Birse Rail - Apprenticeships

Recruiting and training new people is an important part of our plans to grow our business, which is why we are currently looking for eight apprentices to join us.

The Company

Birse Rail, one of the UK’s leading railway engineering contractors, covers a broad range of rail civil engineering disciplines nationwide. It also benefits from being part of the world-class engineering, construction, services and investment group, Balfour Beatty which employs nearly 35,000 people worldwide. This means that if you join us you will have the support and security of one of the most successful companies in the UK behind you, helping to shape and guide your career.

The Apprenticeship Programme

The Birse Rail Apprenticeship Programme provides you with the opportunity to ‘earn while you learn’. You will attend the College of West Anglia in King’s Lynn, Norfolk on a block release basis and work on one of our live sites in the UK.
At the end of the first year, you will receive a National Award in Construction and this will lead on to a foundation degree in Civil Engineering.
Studying for the National Award at the College of West Anglia you will cover:
Core Units

Health, Safety and Welfare in Construction and the Built Environment.
Construction and the Environment.
Science and Materials in Construction and the Built Environment.
Construction Technology and Design in Construction and the Built Environment.

Specialist Units

Mathematics in Construction and the Built Environment.
Planning, Organisation and Control of Resources in Construction and the Built Environment.

Other Specialist Units (from Civil Engineering)

Structural Mechanics in Construction and the Built Environment.
Further Mathematics in Construction and the Built Environment.
Construction in Civil Engineering.

So if you are looking to embark on a career in civil engineering, we can give you the chance to gain practical experience on live projects, study for qualifications and get paid a good salary, all at the same time. And when you finish your initial training you will have excellent career prospects and the potential to develop into one of our future managers.

What we require from you

To be in with a chance of securing a career with Birse Rail you need to have GCSEs (or equivalent) at grade A -C including Maths, English and Science – and a commitment to learn, both academically and on the job. It is important that you are also aware that you may be spending significant amounts of time away from home both studying and while you work on site.

The Offer

Structured academic training leading to a National Award and potentially a foundation degree in Civil Engineering
A generous salary both while you study and on your work placement
Accommodation will be provided while you study and near to your work placements
A genuine opportunity to start a long and exciting career in an industry that offers variety, interest and responsibility.

The recruitment process

The recruitment process is structured in two stages:

Stage 1:

The application form needs to be completed and sent via email to apprenticeships@birse.co.uk by the 15th August 2008. Your application will then be screened against pre-set criteria and successful candidates will be invited to the 2nd stage of the process – the Assessment centre.

Stage 2:

Assessment centres will be held in early September in Birmingham and Manchester. They will consist of an introduction to Birse Rail and the Apprenticeship programme followed by a group exercise, ability test and an interview. Assessment centres can seem daunting, especially if you have never been to one before. Ours is designed to be as straight forward and enjoyable as possible. You will be sent an information pack in advance that will set out exactly what to expect.

Click here
to download a copy of the
application form