Ateam of 10 apprentices are on track for successful new careers after being selected to join train operator Abellio Greater Anglia.
The operator has launched a bespoke scheme for 18 to 24 year-old applicants not previously in employment, education or training which will see the new recruits work in various roles across the company’s customer service department while completing a Level 2 NVQ qualification.
Recruited through skills specialist Ingeus, the new starters will be based in Norwich where their exciting journey will introduce them to a range of roles over the next 12 months including working in the ticket office, on the platforms dispatching trains and as part of the train presentation team.
The 10 successful recruits were amongst more than 150 applicants for the apprenticeships. They will receive one-to-one training while working in the company’s customer service department at Norwich, earning a wage while gaining recognised qualifications and on-the-job skills.
Bryony Bridgewater, 19, from Gorleston in Norfolk was unemployed for two years before being recruited onto the apprenticeship, which is her first ever job.
Having moved from London, Bryony found it hard to get to know anyone in the local area, and even harder to find work with no experience to offer employers. With Ingeus’s support she successfully prepared and applied for the newly launched Abellio apprenticeship scheme and along with nine other talented recruits couldn’t be more excited about getting her career back on track.
“I am keen to learn and wanted a customer service role but got nowhere applying for apprenticeships on my own. Ingeus really helped, and even if I hadn’t got the job, I thought I’d come a really long way in building my confidence and employability skills,” Bryony said.
Fellow apprentice Reece Orford, 21, from Costessey, said: “I moved back to the UK from Canada in 2010 and have since worked as a business administrator. I wanted to join Abellio Greater Anglia because the apprenticeship offers so much scope for progression.”
Ingeus is a leading employability skills provider which provides fee-free recruitment and skills services to national and regional employers. It worked closely with Abellio Greater Anglia to develop the comprehensive recruitment and apprenticeship programme as Catherine Prosser, National Employer Services Team Manager at Ingeus explains:
“Ingeus advertised the opportunity, processed the applications and organised bespoke recruitment days on behalf of Abellio Greater Anglia. We have sourced some really talented young people who just needed the right opportunity to show their skills and motivation to work. We are now supporting the induction of the new recruits and will be assessing the apprentices’ progress throughout every step of the programme.”
Andrew Goodrum, Customer Service Director at Abellio Greater Anglia, said: “We are very pleased to welcome our new apprentices. This customised training course will offer a range of transferrable skills. The railway is a great place to work with a wealth of opportunities and fantastic benefits. We already operate a very successful engineering apprenticeship and this new scheme will help strengthen our customer service department.”
The apprentices’ appointment coincides with National Apprenticeship Week which runs from 14 to 18 March and celebrates apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and the wider economy.