*Please note, you must be between the ages of 16 - 18 at the commencement of employment to be considered for this young talent apprenticeship*

Who are we?

South Western Railway (SWR) operates over 1,500 services each weekday across the network and employs more than 5,000 people. We provide easy and convenient mobility, connecting people and communities in South West London, southern counties of England, and the Isle of Wight.

Join our team and help us continue to improve quality of life, by bringing people together to get the most out of life.

SWR is part of FirstGroup, the largest rail operator in the UK and second largest bus operator in the UK outside London. FirstGroup operates services throughout the UK and Ireland, with over 30,000 employees providing services that make travel smoother and life easier.  FirstGroup works hard to reduce its impact on the environment, introducing cleaner and more environmentally responsible methods of transport. 

The South Western Railway Apprenticeship programme has officially achieved the Silver standard from Investors in People for 'We Invest in Apprentices' 

About the job

You will collaborate closely with the Community Rail Manager to optimise the Community Rail potential within the SWR network. This involves coordinating activities and boosting the output of our Community Rail Partnerships and station groups through various communication channels.

Apprenticeship Standard: Level 3

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Producing clear and concise content for case studies and social media channels.
• Supporting the Community Rail Manager in collating evidence for key stakeholder reports and sharing best practice across the network.
• Staying informed of the latest key trends in the communications arena and share best practice.
• Analysing and collating data on the usage of social media across the community groups and identify ways to support and encourage participation.
• Developing and coordinating an annual activity plan to tie into the wider communications team to optimise PR opportunities working with the Community Rail Officers and station adopters.
• To actively work with all the station adopter groups and CRPS to develop a more effective process and assist in embedding it across the community groups.
• Developing and assisting in delivering some specific community campaigns across the network working with SWR Marketing team.
• Supporting the roll out and collection of community data around the network for the annual Social Value report.
• Work in collaboration with internal stakeholders with the wider external communications team, to access a wider exposure to all sorts of media channels including stakeholder media. 

You'll need:

• A desire to pursue a career in the railway industry.
• Flexibility – this apprenticeship may involve early or late shifts and travel to other areas on our network.
• Excellent communication, with the ability to motivate and inspire a team.
• Proactive and adaptable approach to problem-solving, with a keen eye for detail.
• Willingness to undergo training and development to enhance skills and knowledge in the role.
• A dedication to upholding the company's values and delivering exceptional service to customers 

As a minimum, you will need to have:

• GCSE grade 4 or above in English and maths 

About the location

South Western Railways HQ is based on the 4th Floor at South Bank Central, a stone's throw from the River Thames and a 10 minute walk from our busiest station, Waterloo. It is local to many well-known attractions, restaurants and retail facilities and is easily accessible by public transport.

Working pattern

Working an average of 37 hours per week over 5 days

The Reward

In return we offer a competitive salary and a variety of valuable benefits, including:

• Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employees
• Free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependent)
• 75% discount on many other train operating companies
• Full training and support with development
• Large range of exclusive retail offers
• Excellent pension scheme

Additional Information

To support your development within the role, you will undertake the Level 3 Content Creator apprenticeship standard, this learning will provide you with the underpinning knowledge and skills to be successful as our Communications Apprentice.

The apprenticeship training covers a range of marketing tools and social platforms, empowering apprentices with the creative freedom to produce high-quality content that maximises audience engagement on modern marketing channels and social media. The apprenticeship teaches content creation and development, including graphic creation, video shooting and editing.

We all belong at SWR. FirstGroup's vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all colleagues, across its group of businesses, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment.

We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, religion, and disability. We maintain a zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.

We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.

We review all roles and job descriptions to ensure they are accessible and, where possible, we support and provide flexible working options; we recommend that you refer to each vacancy description for further details.

If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below.  We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.

https://exceptionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/

https://www.healthassured.org/blog/neurodiversity/