"Trainee railway engineers wanted"

[Daniel]

Extract from the Enfield Independent:

Network Rail is launching a new campaign to recruit engineers in London.
Up to 62 places are available with apprentices taught by trainers from Network Rail, and Flagship Training Ltd., at the Royal Nay's historic HMS station.
Recruits will 'earn as they learn', being paid £9,000 in their first year rising to £13,000 by year three.
Visit www.everydaybrilliance.co.uk for more information.

 

[Coxster]

If you're thinking of going for it then do not talk to "Nutter"

 

[paul1609]

I'm an instructor at HMS Sultan where the network rail training takes place (although as my specialisation is Gas Turbines I dont actually teach the Network rail guys). We also teach basic engineering to lots of other industries. If your interested in it I'd say go for it.

I think certain people will always find it difficult being away from home for extended periods and that there will also be people who when they understand what the job entails find that its not for them.

We lose about 15% of our Navy Apprentices for the above reasons and presumably you dont join the Navy if you want to stay at home. I dont think you should read too much in to one persons experiences.

 

[WessexWarrior]

£13,000 is practically nothing in London, and £9000 is practically laughable. That seems to me to be a hard sell.

 

[Daniel]

WessexWarrior - Its aimed at those with little/no qualifications... those who will take whatever they can get.

 

[Met Driver]

WessexWarrior - Its aimed at those with little/no qualifications... those who will take whatever they can get.

What lead you to that conclusion? :???:

 

[Guinness]

I was thinking about it but then looking the state of TheSlash I thought I;d pass....

...sadly he's not this forum to defend himself but I'm kidding anyway.

The pay obviously increases after you finish your training. £7,000 is a reasonable amount I find, not the ideal solution but it's a start.

 

[Mojo]

Having considered an apprentiship myself, in South East England, I'd say the pay was reasonable for what's on offer - not to mention that people who normally do them will most likely be living at home when not in the accomodation provided as part of the training.

 

[Daniel]

What lead you to that conclusion? :???:

Apologies if I offended you.

It's what we were told at school; that if we were interested in engineering and did not want to pursue further education then we should look into it. All you need are 4 GCSE grade passes. So for most people in my school:

Engineering
Design & Technology
Information Technology
Religious Education [1/2]
Citizenship [1/2]

 

[Guinness]

What lead you to that conclusion? :???:

Exactly what I was thinking Seth. Some of these people are quite very qualified for job and go on to become top engineering earners for Network Rail earning in excess for £50k p/a. These people have degrees in Civil Engineering.

We've all got to start somewhere.

I've just been accepted into a course for National Diploma in Engineering and Aerospace Engineering, I may not earn but I still would like to keep my options open for employment. Besides it's a local college and I would prefer to do that than trundle down to the South Coast for a few months at a time.

 

[nutter]

Pay after the apprenticeship scheme is said to be around 21K in the midlands.

In my experiance, the apprenticeship scheme comes and goes in phases. One week you can be really busy dismantling points motors (signalling) and the next you can be sitting around for a week

I have stronger views than this but I'm not going to try and discourage people because NWR may, by some miriacle, improve

Feel free to PM me

 

[Met Driver]

No offence taken Memorex, although as an Apprentice who achieved 11 A*-Cs at GCSE and was offered a place at college to study 'A' levels, I did find your comment quite derogatory.

BTW best of luck with your course, Chaz.

 

[Guinness]

BTW best of luck with your course, Chaz.

Thank you kindly, good luck for your Apprenticeship with LUL.

I have stronger views than this but I'm not going to try and discourage people because NWR may, by some miriacle, improve

Seems fair enough mate.

 

[Techniquest]

Likewise...I did OK at school (6 Cs and 5 Ds, all core subjects at C as well, which is not that bad), then did an AVCE in ICT. Only got an EE in that because I couldn't be bothered. By a miracle I went to university twice, tried my hand at engineering. Didn't work out on that or the Transport Management course.

I've since had 4 jobs, 2 of which were only temp. jobs. I'm in the process of applying for three more this week, having tried unsuccessfully with one application today (somehow my answers weren't right for Wyevale...) with another crashing out on me. So 5 job applications in a week is not bad going. Not all finished yet but hey.

Currently I'm awaiting news on the selection days with Network Rail for their apprenticeship based in Portsmouth starting in September. Should know when it is soon.

Why am I telling you all of this? Basically I'm saying it because I want to make it crystal clear that I'm not going for an apprenticeship because I've no other options. I've got plenty of options, although not all of them work out for me (restricted to public transport and location are two key factors for me). It is NOT a choice that I'm making because I have nothing else to take or go for, because I have no qualifications. I DO have qualifications, I DO have experience of work, which is more than I can say for some people here who make assumptions without knowing what they are talking about *hint hint*

I applied for the apprenticeship because I want to work in the rail industry, because I am interested in it. The fact I got to waiting for the selection day is, I am told, good because it's incredibly hard to get that far. Only 240 places, I was not rejected straight away unlike most of the other applicants (of which there will have been thousands).

Please do not assume, memorex, that people who do apprenticeships are unable to do anything else.

EDIT: Good luck Chaz!

 

[yorkie]

£13,000 is practically nothing in London, and £9000 is practically laughable. That seems to me to be a hard sell.

Yep, so why not go to Uni, and get -£10,000.

If you have the chance to get qualifications AND earn money in an area you are interested in, it is daft not to...

 

[Hydro]

I applied for the Network Rail apprenticeship at the end of January/beginning of February - made it through to the Selection Day, just waiting out on the dates to come through (they seem to be taking their time about it ). Hopefully I'll get through and train to work on Track. Apprenticeships are definitely worthwhile if you're genuinely keen on the job at hand I've always wanted to work in some capacity on the railways, and being naturally drawn to the more engineering side of the railway, this seemed very ideal. It's pretty handy as the training is in Gosport and I'm currently living in Pompey, so not too far to up sticks if I'm successful

 

[Daniel]

Good Luck.

 

[Hydro]

Good Luck.

Thanks.

 

[Techniquest]

I think you, and I (also applied, got to the selection day, awaiting confirmation of the date myself, taking ages), will need it! Going to be the most important thing I've ever done.

 

[Hydro]

Definitely fingers crossed then, it's a very very important opportunity if you're keen on working on the railway and have a bit of passion about it.

Plus I like a bit of the old on-track plant and departmental stuff

 

[Sprog]

Yep, so why not go to Uni, and get -£10,000.

If you have the chance to get qualifications AND earn money in an area you are interested in, it is daft not to...

Im on just over 6k in my first year with FGW.

Payrise of around a thouasnd in September.

Oh yay :roll:

 

[kettlefan]

I applied for the Network Rail apprenticeship at the end of January/beginning of February - made it through to the Selection Day, just waiting out on the dates to come through (they seem to be taking their time about it ). Hopefully I'll get through and train to work on Track. Apprenticeships are definitely worthwhile if you're genuinely keen on the job at hand I've always wanted to work in some capacity on the railways, and being naturally drawn to the more engineering side of the railway, this seemed very ideal. It's pretty handy as the training is in Gosport and I'm currently living in Pompey, so not too far to up sticks if I'm successful

I applied also

 

[TheSlash]

Thought i'd bump this up as i met the first Apprentice from what would be Nutter's year, today.
I think that is the 2nd year to 'graduate' Sultan since the training began.
Kettlefan, Hydro and VXC Fan, how did the selection day etc go?
If you go for the Pway side, make sure you ask for the Fareham gang

 

[Techniquest]

Didn't think of asking for the Fareham gang at the time...

Passed the selection day, final interview was reached at Shrewsbury (Coleham) back in May. Failed to pass that. Never mind.

 

[westcoaster]

if you want something so much you have to go for it? good luck to all going for what they want in live, never let any one tell you what you want to do, i had the option of going to uni but turned it down, went to college for a couple of years and getting a few gnvq's in travel and tourism, its what i wanted not anyone else.

apprenticeships are ok, but i went from college to working in the airline industy at the drop off a hat maybe it was a lucky breack who knows unless you go for it, a great thing to remeber " if you dont ask you dont get".

 

[Techniquest]

I'm actually hoping to go for a course in travel and tourism in a couple of weeks time myself. Is it worth doing?

 

[paulo]

I must say railway apprenticeships are prob one of the best and the pay reflects this later in your career. I started with AD Tranz which is now Bombardier then moved on and now work for the Underground, obv a difference between track and fleet but the industry in general offers good career prospects for the future.

 

[Guinness]

I've been trying to see whether Alstom / Bombardier did Apprenticeships but with no avail.

Out of interest paulo, when did you apply mate?