Sustainability Year in Industry Review

During my placement, I have worked within the Technical Authority Environment & Sustainability (TA E&S) team. One of the most significant projects I contributed to during my placement was the development and implementation of the Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) Tool. Within this project, I played a varied and active role, particularly in supporting user engagement, question set creation and ensuring the successful rollout of the tool. Another key project I was involved in during my placement was the development of a Power BI dashboard to support reporting for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) Tier 2 material reuse measure.

Yes

My involvement in the Power BI project required me to take on a largely self-directed learning approach, as I had no prior experience using Power BI and did not initially consider myself particularly technical. To address this, I undertook approximately 5-10 hours of online training, which provided me with a foundational understanding of the software and its capabilities. From there, I applied this knowledge directly to the project by working with raw datasets, transforming and cleaning the data, and ultimately developing a dashboard that visually represented material reuse across Network Rail’s renewals projects.

Huge amounts. The support provided by my line manager was another significant strength of my experience. Through regular one-to-one meetings, I was consistently encouraged to discuss my workload, development, and any support I may have needed. These conversations were not solely task-focused but also helped to build a strong working relationship and a sense of personal support, which contributed positively to my confidence and overall experience.

Transitioning into Network Rail was a noticeable adjustment, particularly after spending 4 years at Asda. One of the most striking differences was the organisations level of professionalism and progressiveness. I found Network Rail to be highly progressive in terms of working practices, with a strong emphasis on maintaining work-life balance. Network Rail also demonstrated a strong commitment to professional development. For example, I was given the opportunity to complete a five-day ISEP course, after which I achieved AISEP accreditation.

Overall, my placement at Network Rail has been an extremely valuable and memorable experience, both professionally and personally. One of the most important lessons I have learned is that, over time, you adapt to new environments and challenges. In the early stages of my placement; I experienced a degree of imposter syndrome; I often felt uncertain in discussions, struggled to follow conversations, and at time felt that I was not contributing significantly. However, this contrasts strongly with my current position, where I am consistently engaged with meaningful work, manage my own responsibilities, and feel like a valued member of the team. This progression has been a significant boost to my confidence. I enjoyed my placement to a large extent.

Yes