Published on: Monday, 5 February 2024
Last updated: Monday, 5 February 2024
Greater Anglia, the train operator for the East of England, is celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 2024, just 7 months after its owning company, Transport UK, was ranked as one of the nation’s top apprenticeship employers at the Apprenticeship Employers awards.
Greater Anglia offers fully funded apprenticeships to all of its staff, regardless of their age or the stage of their career, giving them the chance to develop and improve their skills to reach their full potential. There are currently almost 200 Greater Anglia staff undertaking qualifications.
Greater Anglia’s apprentices sit in all areas of the company from administration, engineering, and customer service, to on-board roles such as conductor and train driver.
The scheme offers fully funded apprenticeships in levels two to five, starting at an intermediate level up to a higher apprenticeship level, the equivalent of a foundation degree.
The programme gives tutor-led training but also provides crucial on-the-job development, allowing the apprentice to improve and gain skills from communication and teamwork to problem-solving, leadership and even learning about other areas of the business and industry.
Support and mentorship are provided on an ongoing basis by the learners’ managers, training provider-allocated coaches and skills tutors.
It means that anyone who completes it will gain a nationally recognised qualification, along with useful transferable skills.
Viktorija Novikova, Greater Anglia’s Early Careers and Apprenticeship Manager, said:
“We are really pleased to be celebrating National Apprenticeship Week and to be able to champion the incredible successes of our current and former apprentices.
“Since it was set up in 2017, our apprenticeship scheme has trained over 265 of our colleagues from all areas of the business including operations, customer service, and office-based roles.
“Apprenticeships allow everyone to develop skills that all ultimately improve the experience provided to our passengers every single day."
John Smith, a former apprentice who currently works as a Lead Driver Manager at Greater Anglia, said:
“There is a false perception that apprenticeships are only accessible to those fresh out of school, but that is simply not the case – apprenticeships are open to anyone and provide a wealth of new skills, all the while being given support and guidance so that staff can reach their full potential.
“Initially I was apprehensive as to what the benefits of the apprenticeship would be. As it went on, I found that the course was excellent for my professional development and it has equipped me with skills and knowledge to excel within my role.
“I would recommend anyone wishing the challenge or develop themselves to take any opportunity for an apprenticeship scheme.”
In July 2023, The Transport UK Group , which owns Greater Anglia along with East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains, and Merseyrail was placed within the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers. The employer rankings celebrate England’s outstanding apprenticeship employers, recognising their commitment to creating new apprenticeships, the diversity of their apprentices, and the number of apprentices who successfully achieve their apprenticeships. The Transport UK Group was placed 56th in the rankings.
Throughout National Apprenticeship Week, Greater Anglia will be sharing stories from its current and former apprentices across its social media channels.