Recruitment
Nexus creates 30 new apprenticeships - and a route to the top
N
exus is creating 30 new apprenticeships over the next three years as it re-vitalises its skilled rail engineering workforce. And new
starters can look forward to a long and rewarding career with the public body which owns, manages and is modernising the Tyne and Wear Metro, as well as planning and providing all kinds of public transport in North East England. One-time apprentices include the current head of renewals, Neil Blagburn, now looking after capital projects worth £40 million a year, after starting with Nexus as a teenager 20 years ago. Former apprentices fill many other
management and supervisory posts - including until recently Metro’s train fleet director and head of stations and facilities, both of whom have since moved on to top jobs elsewhere. It is an indication of why Nexus sees
apprenticeships as an investment that will pay back for many years to come. Nexus has a long history of employing
apprentices but is more than doubling the size of its programme from four to 10 new starters per year for the next three years, to ensure vital skills are retained as the profile of its current rail engineering
workforce gets older. The company has overhauled and expanded its advanced engineering training programme in partnership with expert provider Gateshead College.
This is a major commitment for Nexus, a relatively small business in rail engineering terms, which has previously worked in partnership with Network Rail to structure its apprentice programme, and sent recruits to HMS Sultan in Hampshire for basic training.
The partnership will be looking to build a new regional centre for excellence – a Rail Academy – to deliver the type of apprenticeships in North East England both Nexus and other employers will require in future. Bernard Garner, Nexus director general, said:
‘We are investing £389 million to modernise Metro but it is just as important we maintain and reinvigorate our workforce with new talent. ‘We are acting now to guarantee cherished
engineering skills and expertise are not lost as people retire, ensuring that we are able to continue to provide the best service for the 38 million passengers who rely on Metro.
‘Alongside our recent creation of 60 new posts
in rail maintenance, these 30 new apprenticeships demonstrate how investing in Metro modernisation is creating and sustaining skilled jobs in our region.’ Cllr David Wood, chairman of the Tyne and
Wear Integrated Transport Authority, said: ‘Nexus’s investment in giving young people in the North East skilled careers should be widely welcomed, and stems from the very substantial investment being made in Metro to secure its future.’ Nexus began recruiting the latest group of apprentices in April and received more than 400 applications – a sign that young people value the qualifications and advantage that an apprenticeship offers.
It is also a sign that Nexus is seen as a ‘blue chip’
employer offering apprentices a long-term future in an important industry. A further 10 new starters will be recruited
from spring 2014, gaining expertise leading to careers working as part of Nexus’ highly skilled maintenance and technical teams. This will lead to them achieving an NVQ
Level 2 Performing Engineering Operations and BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Electrical/Electronic Engineering. They will also gain English, Maths and IT skills at Level 2. •
Page 136 December 2013
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