The programme was developed by Network Rail, its supply chain partners, Gateshead College and NSAR (The National Skills Academy for Rail) to help address the industry’s skills shortages and meet the demands for a more flexible, collaborative and integrated workforce.
The Higher Apprenticeship in Associate Project Management focuses on the different stages of the project lifecycle including design, development and close-out. It combines study with working for some of the rail industry’s leading companies
The PlanBEE Rail programme welcomed its first apprentices in September 2024. They are gaining experience working on major projects including the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) Programme, East Coast Digital Railway Programme & Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Building on the success of the first cohort, a second cohort of apprentices will be joining the programme in September 2025.
Benefits
How does the PlanBEE Rail programme work?
PlanBEE Rail is a shared apprenticeship scheme with apprentices employed by NSAR as the Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agency.
Apprentices undertake four, six month work placements over two years, hosted by different employer ‘sponsors’. By rotating between different companies, they gain a breadth of experiences and get a flavour of the wide variety of project management roles in the industry.
From the moment they join, apprentices become a valued member of the team. They spend four days a week at work and one day at college.
Throughout their apprenticeship they develop a range of skills and behaviours which are key to a project management role in the rail sector, as well as transferable skills like teamwork, leadership, innovation and communication.
On completion of the programme, sponsors are able to fill skilled vacancies with PlanBEE Rail graduates.
What’s the commitment to becoming a sponsor?
Over the two years of the PlanBEE Rail apprenticeship, each sponsor company will host four different apprentices for a period of approximately six months each. Apprentices will normally be with you for four days per week and on one day they will be studying and developing their knowledge of the rail industry and project management. Additionally, there will be some occasional periods of block training at college to work on special projects.
PlanBEE Rail sponsor meetings are held every month and all sponsors are asked to ensure a representative attends these so they can feedback on the progress of apprentices and contribute to the development and content of the apprenticeship.
At the end of each six-month placement, sponsors are invited to attend a presentation event where all apprentices give a formal presentation about the work they have completed during the placement. This allows sponsors to see the development of the whole cohort of apprentices and not just those that they will see on placement in their company.
Every sponsor organisation needs to ensure that the apprentice has a workplace mentor for the duration of their placement. The mentor will supervise the apprentice on a daily basis and provide direction, support and guidance.
The cost to sponsors is the salary paid (+on costs) to apprentices, plus a monthly administration support fee. The salary cost for each apprentice will be linked to the National Living Wage. The consortium of sponsors will also agree additional training and there will be an additional cost associated with this.