Next Stop: Leadership – How Apprenticeships are Powering Careers in Rail
Sarah Vernon BSc( Hons) PGDip FCMI Head of Apprenticeship Programmes, CIRO
As the UK rail industry faces a growing workforce crisis, with almost a third of employees aged 50 or over and more than 47,000 expected to retire by 2030, apprenticeships are proving to be one of the most powerful tools for tackling the challenge head-on. But the real value of apprenticeships isn’ t just in the statistics.
It lies in the personal stories of the people who’ ve used them to transform their careers— and the organisations that are reaping the benefits.
To mark National Apprenticeship Week 2025, CIRO hosted a webinar bringing together a panel of former apprentices and employer leads to reflect on the impact apprenticeships are having across the industry.
A Launchpad for Leadership
For many, apprenticeships have opened the door to entirely new roles and career paths.“ I did the Level 3 Team Leader apprenticeship, and it helped me move up into a Service Delivery Trainer role at Northern,” said Rob Bowman, Service Delivery Trainer for Conductors at Northern.
“ It formalised my development, helped me understand where I wanted to go, and gave me the confidence to work across the business— from frontline teams to senior leadership.”
Tina Thompson MCIRO, Fleet Procurement Business Change Manager at LNER, echoed this sentiment. Having completed the Level 5 Operations Departmental Manager
60 CIRO | Bulletin 55