North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) has taken on two new apprentices as part of its Yorkshire’s Magnificent Journey Project (YMJ), funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Cameron Ross (19) and Jacob Swinburn (19) have joined the NYMR team as mechanical engineering apprentices as part of the new apprenticeship scheme that’s been running for the last three years and were selected from 25 applicants, thanks to their passion and enthusiasm for heritage railways.
The program features a fantastic combination of theory and hands-on experience, with apprentices going to college one day a week and then having the opportunity to put this theory into practice four days a week at the NYMR, working alongside teams on the ground learning all the tricks of the trade.
A Junior Volunteer at NYMR since he was 13 years old, Finn Allen was the first YMJ apprentice that started three years ago and is about to complete the program. Showing true potential, Finn will now go on to work in the diesel department at the NYMR.
Nick Simpson, Motive Power Department Manager at the NYMR said: “We’re really excited about this new intake of apprentices. This is an incredible opportunity for anyone willing to get stuck in. With the right enthusiasm and willingness to learn, you can really progress into a fantastic career here.
“I’m proof of that, having started out as an apprentice myself and now 17 years later I manage the whole shed. I know how beneficial this opportunity can be for young people which is why I’ve worked with over 20 apprentices at the NYMR and try to take on at least two new apprentices each year.
“During this program, Cameron and Jacob will learn heritage skills you can’t pick up in the outside world, such as Imperial measurements. As per the YMJ brief, they’ll start by visiting and learning from all of the departments at the NYMR and get to work on everything from the diesels to the boiler shop and steam engines and eventually go onto fabrication, carriages, wagons and everything in between. It’s a proper apprenticeship. We celebrate getting mucky and teaching them how to swing spanners.”
YMJ has included apprenticeships in engineering, administration and countryside management of the lineside. Designed to transform the NYMR and secure its future, the £10 million Yorkshire’s Magnificent Journey project (YMJ) is funded by grants from the European Union, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Department of Environment Farming and Rural Affairs, the Local Enterprise Partnership and by donations from the charity’s members and supporters.
To find out more about NYMR apprenticeships, visit www.nymr.co.uk/apprenticeship-schemes
Photo credit: North Yorkshire Moors Railway
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