]

The email I had only named one interviewer but I had two, one chap asked most of the questions and the other was doing the writing. That's similar to a point I made, big company so opportunity to move around and variety. Seems like a good industry to be in, millions being invested, lots of people rely on the railway, 3 million passengers every weekday, so lots of job satisfaction etc...

I had two named and two present but one was not who was named.

The person who asked the questions was also the same person who did the writing. The other person sat tipping on his chair and either drinking tea or chewing on a pencil

 

[S c o t t]

Depends on what job you decide to go for.

I'm going for signals technician maybe go for team leader rolls after that. I'm looking at working to level 2 grade straight from apprenticeship (is tht possible ?) I mean as in the rail lines job grading not nvq I know we get level 3 nvq.

What is the wage of a new qualified signals tech ? Level 1 2 or 3 railway grade

And to people who said why they choose nr apprenticeships over others I said 'Iv seen first hand the training facilities and watched the apprenticeship videos showing world class training at EUROPES biggest engineer training facility. Nr pays 14 million a day to carry out maintenance ect. Say tht aswell gt u sum brownie points.

Cnt wait for september now

 

[Hydro]

It is easily possible to go to Grade 2 straight from the course (subject to how good you are of course), BUT (there's always a but) there are few things that everyone should be aware of when thinking about what jobs are available once you finish.

1) It depends on what jobs are AVAILABLE. Positions are not created especially for you. If there are no positions at your depot, then you may be displaced and moved, unless you fancy staying as the eternal third year apprentice.

2)You can apply for anything you feel qualified and experiencedd for. You may even be urged to take certain positions. You're not restricted.

3) Don't believe that you will be defaulted to a certain grade more senior than the basic. Just because you've completed the course, don't assume you can't get anything below Grade 2/Leading Trackman/whatever.

4) Money. Money varies all over the country. A Grade 2 in one part of the country may get paid more than a Grade 2 somewhere else. This stems back to the complicated local arrangements that can even stretch back to BR days. The fragmentation into IMC's during Railtrack didn't help either. The harmonisation of Maintenance into standard terms and conditions, and pay, is a very thorny issue for unions and management.

Before I'm seen to be painting a bleak picture, it's really not. The money is there if you work for it. Just don't expect it all in front of you when you finish, you may have to move, commute, or be patient. Your experience depends on how forward you are in years two and three in moving around all your depots departments, what skills you find yourself drawn to and are good at, and these determine how suitable a manager will find you for a role.

There are apprentices out there doing some fairly senior positions and for good money, and some will see the end of their days shovelling crap. Just try not to be the latter

To be honest, seeing the effort and keenness shown on this thread, I don't doubt that anyone here couldn't find themselves with a good job and having a chance to stretch their brains and make a difference.