- Randstad Infrastructure to grow headcount by 50 per cent.
- Plans to take on three times as many apprentices as peers.
randstad claims new infrastructure contract with network rail.
Randstad Infrastructure, our specialist rail division, won the new national contract to supply signalling engineers to Network Rail, the owner and manager of most of Britain’s railway infrastructure.
By expanding the workforce by 50 per cent with plans to hire a number of apprentices who will be trained to maintain signalling infrastructure, the opportunity for candidates is great. Candidates do not need previous experience working within the railway environment but they must be eligible to live and work in the UK, be aged at least 18, preferably with electrical or mechanical backgrounds. They will be trained at Randstad's expense, while being directly employed throughout the apprenticeship, moving onto a full-time permanent position.
offering upskilling and training for success.
Randstad will see that new hires gain the necessary skills and training to become licenced by the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers, internationally recognising them to carry out signalling works. The apprenticeship scheme lasts three years and will give candidates the underpinning knowledge they need to progress their careers.
Successful candidates could progress to be allowed to certify railway operational equipment into use via the Signalling Maintenance Testing Handbook (“SMTH“). SMTH takes a further four years to complete. After SMTH competence, employees will move into supervising roles and management roles - not unlike a foreman running a construction site.
While most contractors will train an apprentice for every £3 million of revenue they win on a National Rail contract, Randstad has committed to training three times as many.
Randstad will all be hiring at other levels, including the most experienced rail professionals, alongside the apprentices. While apprentices will receive a living wage, senior rail professionals with 15 - 20 years’ experience can earn more than £70,000. Working directly for Network Rail and its large Principle Contractors, the employees will work across the country.
The pandemic hit the pause button on most of our lives but now that we’re all getting back to something like normality, many young people across the UK are looking at their careers afresh. An apprenticeship means the chance to earn a real wage while you learn. And once you are qualified, you will be set for well-paid, secure, full-time employment at Randstad. These jobs should also appeal to people who like to learn while getting stuck in, rather than in the more theoretical university approach. The Rail industry is currently going through one of the largest transformations ever as the network is expanded and modernised - this is a great opportunity to be part of that. And if you are interested in working on the railways but are put off by the nature of contract work and temporary jobs, these roles - ALL offering full-time contracts, guaranteed work and pay - could be for you.
We are a growing business - this contract will see us increase our headcount by 50 per cent - and will need senior people to help train and mentor our apprentices, too,” he added. “If you work on the railways but are tired of contract work and temporary jobs, a senior role here could be for you, too.
Signalling covers a wide range of equipment and technology, from mechanical and electrical to computer-based systems, with our works covering maintenance of existing systems and enhancement schemes. These systems make sure trains are safely spaced and switch from one track to another. They alert signallers to train movements, warn drivers and can stop trains automatically. Every day, thousands of signals throughout the country are checked, tested, cleaned and fixed.
The big providers tend to employ management and supervision and use agencies to source site-based staff. That’s one of the reasons that the workload in rail is souncertain - it’s feast or famine. But we’ve always employed our staff direct, invested in them, developed and supported them. Not only is Randstad Rail offering secure, steady employment, we are also offering young people a successful career with a clear path for progression. We have been employing full-time staff and training up young people informally for some time - it’s one of the reasons we won the Network Rail contract - but this is a step-change in terms of scale. And whereas most providers will train an apprentice for every £3m of revenue they win on a contract, we have committed to training three times that many.”