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Apprenticeship
Operations or Departmental Manager Apprenticeship - the first results are in !
CIRO started to deliver the level 5 Operations or Departmental Manager Apprenticeship in September 2018 .
This apprenticeship is management training for people who are already in a substantive management role who want to improve their skills and abilities in leadership and management . The first two apprentices to sign up for CIRO ’ s new apprenticeship programme were Ian Beck and Rob Robinson . Following two and half years on the programme , and a separate End Point Assessment , they have just completed their apprenticeships . It is a credit to their dedication and commitment that they achieved grades of a Distinction and a high Merit . That they accomplished these fantastic results alongside their substantial jobs as Driver Managers means that their achievements are even more impressive .
CIRO were so impressed with their commitment to the apprenticeship and their dedication to learning and growing their management competences , that we will be sponsoring them to “ top up ” their qualifications to degree level . Ian and Rob achieved accreditation of prior learning , which means they are able to move straight on to the two-year BSc in Railway Operations
Management for rail staff living and working in England .
Apprenticeships require that learners spend 20 % of their time in off-the-job learning and development activities . For managers , this is often work they are doing already , like leading their team , making decisions , communicating with senior managers and other stakeholders , collaborating , and managing budgets and projects . Apprentices collect evidence in their online portfolio of new or refreshed knowledge , skills and behaviours that they develop in the workplace , informed by their apprenticeship learning . CIRO deliver workshops and online sessions on all aspects of the Apprenticeship Standard which has been written by a cross industry group to reflect what high performing managers present and how they act . If you would like to know more about CIRO Apprenticeships and how they could help you develop the management skills you need to advance your career , contact CIRO at
apprentice @ railwayoperators . co . uk .
Network Rail 2020 Operations and General Management Scheme
Embarking on a new career in a new industry is difficult enough at any time , imagine attempting it during a pandemic , when you are only able meet your new colleagues and managers online . That is what faced the Network Rail 2020 graduates as they joined the highly acclaimed Operations and General Management Scheme in September 2020 , amidst the Covid-19 pandemic . The scheme includes the level 4 Passenger Transport Operations Manager Apprenticeship which builds core skills and competences in safety , quality , customer service and management . CIRO deliver the apprenticeship and include the Certificate in Higher Education in Railway Operations Management as part of the programme , so that our learners gain the vital knowledge , skills and behaviours to set them up for a great career in rail .
CIRO was delighted to be able to meet the apprentices in September 2021 at Network Rail ’ s Westwood campus . Here , the learners spent three days together , with various opportunities to collaborate and network , including games to develop important negotiation skills and core rail learning around depot management and timetabling . To celebrate their achievement of negotiating a challenging first year in their career , CIRO put on a celebration dinner at a local restaurant . With views over the countryside , learners and colleagues spent a lovely evening , unwinding and socialising in a tepee filled with fairy lights and delicious home-made pizza .
The apprentices will hopefully look back on their initial year in rail as one that built their resilience and their ability to cope with change alongside great technology skills .
Rob Robinson
Ian Beck
Congratulations to Ian and Rob , we look forward to celebrating your graduations in due course .
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If the panel accept your application we will write to you with details of your recognition , including the next steps .
Becoming an Awarding Organisation
CIRO has been providing an independent and rigorous end-point assessment ( EPA ) for the Train Driver level 3 apprenticeship standard since August 2019 . To ensure that we continuously work to a high standard , levels of internal and external quality assu rance ( QA ) are embedded within our delivery model .
Primarily , CIRO as the End-Point Assessment Organisation , has established Internal QA procedures to ensure that the assessments we conduct are fair , transparent , valid and reliable .
National Skills Academy for Rail ( NSAR ), Currently provide a second level of quality assurance . Appointed by Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education ( IFATE ), NSAR is the organisation responsible for delivering External Quality Assurance ( EQA ) for Rail Apprenticeships and their role is to ensure that we continue to work to a high standard , delivering a high quality , relevant and reliable assessment . This is carried out through NSAR ’ s ongoing scrutinisation of our internal QA process and practices .
IFATE provides the final level of QA , responsible for overseeing and evaluating the quality of end-point assessment , which is built around five principles ( relevance , reliability , efficiency , positivity and learning ). Following consultation during Feb-May 2020 IFATE are changing their EQA model , and from Summer 2022 , the EQA of the Train Driver standard will be delivered by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation ( Ofqual ).
Ofqual provides EQA of apprenticeship end-point assessment through the regulation of end-point assessment organisations . This change means that CIRO will need to be recognised by Ofqual by the time the Train Driver apprenticeship standard transfers from NSAR to Ofqual .
As a consequence of this change , CIRO has started the process to become an Awarding Organisation .
Ofqual ’ s recognition criteria are the same for all organisations ; whether they are applying to deliver EPA or other types of qualifications . So , in order to become an Awarding Organisation , the official requirements set out by Ofqual must be met . These requirements are called ‘ the general Conditions of Recognition and describe in detail how qualifications should be designed , delivered , awarded and quality assured on an ongoing basis . They also set out how CIRO needs to be governed and structured .
In addition to the continuation of the EPA delivery , becoming an Awarding Organisation will enable CIRO to develop high-quality railway operations qualifications that test knowledge , skills and understanding , to meet the needs of employers and learners . Through the design , development , and delivery processes , CIRO will be able to award the recognition of learning outcomes of an individual , following an assessment and quality assurance process .
The Recognition Process
Read the information on our website . Set yourself up on the Recognition Gateway .
Complete the online application form and submit supporting documents .
We check your application form . We will return to you if we need you to provide any additional information .
We will thoroughly review your application against our Criteria for Recognition .
If your application passes the review , we will invite you to a review panel meeting . The panel will discuss your application with you and will write to you after the meeting with their decision .
Meeting with Ofqual to talk about what it means to be regulated . Guidance on filling in your application .
If your application doesn ’ t meet the criteria , we ’ ll write to you to explain the issues . We will offer you a feedback meeting . You can resubmit your application at any time .
If the panel decide your application hasn ’ t met the criteria , we will let you know the reasons and invite you to a feedback meeting . You can resubmit your application at any time .