Published on: Wednesday, 30 December 2015
Last updated: Wednesday, 5 October 2016
New initiative, which supports the Norwichfor Jobs campaign, starts in January 2016
Abellio Greater Anglia is to launch abespoke apprenticeship scheme for customer service in January 2016, initiallyrecruiting a team of 10 apprentices in Norfolk.
The training programme will see the newrecruits join the company’s customer service team and, as well as gainingexperience of core customer service roles on stations and on trains (includingat busy times such as holiday periods or when there are major events such asfootball matches), they will also spend time with the customer relations, revenueprotection, catering, train presentation and fleet maintenance teams.
The 10 apprentices, who will receive one toone training while working in the company’s customer service department atNorwich, will participate in a 12 month programme where they will work towardsa Level 2 NVQ.
The course is aimed at those aged between18 and 23 and, although the jobs will be based in Norwich, it is expected thatthe apprentices will work across the East Anglia patch.
The apprenticeships will be paidsignificantly above the national minimum wage. Anyone interested in applyingshould visit the Abellio Greater Anglia website at www.abelliogreateranglia.co.uk/careersfor details of the apprenticeships and how to apply.
The initiative compliments the Norwich forJobs campaign, which aims to reduce youth unemployment in the city andsurrounding areas and, if the scheme is a success, the company will look at theoptions for extending it.
Andrew Goodrum, Customer Service Directorat Abellio Greater Anglia, said: “We are very pleased to be offering these newapprenticeships. This customised training course will offer a range oftransferrable skills. We already operate a very successful engineeringapprenticeship scheme and this new scheme will help strengthen our customerservice department.
“The railway is a great place to work witha wealth of opportunities and fantastic benefits. We look forward to welcomingour new apprentices.”