Great Western Railway (GWR) and Exeter College Apprenticeships are celebrating a decade of developing exceptional apprentice talent for Britain’s railways, with the partnership on track to enrol its 1,000th apprentice by the end of the year.
Since the partnership began in 2016, 920 people across the South and South West have enrolled on an Exeter College and GWR apprenticeship, with many progressing into railway careers in customer service, train driving, engineering, and head office roles.
Exeter College has become GWR’s sole apprenticeship provider, with the programme achieving an above-national-average apprenticeship success rate of 73%. Around 1,500 people apply for GWR Apprenticeship roles each year, with successful applicants going on to support rail travel for millions of passengers across its 2,000-mile network each year, connecting London with destinations including Penzance, Hereford, and South Wales.
GWR Apprentices consist of young people looking to start a career in the industry but also include existing GWR colleagues looking to enhance their skills and knowledge, supporting their continued development and progression within the business.
GWR was recognised in 2026 when it was named one of the UK’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers, with Exeter College supporting them throughout the accreditation process. The train operator also became the first in the UK to achieve Platinum accreditation through Investors in People’s We Invest in Apprentices programme.
Other highlights from the past decade include the achievements of individual apprentices and the Apprenticeship Train, which saw two special train services operated entirely by current and former apprentices.
To mark the partnership’s anniversary, more than 60 representatives from the education, rail and transport sectors gathered for a celebration lunch at Exeter College’s award-winning, student-run @Thirty-Four restaurant. In keeping with the apprenticeship theme, the lunch was run by Exeter College hospitality apprentices, working in the kitchen and front of house.
Mike Blakeley, Exeter and North Devon Colleges Group’s executive director of partnerships and apprenticeships, opened the celebration and reflected on the partnership’s journey and achievements.
The event also featured talks from Joshua Clay, a former apprentice who is now a senior revenue protection manager at GWR; Jenny Vince, a former Exeter College employee and GWR partnership manager, and Andrew Perry, GWR’s learning and development manager and apprenticeship lead.
Mike said: “When we came together 10 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. It has been a privilege to see close to 1,000 apprentices take on that journey with us and GWR, developing and making an impact across their 2,000-mile rail network.
“I’m delighted that this partnership has delivered so much success so far, and I’m certain it will continue to go from strength to strength and keep providing the rail industry with brilliant, skilled workers now and into the future.”
Andrew Perry, GWR learning & development manager and apprenticeship lead, commented: “As we celebrate 10 years of our apprenticeship partnership with Exeter College, we’re incredibly proud of what we have achieved together. From the scheme’s inception with a small team to creating opportunities for hundreds of talented colleagues across the Great Western Network, it has been a remarkable success story.
“This anniversary comes just two months after GWR was recognised among the country’s top 100 apprenticeship employers, giving us another chance to celebrate and reflect on the dedication of our apprentices, mentors, and partners.
“We’ve seen many of our apprentices forge an incredible career path for themselves across all types of roles over the last decade. They demonstrate just how vital apprenticeships are to the future of the rail industry as well as the opportunities they give people looking for their next big step in life.”
Image credit: Exeter College
