Hi, I am Sadie, pleased to meet you. Can I ask how long the application process will take?

Thanks for the question Sadie and lovely to meet you. I know Maria will be able to provide you with an overview of the application process and what you should expect.

Thank you Chris. What are we expected to wear?

Hi Sadie, thank you for your question. I'm the Recruitment Manager at The Apprentice Academy and we work in partnership with Network Rail to support them in recruiting apprentices for their Shared Services Team. The application process is quite simple. The Network Rail vacancies are advertised on www.gov.uk on their Find an Apprenticeship page, so if you have created an account on there, which is very easy to do, you can apply on this site. Alternatively, you can email my team [email protected] providing us with your email address and contact number and we will then contact you to fully explain the registration process to progress your interest.

Many thanks Maria, I have completed all of these steps.

In response to Lulu K's query, apprentices have to be given a minimum of 6 hours per week protected time for learning/study

That's good to hear Sadie, I'm aware of your application :)

Regarding your question on workwear Sadie, on back of the pandemic, we've taken a more relaxed approach to work attire meaning you're not expected to come in formal workwear. A more casual approach is acceptable although we don't allow for football/rugby shirts or anything with offensive slogans on.

Thank you Chris

In response to A Omowumi, as apprenticeships are funded through a Government Department, The Education and Skills Funding Agency, we do have to confirm that all applicants meet certain eligibility criteria. It can be quite complex to explain in brief, however, we do discuss this with each applicant individually once we have their details

In response to Joseph R, the characteristics we hope to find in our apprentices are really the same qualities/skills that I would expect the majority of employers want from their staff which are punctuality, reliability, motivation, enthusiasm, commitment to training/development and a positive "can do" attitude

Will there be opportunities to see how different departments work and collaborate?

Hey Sadie - my names Brad, nice to meet you! I am a past apprentice and in my time I managed to see the entire centre and how they all interlink. There are 25+ teams that all work together to ultimately provide a fantastic service to all our customers. As an apprentice, we give you flexibility to jump around these teams to see if one fits your liking :)