Metro apprentices celebrate halfway milestone

Apprentices at the Midland Metro Alliance are celebrating a major step forward in their career after reaching the halfway point of their course.

Last autumn, the alliance, which is designing and building a number of Metro extensions on behalf of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), welcomed a cohort of new apprentices who work across its projects in office and on-site roles.

Six of the trainees are employed as track construction operative apprentices and are currently studying towards a bespoke light rail qualification which was developed by the MMA and leading organisations in the light rail industry back in 2018.

Reflecting on his experiences so far as a trainee at the MMA, Connor Mallen, who, like his colleagues is helping to deliver the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension, said: “Being an apprentice is all about hands-on experience which suits me and the way I like to learn. It is great to be able to put questions to more experienced colleagues and find out more about the job from them.

“Working on this Black Country Metro extension has given me the chance to get tickets to work on a variety of construction jobs. I feel I am picking up skills which will help me in my career going forward. ”

Dr Julie Nugent, director of Skills and Productivity at West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), said: "It is heartening to see local employers, like the MMA, embrace apprenticeships in order to attract and nurture new talent. ”

Last month, the alliance 's head count was boosted by Nathan Grant, site support apprentice and Le 'Sean Williams, engagement & skills support apprentice.