GWR on track to welcome 1000th apprentice in ten years

Great Western Railway, in partnership with Exeter College, is on track to enrol its 1000th apprentice by the end of this year.

The college has been Great Western Railway’s sole apprenticeship provider since the scheme began in 2016 and has already enrolled 920 students from across the South West.

Former students have gone on to support rail travel for “millions of passengers” across the railway’s 2000 mile network, and have settled into roles in customer service, train driving, engineering, and head office.

Joshua Clay, who completed his apprenticeship through Exeter College, now works as an Interim Senior Revenue Protection Manager at Great Western Railway. He said the programme helped him progress in his career “much faster” than he expected.

“I was able to put what I learned in the classroom into practice at work, and I could really see how much I was developing along the way,” he said.

“I’m now leading a team at GWR and have the opportunity to make positive changes for others, helping prepare the railway for the next generation. I don’t think I’d be where I am today without the experience I gained during my apprenticeship.

“My lecturers at Exeter College brought their own working experience into the classroom, and there was great communication between them and my manager at GWR, so I always felt that everyone was working together to help me succeed.”

Great Western Railway has been recognised this year as one of the UK’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers. Its course receives over 1500 applications each year and has a success rate of 73 per cent, according to Exeter College.

To mark the partnership’s ten year anniversary, representatives from both the transport and education sectors came together for a celebration at Exeter College’s apprentice-run @thirty-four restaurant.

Mike Blakeley, Executive Director of Partnerships and Apprenticeships at Exeter and North Devon Colleges Group, said at the event: “When we came together ten years ago, our job was to deliver a substantial apprenticeship training programme.

“A decade later, we’ve absolutely done that, and I truly believe we support the best programme offered by any train operator in the UK.

“An apprenticeship is a journey where people learn, begin their careers and make friends and colleagues for life.