Young people are getting a golden opportunity to become the next generation of engineers at Nexus, carrying out essential work on the Tyne and Wear Metro system.
Ten new apprenticeships are currently available with Nexus, with the advertised roles focused on Metro, including teams which maintain tracks, signalling, overhead lines and ticket machines. There are also positions in ICT and Metro renewal projects.
Metro operator Nexus said the vacancies were a brilliant way for young people to kick start their career in the railway industry at the most exciting time in Metro’s 46 year history – as it rolls out the new fleet of Metro trains and gets ready to extend the system to Washington.
Demand for the apprenticeships is expected to be high.
Nexus has a successful track record in recruiting apprentices, with scores of previous candidates progressing on to permanent full-time roles after completing their training.
The Nexus apprenticeship scheme seeks to address the twin challenges of building its workforce for the future and the national engineering skills shortage in the wider rail industry.
Ally Jennings, HR Manager at Nexus, said: “We’re really excited to be running our apprenticeship scheme again this year and have ten new roles available. It’s a golden opportunity for young people to start their career.
“All of the roles are with the engineering teams that work in infrastructure maintenance on the Metro system. It’s succession planning for critical roles, and the apprentices learn bespoke skills and competencies which are the solid basis for a career in the railway industry. Apprenticeships are vital for the long term future of Metro.
“Vocational training is a great route for young people to go down. They learn a bespoke trade and then have a good chance of getting a permanent job at the end of their apprenticeship.
“It is vital that we invest in training and development to ensure that we continue to deliver the essential services to our customers for many more years to come.”
Morgan Saville joined Nexus as an apprentice in 2015 and went on to secure a full-time role.
She said: “The A-Level and traditional university route into employment is not for everyone, so if you don’t you want that option then why not consider an apprenticeship.
“When I started at Nexus I didn’t know much about railways, but I got stuck in, learned on the job, and slowly built up the skills I needed. I wasn’t just watching someone else do the work. That’s the beauty of apprenticeships – you learn by doing.
“Science, technology, engineering, and maths are field that shape the world around us, and they need everyone’s input.
“Women are still underrepresented — especially in industries like rail, we only take up 16.3% of the space across all sectors, that is so tiny. So, if you’re a girl who loves solving problems, building things, or asking ‘why does that work?” then this is for you and do not let anyone tell you otherwise.
“The railway industry is suffering with a skills shortage. By 2030 it is expected to lose 75,000 workers. This is due to the ageing workforce and the challenges with attracting new talent. Now is the time to really go and learn a skill and learn off someone who knows the industry inside out, especially before they retire and those skills fade forever.
“I progressed from a timid, unknowing apprentice to a supervisor, and now I am just about to embark on my new role as a project engineer for the new Metro signalling system. If I can do that, then anyone can.”
Details of all apprenticeships are online now at www.nexus.org.uk/apprentices and the closing date for apprenticeship applications is Wednesday 4 March.
To view all the job vacancies at Nexus and see the benefits of working for Nexus go to www.nexus.org.uk/careers.
Image credit: Nexus
