Severn Valley Railway

Tell us a bit about your business:

The Severn Valley Railway is in the premier league of UK heritage lines, operating both steam- and diesel-hauled services. Running for 16 miles from Kidderminster in Worcestershire to Bridgnorth in Shropshire, a trip on the SVR is a chance to travel back to the golden age of rail.

As well as its fleet of locomotives, the SVR is responsible for an extensive collection of heritage carriages. All this rolling stock needs carefully maintaining and overhauling, and the work is carried out by a team of specialised paid staff supported by several hundred volunteers. 

The line was originally constructed in Victorian times but never really made much money and was closed by British Rail in the 1960s. Its beginnings as a preserved line came shortly afterwards when an intrepid band of pioneers rescued the railway from obscurity. Now, it’s one of the UK’s leading heritage attractions, with up to 250,000 visitors every year. It employs around 100 people and has more than 1,600 volunteers.

Why do you hire Apprentices?

The SVR needs ‘traditional’ skills to maintain its rolling stock and locomotives, and these are becoming scarcer. This isn’t just an issue for the SVR or railways in particular; it occurs throughout the heritage industry across the UK. The SVR needs to retain the woodworking and engineering ability that originally built the rolling stock more than 100 years ago. Our apprentices learn the basic skills in college, but that foundation is built upon by the apprentices working alongside other members of staff, both paid and unpaid, many of whom have spent all their working lives learning their trade and, in some cases, gaining specific knowledge about the intricacies of individual items of rolling stock. 

The SVR has many thousands of supporters who have helped it grow into what it is today. Apprenticeships are a way for the organisation to ‘give something back’ by providing opportunities to people in the area and supporting the work of local educational establishments.

How has hiring an Apprentice helped your organisation? 

Apart from the obvious aim of maintaining skills, having apprentices gives some of our staff, both paid and unpaid, tremendous satisfaction in passing on their skills and knowledge. Volunteering is known to have positive health benefits, but educating and improving the abilities of others also brings benefits.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Apprenticeships are just the first step to acquiring knowledge. However, that first step for an apprentice can set them up for life and give them an insight into the importance and personal benefit of having the attitude to acquire skills and knowledge. When a young apprentice at the start of their working life hears someone who has retired from theirs saying, ‘Every day I learn something new’, that’s a massive lesson in itself.

From the Apprentice

Why did you choose an apprenticeship?

I chose an apprenticeship because I wanted to get a real feel for a working environment. I specifically wanted to go into the joinery trade environment, and the SVR had an opportunity for me to do that.

I love the idea of heritage and restoring our history. It’s so important to keep it going. I’ve done so many different things in my first few months here, such as replacing window frames and beading on carriages, building boxes to house batteries, and preparing bodywork for painting.

Was the apprenticeship the right choice for you and why?

Absolutely! I’m doing something I love. I’ve met so many people here who are keen to pass on their knowledge, and I’m keen to learn. I think they really value the fact that a young person is here on an apprenticeship and is going to carry on using the traditional skills that are needed here to work on heritage rolling stock.

What advice would you give to someone who is unsure whether to take the apprenticeship route?

If you’re thinking about an apprenticeship, I’d say, ‘Go for it!’ Find out as much as you can in advance, and make sure it’s something you want to do career-wise. Make sure that gaining practical skills is what you want to do because you’ll definitely be doing that, and they’ll last a lifetime.

What are the benefits of being an Apprentice at your organisation?

I love the fact that the many different projects I work on at the SVR are going to be seen by people who visit the railway. It’s such an important and well-known place, and I’m proud to be contributing to it. It’s so rewarding and satisfying to know that your hard work is being appreciated.

Has the apprenticeship developed your confidence and/or any other skills?

I’ve really built my confidence and interpersonal skills, and that’s because I’ve got to know so many people here, both paid colleagues and the many volunteers who play such an important role here, too. They bring a huge variety of knowledge and skills with them from their lives. We’ve got former engineers, plumbers, mechanics, and electricians, and I really value being able to interact and learn from them.