Apprenticeships
We are passionate about the advantages and positive impact apprenticeships have for our workforce, business and industry
Jump to what you want to see:
- So what is exactly is an apprenticeship?
- Our recognition
- Apprentice stories 2023
- Apprentice stories 2024
At Southeastern we take pride in the fact that over 500 of our colleagues have successfully completed apprenticeship programs and currently, 400 of our people are actively engaged in apprenticeship schemes. This year marks our most ambitious plan yet, with over 400 new Learners in the pipeline to enrol on to various apprenticeship programmes.
So what exactly is an apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is a work-based training program designed to enhance the skills of existing colleagues and ensure that our new employees embark on their careers at Southeastern with the best possible support, training and development.
Our apprenticeships at Southeastern provide practical, on-the-job training, enabling Learners to develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours, in their chosen role, and create a foundation for future success and personal achievement.
Apprenticeships offer a structured learning and development journey within your chosen vocation, culminating with the award of a nationally recognised qualification.
Throughout the programme, you'll receive comprehensive training and support, in addition to a competitive salary and company benefits.
Our Apprenticeship programs also include Functional Skills accreditations (Maths and English), and we provide all the necessary support for success, with exemptions possible based on prior education.
Importantly, there are no upper age limits for our apprenticeships (some have minimum age requirements), and most programs have no specific entry requirements.
Our recognition
Recognition of our commitment to apprenticeships comes in the form of the prestigious Gold Standard in the Investors In People (IiP) ‘We Invest in Apprentices’ category.
In fact, we are one of only three companies to hold all three IiP accreditations at ‘Gold’ standard, these being: ‘We invest in People’, ‘We invest in Wellbeing’ and ‘We invest in Apprentices’.
We are also proud to be listed in the Apprenticeships Top 100 list, ranking at number 68 of Employers in the UK.
The overall experience of our apprentices has been rated as exceptional, with high satisfaction rates and widespread commitment to the program throughout the business.
Southeastern has also achieved various accolades, including the Male Apprentice of the Year Award (2022), being the first operators in the country to have completions in Level 2 and Level 3 Train Drivers, consistent inclusion in the Top 100 for Apprentice Employers, and holding the Gold Award for the '5% Club' for two consecutive years.
Sean, Shunter Driver
Former professional footballer Sean has made a perfect match as a Shunter Driver at Grove Park. He moved to the railway after a career with league clubs Gillingham, Southend, Colchester and Leyton Orient. With long contracts harder to come by for players in their 30s, Sean decided he wanted job security an joined Southeastern as a Train Movements Apprentice.Sean moved from training pitch to training school, absorbing new skills during classroom sessions, then with hands-on depot lessons from colleagues on train handling and yard manoeuvres. He passed as a Shunter Driver after five months, with a Level 3 Driver qualification.
Sean said: “When I started, it was challenging. I knew nothing about the job, and I wanted to learn everything. I’d get home and write-up notes to take in all these layers of knowledge. The teachers were great, giving us their phone numbers if we had questions, and staying behind to answer queries. They created such a nice vibe. Trainers and mentors helped me to understand about trains and faults. They took baby steps, building up an understanding until I felt comfortable about how the yard works.
I love what I’m doing. Although it’s completely different to being a footballer, I’ve taken the traits I had from playing - to be the best I can, to be dedicated and to be obsessive about learning. My team are brilliant, we have a strong work ethic and help each other get the job done safely and in good time. The shifts work perfectly with family life, allowing me to do a lot of the school runs.
Karl, Conductor
Karl escaped the confines of a factory to discover a job he loves. With support from instructors and colleagues, he went from production manager at a metal finishing firm to qualified Train Conductor six months after starting at Southeastern.“I needed a change of pace, I’d been cooped up for five years,” said Karl. “I wanted to work with the public; people are fun! I get to see a new bunch of customers every day, it’s never boring.”
After the initial shock of returning to the classroom – “I hadn’t picked up a pen in 20 years” – Karl eased into sessions with trainers, getting to grips with rules, regulations and by-laws, and understanding signalling, conditions of travel and tickets.
He was then out on the network, spending eight weeks alongside his Conductor Instructor, learning routes and station stops, and the position of platforms, junctions and crossings. The Level 2 Apprenticeship – Passenger Transport Operative - ran alongside on-the-job instruction, with Karl supplying written evidence to show that he completely understood the role.
He said: “The support I’ve had has been brilliant throughout. The people I learned with know the job inside out. If I was struggling at all, they pointed me in the right direction.
Karl added: “You never stop learning on the railway. My depot management team are fantastic, completely supportive. Nothing is an issue. With all the companies I’ve worked at, it’s the first time I’ve found that.”
Juliana, Apprentice Engineer
A street artist who trained to be a clown is now an apprentice engineer. Juliana was a hospital clown doctor helping sick children in her native Germany before moving to the UK. After spells honing her entertaining skills with a street art group and working in care, Juliana was encouraged to try a career in the railway by a friend Since starting with Southeastern, Juliana splits her time between Gillingham depot and college in Strood, working towards an HNC in Engineering.Juliana said: “My friend gave me a really good idea of what the job is about. I was so pleased when I was taken on. I had started a Bachelor of Engineering Open University degree, but I wasn’t getting hands-on experience. Now, every day in the depot, I’m learning new things. Everyone is really helpful and explains what they are doing. I can change a brake pad now – even if it is a bit slow.”
Juliana will continue to delight audiences with stilt walking, juggling, mime and comedy, using her newfound skills to improve the act.
She said: “Making props to use in the show will be a lot easier with the mechanical, wiring and electronics experience I’m getting. With four days on, four days off, the engineering job gives me loads of flexibility to carry on performing.”
Dan, Engineer
Dan has enjoyed a decade of career progression, moving from a manager at McDonald’s to running a team of 42 Southeastern colleagues keeping trains running. Dan swapped burgers for bogies, signing up as a craft apprentice. Following 18 months of hands-on experience on the shop floor, combined with college classes, he was ready to step up from a Service Engineer Level 1 (SE1) servicing trains to a more investigative Service Engineer Level 3 role (SE3).Dan was keen to get on with the advanced apprenticeship, missing tea breaks to study in the depot computer room while also soaking up the experience of working with the team at Ramsgate. After qualifying in 2016, he took an SE3 role at Slade Green, learning how to maintain an older fleet.
Dan said: “It helped to develop me as an engineer. I’d been working on 375 trains at Ramsgate, which have fibre optic cables. The 465 trains at Slade Green are mechanical with hardwiring, needing a completely different skill set. It helped to develop me as an engineer and a company man.”
Dan stayed at Slade Green, becoming a Quality Control Engineer looking at how to avoid technical failures during service. To increase his understanding of the job, he trained to become an Internal Quality Management Auditor. He was encouraged to apply for his current role of Shift Production Manager at Ramsgate, taking responsibility for his team’s train maintenance, presentation and depot safety and committing to a further two years of study towards a Level 5 Apprenticeship in Operational Management.
He said: “Throughout my career I’ve been encouraged to develop, with Southeastern fully funding everything. At each stage, my line managers have been entirely supportive. They have always been flexible around me hitting apprenticeship deadlines while doing the day job. Southeastern see the benefit of developing people.”
Richa, Apprentice Accountant
Working with shop floor engineers and suppliers gives apprentice accountant Richa an inside view of how the railway runs. Around 20% of her time is spent away from a desk, watching colleagues maintaining trains. A knowledge of parts, staffing costs and what needs to be spent to fix a damaged train is vital in helping Richa understand Southeastern finance.Richa started in 2020 as one of four graduates appointed as Assistant Management Accountants in the Financial Planning and Analysis team and is completing three years of study towards her Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) exams.
“Engineering is an exciting area,” said Richa. “There is always so much going on. I have a good relationship with people at the depots; they’re really friendly and approachable, explaining how things work. I’ve walked around the shop floor at Ramsgate, Ashford and Slade Green, and taken a look under a train. This type of experience is so helpful when budgets and forecasts are made. My job covers everything from materials and parts to train presentation.”
Richa said: “I am understanding why things happen and getting a better understanding of the job rather than just looking at a spreadsheet. Now, when I get on the train to come into the office I’m thinking about what it takes to make the train work.”
Risikat, On Board Manager
On Board Manager (OBM) Risikat gives Southeastern top marks for offering a complete training package to colleagues. After working as an OBM for Heathrow Express before moving companies, Risikat was expecting a week-long refresher to become familiar with high speed services. Instead, she embarked on an intense two-month course under the guidance of an OBM instructor, exploring 395 Javelin trains, safety, emergencies and commitment to passengers.
Risikat said: “Once I got into the training school I got insight into stations, routes, the importance of communication with customers, train formations, track safety and what we have to do in an emergency. Our job is about interacting with passengers, making sure they feel welcome.”
Risikat also benefitted from lessons in maths and English, paid for by Southeastern. She added: “The whole training experience has been really good. I have been taught and then supported to pass. I can’t fault it one bit.”
Risikat is also a registered mental health nurse. She added: “I enjoy helping people. I’m hoping that at some point I’ll be able to use my experience to help Southeastern support colleagues who are struggling.”
Monica, Revenue Protection Officer
Monica uses customer service skills learned in the ticket office in her new role as a Revenue Protection Officer (RPO). She brought seven years’ experience with TfL onto the Southeastern network to support passengers while ensuring people pay for their journeys. The ability to talk to people and understand their needs, added to revenue training, has left Monica comfortable and confident in the job.She said: “I’m learning so much about different types of passengers, such as how I can help customers with mobility issues and those with mental health challenges. My job is not just about checking tickets.”
On starting with the team, Monica spent a month shadowing experienced RPO to understand about different types of tickets, the geography of the network and the penalty fares process.
Monica’s path to a Level 2 Apprenticeship in Passenger Transport Operations included around 30 tasks undertaken on services and stations, many of which involved working as a team with colleagues.
She said: “My colleagues are like members of the family – they’re there to back me up. It’s the first time I’ve seen this on the railway. My team leader supports me in any way they can. For someone like me with two kids, I have stability. It’s the best role for me.”
Khadiija, Revenue Protection Officer
"I started working part-time with an agency on the railway as something to supplement my university studies. Working in passenger assist, I enjoyed going out and about all over the network and quickly became a Team Leader. I loved the responsibility I had, and I loved working, so I decided to leave university and work in the railway full-time.What I enjoyed most about my apprenticeship was the chance to reflect on my learning. I could think about what I was doing well in my job and what I would do differently next time. You don’t often get that chance for self-reflection, and you don’t realise how many skills you are learning as you go!
My Team Leader was particularly supportive and got involved in helping me with tasks. I was really surprised at how manageable it was to fit around my job. Everything we were doing within the apprenticeship we were also doing on the job, so I could progress quickly and complete it during my working hours. I liked that I had to provide evidence of my learning because it held me accountable and meant that the end, I felt like I had accomplished something.
Not only did completing my apprenticeship give me the job in the railway that I really wanted, in a role that suited me, but it also helped me grow as a person. It was an opportunity to look at the things I knew I wasn’t naturally good at, and it helped me learn the skills and confidence to be good at them. If you’re thinking about doing an apprenticeship, why not? It is there for your self-development and will give you an extra qualification in your working hours."
Ben, Fleet Operations Manager
"I joined Southeastern as an engineering apprentice when I was 16 and lived literally one minute down the road from the depot. In fact, you can see my old house from my current desk! I was never the most academic at school and doing an apprenticeship gave me the chance to learn on the job and try different things within the department.During my first year of my apprenticeship, I spent most days at college but the days I enjoyed the most were when I was at the depots. I loved the variety of working with different people every day and the chance to learn from them. I think that lived experience has given me good subject knowledge on how the function works and I can understand the impact of things on different teams and therefore able to work in a way that is most productive for everyone. It’s also been a great foundation for good relationships across the business.
My apprenticeship was definitely a pathway into a career for me and I have now, 23 years and many different roles later, taken on a senior leadership role as Fleet Operations Manager. In a full circle moment, I’ve also had apprentices in my team!"
David, Train Driver
"I was an officer in the Metropolitan Police for 19 years until I decided to leave the force. I knew some previous colleagues who had let to become Train Drivers and realised that is a lot of skills overlap between the roles. Shift work, attention to detail, the ability to communicate clearly and staying calm under pressure are all essential when working in a safety critical environment.I’d done plenty of qualifications through work before but never an apprenticeship and it was a good experience. It finally gave me a Maths GCSE equivalent qualification which had eluded me for the best part of 25 years!
The process was really smooth and supportive. I had good regular check-ins with my Apprenticeship Learning Coach to make sure that I was on the right track, and they were always there to answer my questions.
It’s clear that apprenticeships can be beneficial in times of career transition and progression. That myth that apprenticeships are only for those school leavers looking to start their career is very old-fashioned, they can be so much more."
Stephen, Trainer Assessor
"My first apprenticeship was when I was a Train Driver and I was amazed at how well it complemented my training. Every day I would update my portfolio with what we had learnt or done that day and I would use it as a revision tool to reinforce what I was learning.The environment at Southeastern is 100% supportive to those doing apprenticeships. I’ve worked at other Train Companies previously and when I came over to Southeastern, I got that family feel back and felt the culture of support. My learning coach was especially supportive. I felt like he was really trying to help and that he really cared how I did.
My career goal is to be a Head of a Department one day and I think doing another apprenticeship could help me get there. My school education was minimal, so all my career progression so far has been a result of hard work, going the extra mile and getting people to believe in me and give me opportunities. I’ve realised that can only take me so far, so I’m hoping to take my Level 5 Apprenticeship in Learning and Development.
Joe, Train Driver
"I am now a Qualified Train Driver and before that I was in banking for nearly 20 years. It has always been a lifelong dream of mine to be a Train Driver, so I finally decided to make it happen.I went straight into banking as a cashier with NatWest when I left school, so my apprenticeship was the first time I was back in the classroom since then. I really enjoyed my time in the classroom with my fellow learners, we laughed every day and it was nice to go through the process together.
As a huge railway fan, I really enjoyed learning more about the railway during my apprenticeship, it really broadened my knowledge. I was surprised by the sheer amount of stuff we had to learn and just how dedicated you had to be to your training. You couldn’t half-heartedly do your apprenticeship thinking you can muddle through; it takes a lot of dedication.
Doing my apprenticeship at Southeastern was a really positive experience, I felt like I had support in so many places. I was supported by fellow apprentices, my trainers, my Driver Manager, my instructors, colleagues at the depot who had been through it all themselves and my Apprenticeship Team Learning Coach.
My apprenticeship has given me access to my dream job for which I will always be grateful. To come in from outside the rail industry and become a Train Driver, with all the right qualifications in such a short amount of time has been amazing and I don’t think I could have done it without it."
Elena, Revenue Protection Officer
"I used to work in charity fundraising before I took on a Station Staff role covering London Bridge and Cannon Street. I liked the variety of the job but wanted to be face to face with customers more often. When I saw Southeastern were recruiting Revenue Protection Officers, I thought I would apply. It was something different!I was surprised that my apprenticeship was going to take a whole year, but I enjoyed my time in the classroom and made great friends. My apprenticeship has given me an additional qualification that I didn’t have, as well as evidence of my English and Maths skills as my Italian qualifications weren’t recognised here!
My team were really supportive whilst I was doing my apprenticeship, they gave me all the time I needed so it felt like it was just part of my normal job and that was respected by everyone. It was nice doing it as part of a group too, as we could all help each other out.
Even though it was really time-consuming, I realised that everything I was learning was part of my day-to-day job and it was really useful. I’m proud of my apprenticeship and think it will really help my career as it is extra proof of my skills and that I am capable of putting in the effort it takes to achieve something, as well as my commitment to learning.
If you are thinking of doing an apprenticeship, I say go for it! You really learn what the job is."