Railway Engineering Workshops Apprentice (Level 3) Review
at Transport for London
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Engineering
Ealing
Review Submitted: April 2025
Overall Rating
3.7 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
4/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
3.2/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
4/5
The first 18 month of the programme were largely spent at college where we were enrolled in a mixture of practical and more exclusively written units. The remaining time was spent rotating around different sections of our work facility in blocks of 8-12 weeks.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
Other than some of the college units where we were left to our own devices to written work was vague and generic and offered little utility, I have greatly enjoyed the programme. There is an interesting mix of personalities and the opportunity to get exposure to a wide variation of interesting engineering technologies and methods.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
In college the practically focused units gave us a good mix of various skills; hand tools, basic wiring, milling, mechanical maintenance and soldering. The written assignments were less useful. The in work placements are excellent in exposing to a wide range of processes as the REW in pretty unmatched as a big multi-role engineering facility.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
Again, some of the time at college was a little chaotic but when we were back with LU the facility felt well-run and activities were planned out for us.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
We have fed back that LU could have supported us a little better to make better use of the time at college and integrate out written work more closely with examples or direct exposure to real examples from the Underground. Otherwise it feels like we are generally well looked out for and everyone I have worked with while on placement is helpful and generous with their time.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
2/5
While some of the individual lecturers are very supportive in conveying their experience of industry and wider knowledge, the management would often appear pretty chaotic and indifferent to wasting our time or leaving us to muddle through.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
Again the basic practical skills and the written tasks attached to those exercises have been very useful. The more focused scientific and electrical academic subject have also been taught pretty well. Maths and technical drawing less so. The written work based on more vague concepts such as management, business development, communication felt like a complete waste of time.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
3/5
In such a big workplace you get to meet a wide number of people even at the job. I have a young family and so have not pursued any of the offical activities outside of work but am aware of things I could do if I wanted.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Transport for London to a friend?
Yes
Why?
I joined because I wanted to do an interesting job for an organisation/industry that felt useful to society and where my conditions of work would be good. I have not been disappointed. having worked in the construction industry the Underground is a much more respectful and civilised environment and the REW's family-friendly early to early shifts and half day Fridays have changed my life.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Transport for London?
I was nervous applying for an apprenticeship in my mid-30s having done a number of other jobs and been to university but my interviewers obviously understood that I was committed to learning new skills and was excited by the opportunity.
