Kelly Rail apprentices with Rail Engineering tutor Grant Lee, left, and Stuart Bruce Jones, Signalling Delivery Manager at Kelly Rail, and Philip Constable, Managing Director of Kelly Rail, right.
Newly-hired rail engineering apprentices are set to work on one of the biggest signalling projects on London Underground.
The group, who have all been offered apprenticeships with Kelly Rail, began their training at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) on 30 April.
Kelly Rail is part of Kelly Group and one of the largest rail contractors in the UK, specialising in signalling, telecommunications, electrification and civil engineering.
The group is made up of seven apprentices, training as rail signalling engineering, four in quantity surveying and one as an accountant.
They will be working out of Kelly Rail’s Edmonton depot and be involved in the project to improve signalling on the Circle, District, Metropolitan and Hammersmith and City lines.
“I’m really excited and can’t wait to get started,” said Rail signalling apprentice Connal Liles, 24, who was previously working as a commercial assistant at Kelly Rail.
“I love the challenge of working on big projects. It’s a great to see things through from start to finish. I’ve spoken to people who have worked at Kelly Rail for over 30 years and know this is a real chance not just to get a job, but a career.”
Quantity surveying apprentice Erblin Bashota, 19, secured a temp job with Kelly Rail after completing a pre-apprenticeship with the company and CONEL last year.
He said: “I started in the office and the more I learnt, the more I got to like and understand the job and knew it was something that I wanted to progress as a career.
“I want to get as much experience as I can, so I can stay with Kelly Rail.”
Muhammad Ali, 21, completed his rail engineering apprenticeship in April after being taken on by Kelly Rail with five other CONEL apprentices last year.
He said: “There is a lot of work out there in the rail industry here and abroad. It can be challenging and no two days are the same, and it’s a good long-term career to have.
I really learnt a lot on my apprenticeship. I can’t thank Kelly Rail and my teachers at CONEL enough for giving me the opportunity to prove myself and achieve my goals.”
Former CONEL rail engineering apprentice Muhammad Ali, second from right, with Grant Lee, Rail Engineering tutor Grant Lee, left, and Stuart Bruce Jones, Signalling Delivery Manager at Kelly Rail, and Philip Constable, Managing Director of Kelly Rail, right.
The apprentices were recruited through Capital City College Training (CCCT), the training arm of CONEL’s parent group Capital City College Group (CCCG).
While working at Kelly Rail the apprentices will train with CONEL and Westminster Kingsway College, which is also part of CCCG, along with City and Islington College.
Philip Constable, Managing Director of Kelly Rail, said: “Last year we took on six apprentices from CONEL and it was so successful we wanted to continue to work with the College.
“Our relationship with CONEL is very good. The talent that we have come across has been excellent and why we are keen for more of the same, if not even better.”