The latest intake of recruits means there are 35 trainees at the huge East Yorkshire site
A group of apprentices have been the latest to take up roles at Siemens Mobility’s multimillion-pound Goole Rail Village. The recruits will be involved in assembling London Underground trains to be used on the Piccadilly Line.
They will also build experience in a diverse set of roles including mechanical fitter, maintenance support manufacturing technician, engineering fitter and warehouse management. Theoretical learning will come from York College.
Mark Speed, general manager at Siemens Mobility’s Goole Rail Village, said: “We’re committed to creating a powerful pipeline of talent and a lasting legacy of skills for our business and the wider industry. That’s why we have brought on board apprentices from the early days of the Goole project and continue to do so. This latest intake at Goole further contributes to our ongoing investment in developing young talent to help shape the future of the UK rail industry.
“Apprentices in our earlier cohorts are already making a significant impact in their teams, here at Goole and elsewhere in the business, and it’s fantastic to see their development and progress since joining us. We’re excited to support our newest recruits as they begin their journey, and we can’t wait to see what they all go on to achieve.”
The firm’s apprenticeship programme has added 25 trainees across the UK and Ireland. It means Siemens now has 175 apprentices on its programme, with 150 already enrolled on different apprenticeships. The latest cohort comes five years after the first apprentices at Goole, with the majority said to have gone on to permanent jobs.
Siemens says Rail Village represents an investment of up to £240m, and is expected to create up to 1,000 new jobs in East Yorkshire, along with around 1,700 supply chain job roles. As well as the trains for London Transport, the firm also hopes to use the facility to assemble future battery bi-mode train orders for the UK.
Rhys Penistone has started as the Level 3 apprentice mechanical fitter, following his father into Siemens Mobility. He said: “I’ve always learned best by getting hands on and doing practical work, so I think an apprenticeship offers a good balance. It enables me to learn on the job while studying at college. My Dad has been a big inspiration for me.
“I’ve been interested in mechanics from a young age and grew up helping Dad to fix things such as motorbikes and go carts, so I knew I wanted to pursue a career in this area. Dad spoke really highly of Siemens Mobility so I knew it was a good company to work for. The atmosphere is really friendly and welcoming and everyone is so knowledgeable and helpful. I’ve already learned so much.”
Level 3 Engineering Fitter Apprentice Maisie Eastwood, 16, from Goole, said: “The main thing that attracted me to Siemens was the opportunity to work on London Underground trains. The idea of helping to build something which thousands of people will benefit from every day is so exciting. Being from Goole, it’s amazing to now have Siemens on my doorstep.
“It’s crazy to think this small town that not many people have heard about is playing such a big part in the transport network! Although I’m a female in an industry which is still quite male-dominated, I don’t feel like I’ve ever been treated differently. Everyone has been really supportive. One of my supervisors is a woman and I love seeing her briefing and leading the team – it’s really inspiring having so many women in senior positions at Siemens to look up to.”