A fresh batch of apprentices is settling into their roles behind the scenes with Nexus, the team behind Tyne and Wear Metro. Nine young apprentices kicked off their training journey in September 2023.
Some will learn the skills needed to look after 77km of railway infrastructure. Others will be working behind the scenes in Nexus, which operates Tyne and Wear Metro, the Shields Ferry, some secured bus routes, plus Metro stations and transport interchanges across Tyne and Wear.
Lawrence Robinson has started an apprenticeship with the power supplies team, where he will gain a working knowledge of the overhead line systems on the Metro network. He said: “It’s been great so far, the people in the team are so experienced and very happy to help us with our learning. It’s the kind of thing you can’t learn in a classroom, with the hands-on work and getting used to the shifts, but I’m really enjoying it.”
Another new starter, Kieron Burn, is studying a degree level apprenticeship in data science with the Nexus corporate planning team. He said: “Apprenticeships in data science at degree level are rare, so I was very pleased to get this one. Everyone has been very supportive, and it’s been interesting to look at data in terms of public transport. The role means I get to link in with lots of other teams and it’s been great to learn more about the whole business.”
Nexus has a successful track record in recruiting apprentices in diverse roles like power supplies, civil engineering, data science, business administration, and HR. In a recent blog post the company boasted that most of their apprentices progress on to permanent full-time employment or higher-level training after serving their time as trainees.
Head of learning at Nexus, Heather Blevins, said: “Apprenticeships are vital for the long-term future of the Nexus.
“They are an ideal route both for us and the apprentice. Apprentices get first class training, opening the door to a brilliant career in the public transport industry, learning bespoke skills with a good chance of getting a permanent job at the end of the apprenticeship. We gain skilled and engaged employees who see real career development.”
In total 22 apprentices are learning their trades across the business, and ten new apprentices will be recruited next year. They will start their training in September 2024, in a range of roles including engineering, transport planning, data analytics, marketing and administration. Visit the Nexus website for more information.
