Tube Lines has been named Large Employer of the Year in the 2009 Apprenticeships Award competition run by the UK National Apprenticeship Service. The Awards recognize achievements of employers and apprentices in developing skills critical for the future of the country’s economy.
When it took over the responsibility for the upgrade and maintenance of the Jubilee, Northern, and Piccadilly lines of the London underground system in 2003, Tube Lines started implementing significant improvements to the apprenticeship program, including investing £10 million ($16.5 million) in a state of the art training facility at the Stratford Market Depot.
Today, the apprenticeship program at Tube Lines is a four-year structured scheme that starts with a full year at school followed by three years of training and placements. In addition to formal training, all the apprentices meet with senior management several times during the year to share their experiences and ideas for improvement, they get involved with different initiatives such as innovation, and they spend time working with safety teams. All successful apprentices are guaranteed a role at the end of the program and are encouraged to continue higher education as part of their continuing development.
Tube Lines believes that a strong apprentice program is key to providing the skilled workforce needed for delivering the necessary Tube upgrades, and to make engineering/construction profession popular with the young people entering the job market. Over the past six years, 50 people completed the Tube Lines apprenticeship program and some are already managers in the company. Tube Lines boasts a 97 percent retention rate, well over the UK average for railway sector.
Tube Lines consortium consists of two shareholders – Bechtel and Amey.
Find out more about the Apprenticeships Awards.
Tube Lines Apprenticeship Program Rewarded
Tube Lines Apprenticeship Program Rewarded
About Bechtel
Bechtel is a trusted engineering, construction and project management partner to industry and government. Differentiated by the quality of our people and our relentless drive to deliver the most successful outcomes, we align our capabilities to our customers’ objectives to create a lasting positive impact. Since 1898, we have helped customers complete more than 25,000 projects in 160 countries on all seven continents that have created jobs, grown economies, improved the resiliency of the world's infrastructure, increased access to energy, resources, and vital services, and made the world a safer, cleaner place.
Bechtel serves the Energy; Infrastructure; Manufacturing & Technology; Mining & Metals; and Nuclear, Security & Environmental markets. Our services span from initial planning and investment, through start-up and operations. www.bechtel.com
