Network Rail

Graduate jobs explained

There will be approximately 100 places on the Network Rail graduate programme in 2012, of which around half will be engineering roles.

Roles available

The company, ranked 162 in the 2011 Guardian UK300 list of the most popular graduate employers, recruits graduates into a range of different schemes. These are:

• Civil engineering: This programme lasts 3 to 4 years, and includes several different placements across the company’s infrastructure projects.
• Contracts and procurement: This is an 18-month programme involving rotational placements in all aspects of contract negotiation and execution.
• Electrical engineering: Lasting up to 4 years, this programme includes a number of placements in areas such as controls and communications, and electrification.
• Finance: This scheme lasts slightly more than 2 years, and includes 4 or more placements in various finance functions around the UK.
• Information management (IT): A 2-year scheme, this involves placements in areas such as technical support, IT security or project management.
• Mechanical engineering: This scheme lasts 3-4 years, and covers all aspects of infrastructure improvement and maintenance.
• Operations management: This is a 9-month programme focused on making sure all of Network Rail’s operations run smoothly. Placements can be in stations, corporate offices or signal boxes.
• Project management: A year-long scheme based in the company’s investment projects division, this includes 2 6-month placements.
• Property: Lasting 30 months, this programme is involved with managing Network Rail’s immense property portfolio. Graduates can be based in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Milton Keynes or York.
• Strategic planning: This programme is focused on analysing market and business trends, and producing new business models to ensure the long-term stability of the rail network.

Most schemes are open to graduates with at least a 2.2 in any subject, apart from engineering roles, which require at least a 2.2 engineering degree recognised by the relevant engineering society. There are also UCAS points requirements for some schemes.

Travel opportunities

Network Rail is based entirely within the mainland UK, so does not offer positions to graduates who wish to work abroad. Applicants should be prepared to be flexible about location within the UK. Network Rail is not involved with the operation of the railways in Northern Ireland.

Cross-industry experience

Network Rail recently formed a partnership with the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) and the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA), through which its civil engineering graduates will have the chance to undergo secondments to other engineering organisations. It is hoped that getting a range of experience across the industry will enhance graduates’ engineering knowledge, and help develop their skills.

Work experience explained

The organisation has one-year work experience placements available to students studying sandwich courses that require a year in industry. This year these are as follows:

• Information management (IT). Applicants must be predicted at least a 2.2 degree and demonstrate a desire for a career in IT, though they do not have to be studying the subject. Students on this programme are assigned to one of four departments, depending on their abilities and career plans: project delivery, support services, strategy and architecture, or IT business operations.
• Contract and procurement.This is for students who want careers in quantity surveying. Successful applicants work with Network Rail’s suppliers to ensure that the business has the materials, buildings and land it needs to do the best possible job of maintaining the railways. Applicants should be expected to achieve at least a 2.1 on a sandwich course approved by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Network Rail view work experience as very important when assessing applications for the graduate scheme. This could include summer vacation work, placements in business, or getting involved in the relevant societies at university.

Training and development

Membership of professional bodies

Training and development varies according to the graduate scheme. Applicants who have joined to pursue a career in engineering receive four years of training, culminating in accreditation and membership of the relevant professional society. Depending on their engineering speciality, these institutions are:

• Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) – for graduates joining as mechanical engineers
• Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) – for those on the civil engineering programme
• Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) – for electrical engineers.

Graduates recruited onto the property or contracts and procurement programmes will receive training to gain accreditation and become members of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The training period lasts for 18 months for those on the contracts and procurement programme, and 30 months for those developing a career in property.

Those who have joined the finance programme will receive around two years training before gaining accreditation from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).

Graduates who join the project management programme work towards membership of the Association of Project Management (APM).

Leadership centre

New recruits have an induction at Network Rail’s leadership centre in Coventry.

On joining the graduate scheme new recruits are sent on an induction course at the company’s leadership centre in Coventry. This will give them an understanding of the general culture of the organisation, some management training and the chance to network with other potential managers of the business. Employees can go back to the centre after the completion of their graduate schemes for further technical courses and management/leadership training.