Govia Thameslink celebrates newest apprentice ahead of World Youth Skills Day

Riley Barnes, 19, is studying towards a Business and Admin Apprenticeship at Govia Thameslink Railway, which is based in Three Bridges.

Ahead of World Youth Skills Day on July 15, Riley is encouraging more young people to consider a fulfilling career in the railway.

He said: “For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to work in rail. I started looking into different ways to join the industry and saw lots of apprenticeships on offer at GTR. I was doing my A Levels at the time and applied on the off-chance I might get in.

“Lots of my friends decided to go to university but I wanted to start earning my own money as soon as I could. I’ve been on the apprenticeship course for a year now and I’m really enjoying it. It mixes online learning with practical experience, where I can shadow colleagues and learn about different roles.”

Riley, who works in GTR’s busy Rail Operating Centre is not fazed about being the youngest person in his team and is relishing every opportunity to learn new skills.

He continues: “Being the youngest in my team is great because I bring fresh ideas and a different perspective to the table. Since starting my apprenticeship, I’ve realised just how much opportunity there is in the railway, because there are so many career paths you can explore.

“I couldn’t recommend the railway enough to young people - no day is the same and there’s always something new and exciting on the horizon.”

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To follow in Riley’s footsteps, find out more about careers and apprenticeships at GTR here: GTR | Careers (gtrailwaycareers.com)