*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

The purpose of the Young Person's Apprenticeship Programme is to provide the Young Talent Rail Apprentices with the skills, knowledge and behaviours to be able to provide all of our customers with a quality end to end customer experience and make a positive contribution to the communities we serve. Our Apprenticeship provides the perfect way to earn while you gain paramount work experience and nationally recognised qualifications.

Apprenticeship Standard: Level 2 

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Know the purpose of the business and what SWR ‘brand values and promises are and proudly showcase them. 
• Help deliver improvements for our customers. 
• Understand the different needs and priorities of our customers. 
• Whenever possible anticipate our customers' needs. 
• Build trust with our customers. 
• Treat internal and external customers as individuals to provide a personalised customer service experience. 
• Proactively promote our products and services. 
• Produce reports in line with requirements. 

You'll need:

• To be an enthusiastic and motivated individual.
• 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

You will be based at a Railway Station that is managed by South Western Railway near you. This role does require flexibility to travel across the network as and when required for training, learning and working.

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 employee
• Free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependant)
• 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

You will be working towards a Level 2 Customer Service Practitioner Apprenticeship. The programme aims at developing highly skilled Customer Experience Experts and you will be fully supported and mentored through your apprenticeship and be given protected time to complete your course work. Your assigned Professional Coach will deliver training sessions, supporting you 1:1 to gain new knowledge and skills required for successful completion of your apprenticeship. You will complete various assessments which will demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the subject and form part of your portfolio. 

Modules include:  

Knowledge: Knowing your customers | Understanding the organisation | Meeting regulations and legislation | System and resources | Your role and responsibility | Customer experience | Product and service knowledge 

Skills: Interpersonal skills | Communication | Influencing skills | Personal organisation | Dealing with customer conflict and challenge 

Behaviours: Developing self | Being open to feedback | Team working | Equality – treating all customers as individuals |Presentation – dress code, professional language

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/