The apprentice team at Great Western Railway celebrated golden recognition at the start of National Apprenticeship Week, while one of its shining stars has scooped a top accolade.
The team, which supervises 240 apprentices across the GWR network, received gold accreditation as part of the Investors in People ‘We invest in apprentices’ programme.
Coach and mentor Ekaterina Cherkasenko also had plenty to celebrate after being named Higher Apprentice of the Year at Exeter College.
GWR Learning and Development Manager Andrew Perry, said: “To receive gold accreditation from Investors in People really is something to be celebrated. From my perspective it’s probably the highlight of my career. It’s recognition of so much hard work by the whole team.
“We deliver our apprenticeships across 2,000 miles of the network and are pushing the boundaries to ensure our provision is up to date, challenging and future proof.”
Working in partnership with Exeter College, the train operator launched a vocational apprenticeship programme 11 years ago. Quest apprenticeships were also introduced in 2020, enabling GWR colleagues to gain formal qualifications alongside their day-to-day roles.
Image credit: GWR
