Ten new apprentices – aged between 16 and 20 – have started new careers with Nexus following an extensive recruitment campaign earlier in 2021. They will be trained in a variety of different roles, including track and signalling engineers, project management, bus services and contracts and commercial services.
Nexus has an excellent track-record with previous apprentices – over 90% of them have progressed to permanent full-time employment or higher level training after their time as trainees has come to an end.
Heather Blevins, Head of Learning at Nexus, said: “Apprenticeships are vital for the long-term future of the Nexus. We have an ageing workforce, so apprenticeships are an ideal route both for us and the apprentice. They learn bespoke skills with a good chance of getting a permanent job at the end of the apprenticeship, and we gain skilled and motivated employees. They get first class training, opening the door to a brilliant career in the railway and public transport industry. 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.”
One of the apprentices, Maxamed Mudhir, 19, has started in signalling: “I applied for the apprenticeship thinking it looked interesting, and I’m glad I did. The team have been great, they are really experienced so it’s good to be able to learn from them.”
All the apprentices get training on the job, at both the Nexus Learning Centre and via external training providers.