Rail Apprenticeship for Cameron

Having a ‘Plan B’ after your GCSEs or A-Levels might mean a change of direction, but for Cameron Greer, his plan B is taking him in the direction he wants to go, in an industry he hadn’t even considered.

Cameron (20), from Lisburn, said, “After my A-Levels at Lisnagarvey High School, I was keen to progress with an apprenticeship.   I was particularly interested in electrical installation but found it difficult to get a placement.   It was then that I had found out about the Rail Engineering Apprenticeship with On Track Technicians.   I hadn’t even considered the rail industry but when I investigated the apprenticeship a bit further, I could see the potential given all the areas you could specialise in.

“I applied and I am now in the second year of my Level 2 Rail Engineering Apprenticeship.  I am employed by On Track Technicians and the course is delivered at South Eastern Regional College (SERC). The apprenticeship is relatively new and organised slightly different from usual apprenticeships.   Because of the nature of the work in railway engineering, apprentices spend one week per month at SERC’s Downpatrick Campus rather than the usually one day per week.   On Track Technician staff have been trained up to deliver the course, so they have the industry experience, knowledge and all-important insight into what we do when we are out at work.”

Cameron added, “I am enjoying the work. I have just completed a 13-week block at the new Belfast Transport Hub.   You are involved in all aspects of railway engineering.  When we are out onsite, you are working as part of a team with the Site Manager and the Track Safety Co-ordinator.  When we are not onsite, we have a Team Leader to ask anything work related.   Every day you are learning something new.”

Speaking about the apprenticeship route Cameron said, “University wasn’t for me.   I wanted to be out and about, learning on the job rather than sitting in a classroom.   The apprenticeship suits my style of learning, and earning as you learn helps a lot."

He continued, “One element of the apprenticeship in this sector that you might not think about are the night shifts.  All our hours are logged and to eliminate fatigue.  I had never worked a night shift before I took on the apprenticeship, but I am well used to it now - it is just a different way of working.   The trains are not running during the night, so it is safer for all the rail engineering teams and our work is not impacting the train service delivery.”

Cameron concluded, “I hope to progress to the Level 3 Apprenticeship in Rail Engineering.   There are lots of different pathways you can take including signal, telecoms, welding, safety critical and electrical.   I am thinking about the electrical route, as it is something I have always been interested in, but I am keeping my options open."

SERC is hosting four Information and Apprenticeships - Have a Go Sessions over two evenings during NI Apprenticeship Week, 4.30 – 7.00pm on Tuesday 4 February (Bangor and Newtownards Campuses) and Thursday 6 February (Downpatrick and Lisburn Campuses).