To mark National Apprenticeship Week, we were joined by Dante and Omar from Network Rail, who are currently on the company’s Business and IT Degree Apprenticeship scheme. Network Rail are one of the nation’s biggest employers, with a workforce of over 40,000 people and they are currently investing in attracting younger employees.
When at school, Dante shared that he made his A level choices based on what subjects he enjoyed and said that he does the same when selecting placements on his apprenticeship. Both he and Omar said their parents wanted them to go the university route, but they were convinced by the benefits of going straight into the workplace, still achieving a degree in just over three years alongside an apprenticeship qualification, earning a good salary from the age of 18 and having no student debt.
Omar has completed two placements in HR and Project Management and emphasised the flexibility in choosing placements that interest you. They touched on transferrable skills such as reporting, presenting, networking, planning ahead and communication and suggested ways in which our students are already building evidence of these. New apprenticeship schemes being launched by Network Rail include Project Management, Chartered Surveying, Business Administration, Supply Chain Leadership and Commercial and Procurement.
A final point Omar made was that it is much more competitive to get a Degree Apprenticeship than it is to go to university. They are highly sought after; indeed he applied for over 30 apprenticeships because he was so determined to secure one!
Categories: Careers General News
