SOUTH Western Railway (SWR) has been awarded the prestigious Investors in People (IIP) ‘Gold’ accreditation for its apprenticeships programme.
The award completes the trio of accolades that IIP offers to employers for making work better for colleagues, following earlier gold accreditation for the people and wellbeing categories, announced in December.
In their final report, which accompanied the confirmation that SWR had successfully achieved accreditation, IIP said that:
“SWR provides an environment where the amount of care provided to apprentices is exemplary. The apprenticeship team are really proactive and committed to providing the best experience for the range of apprentices. The organisation has successfully embedded a culture where apprentices feel valued, safe, and integrated from day one.”
Sharon Johnston, People and Transformation Director for SWR and Network Rail Wessex said:
“All the hard work that our colleagues and apprentices have put in has been recognised with this Gold accreditation. This makes us only the second train operator in the country to achieve such a prestigious ‘hat-trick’.
“The accreditation recognises the journey that our apprenticeship programme has undertaken from being an ambitious goal to becoming a key part of the company’s talent development strategy and congratulations go to all those who have been a part of that journey.”
For National Apprenticeship Week earlier this month, SWR revealed that 28 new apprentices would join the business in September.
Alongside Network Rail Wessex, SWR has a thriving apprenticeship programme to recruit and develop the next generation of railway colleagues and leaders, offering paid, hands-on experience and nationally recognised qualifications on one of Britain's biggest and busiest railway networks. Apprenticeships are open to all ages, from school leavers to those looking to change or develop their careers. SWR is the only train operator to welcome Young Talent Apprentices between the ages of 16 and 18, presenting a practical, rewarding and debt-free pathway.
