Amey Consulting has won the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award at the Rail Industry Supplier Excellence (RISE) Awards. Presented by the Rail Industry Association and sponsored by Siemens, the award honours Amey Consulting’s rail degree apprenticeship programme, a UK first that was developed in collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University.
The five-year programme enables college leavers to gain a bespoke Railway Engineering degree from Sheffield Hallam University, choosing a pathway in either electrical and mechanical (E&M), civil and track (C&T) or signalling and telecoms (S&T) engineering. The unique scheme also allows students to work at Amey Consulting on large engineering problems on live railway projects, such as the Transpennine Route Upgrade, in parallel with their studies.
The first year was hugely successful and the first cohort of 35 apprentices started with Amey Consulting in March 2020.
The introduction of this pioneering degree provides an opportunity for entry into the profession for a wider range of people and those for whom the traditional degree route is not always practical, resulting in a more diverse workforce trained in the specific skills needed to develop and maintain the UK’s railways into the future.
On completion of the Degree Apprenticeship Programme, students will have obtained a Bachelors degree in Railway Engineering, as well as having gained sufficient experience and knowledge to register as an Incorporated Engineer (I.Eng) with the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
Judges at the RISE Awards praised the programme commenting: “This is a great initiative that meets a massive need practically and offers options to those not looking for the traditional academic standard engineering degree route into rail.”
Apprentice Rebecca Brenna said: “Amey Consulting’s apprenticeship programme has been a career changer for me and an amazing opportunity to gain the education and experience in engineering while discovering my passion for the railways. I’m looking forward to to having 5 years of amazing hands-on work experience with many exciting projects, tools, software and skills, all of which will prepare us for a great engineering career"
Alex Gilbert Managing Director, Amey Consulting said: “We are delighted to receive this award which is testament of our commitment to providing an accessible route into the UK rail industry for the next generation of railway engineers. At Amey Consulting, we are passionate about providing equal opportunities for all, which we know results in healthier, more diverse and increasingly innovative employees.”
This pilot scheme is an integral part of Amey’s wider commitment to drive innovation in employment practices, striving for greater inclusion within the workplace and its commitment to the 5% club pledge of hiring more apprentices.