“When I saw that GTR was advertising places for its apprenticeship scheme I looked into it straight away because I thought it was a great opportunity to learn whilst getting real life experience in a 9-5 job. I applied for a level three business administration apprenticeship and was thrilled to find out I had a place on the course! I was so excited that I didn’t even mind it was based 250 miles away from where I lived.
“I’m a Yorkshire girl through-and-through, so although the move was daunting, the opportunity was too good to turn down or let distance stand in the way of. I finished my apprenticeship this February – they usually take around 12-18 months to complete – and was thrilled to be offered a permanent position at the end of it.
“I’m officially now part of the Talent, Diversity & Inclusion team and I absolutely love it. They’re involved in delivering training programmes to employees that assist them in all aspects of working life. As a team administrator, it’s my job to coordinate the courses that we run, support my colleagues where needed and undertake the admin tasks that need doing in order for each course to run as smoothly as possible, which (as you can imagine) has been a bit challenging in this climate!
“On a positive note though, lockdown has been a great way of forcing me out and about to discover my surroundings. As a newbie to the area, I mainly relied on other people to help me find my way around, but I won’t be doing that anymore!
“I live with my boyfriend at the moment, which made the move down south very easy as he was already based here. It’s going well but I’ve had to convert him to Yorkshire Tea! Now that I’m into the swing of working from home and have a comfortable set-up, it has got a lot easier – but I can’t wait to see my team in person again when it’s safe to do so.
When it comes to safety advice, Harriet says don’t be afraid to ask. “We have lots of signs and guidance in place across our stations to help those travelling on the railway. I know people might be nervous to speak to staff, but they are here to help and make your journey as safe and enjoyable as possible.”
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If you have any questions about this or any other career within the rail industry, please get in touch with us and a member of our team will be more than happy to anser any questions you might have!
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