ScotRail’s first female engineering apprentices are joining their young colleagues to celebrate Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2019.
This year’s theme ‘Skills for the Future’ recognises the importance of investing in the workforce, and ScotRail is committed to providing young people with the opportunity to gain the necessary skills and experience to kick-start their careers.
Chelbie McMahon and Shannon McDowall joined the engineering apprenticeship programme at ScotRail last year, following a review of recruitment by the train operator to encourage more females into engineering.
A group of ScotRail apprentices, supported by the communications team, will this week visit stations and depots to learn more about the working environment in Scotland’s Railway.
Since April 2015, ScotRail’s commitment to recruiting apprentices has resulted in the following:
- Customer Service Apprentices – six currently in the programme, with a further 17 employed within the company having completed their apprenticeships.
- Engineering Apprentices – 12 currently in the programme, with 21 others in full-time roles in engineering following completion of their apprenticeship.
- A further 10 apprentices will be recruited in 2019.
- 28 apprentices have completed their Gold Duke of Edinburgh award alongside their apprenticeship, with a further 24 currently undertaking the award.
- Two engineers are undertaking a Graduate Apprenticeship to enhance their skills.
ScotRail Alliance Managing Director Alex Hynes said:
“We are extremely proud of our apprentices and we are delighted to provide them with the platform to start their career.
“These young people are the skilled and qualified workers of tomorrow and the experience they gain from seeing life on the frontline of Scotland’s Railway will prove invaluable.
“We will continue to invest in our people and give them the best opportunity to make a positive impact in their chosen profession.”