Northern looking for up to 16 engineering apprentices to work at depots including Allerton in Liverpool
Photograph by Jonny Walton...

Engineering Team 1 © Jonny Walton 2020 57

NORTHERN is looking to recruit up to 16 engineering apprentices to join the team responsible for maintaining and enhancing its fleet of trains. The apprentices will be based at 1 of 5:- 'TrainCare Centres' across the North of England, including:- Heaton in Newcastle, Botanic Gardens in Hull, Neville Hill in Leeds, Newton Heath in Manchester and Allerton in Liverpool. The apprentice roles offer a starting salary of £15,817 per annum, rising to £18,963 per annum during the apprenticeship; and benefits including free train travel on the Northern network. Whilst the vacancies are open to all, the operator is targeting its recruitment campaign at:- School and College-leavers (aged 16 to 22) with a minimum of 5 GCSEs including English, maths and science.

The focus on young people is designed to help nurture the next generation of railway engineers and engineering leaders. For more information and details of how to apply, click here. The closing date for applications is Sunday, 11 December 2022.

Jack Commandeur, engineering director at Northern, said:- "These roles are a great opportunity for anyone interested in engineering to join a team of experts maintaining and developing our diverse fleet of trains. These roles will help develop the talents of budding engineers across the North of England who are looking for a career that speaks to their passion for science and technology."

Alexandra Widdop, one of Northern's engineering apprentices at their Neville Hill depot in West Yorkshire, said:- "I'm in the third year of my apprenticeship and I love it. I've learnt so much from the team and I've had chance to work on trains across the fleet. If you're interested in solving problems and embracing new technology; this is a great industry to work in."

Northern's engineering team has recently unveiled the concept train for operator's Intelligent Trains programme, a project designed to make journeys by rail safer and more efficient. Amongst other software, it uses the same LIDAR horizon scanning cameras as used by autonomous driving road vehicles and that NASA used to map the surface of the moon. You can find out more about the Intelligent Trains programme here.

Northern is the 2nd largest train operator in the UK, with nearly 2,000 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.-

Emily Spurrell invites residents to share views and feedback at next PCC advice surgery

MERSEYSIDE'S Police Commissioner is inviting local people to share their views and feedback with her at the next monthly PCC surgery in Southport. Emily Spurrell launched the monthly advice surgeries in September as part of her commitment to giving local people a greater voice on policing, crime and community safety issues in Merseyside. The sessions enable Emily to meet residents from across the region face to face and in confidence to listen to their views on how we can build a stronger, safer Merseyside and respond to any questions or concerns they have about the performance or oversight of Merseyside Police.

The Commissioner and her team will work with residents to identify the best route for their enquiry and discuss any action that can be taken or supported by her office. The next PCC surgery will take place between:- 11am and 1pm, on Monday, 21 November 2022, in Southport and appointments must be booked in advance. Over the year, the Commissioner will hold two sessions in accessible venues in each Local Authority area, as well as two virtual sessions, to ensure people living across Merseyside have access to appointments.

Merseyside's Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said:- "I'm committed to being a strong voice on behalf of people across our fantastic region, ensuring their views are at the heart of my work, as well as local policing and community safety. These regular advice surgeries are a great way to hear directly from local communities about any views or concerns they have and are a key way I can ensure I am as accessible as possible to residents of Merseyside. I would encourage anyone with views or concerns about policing, crime and community safety across our region to get in touch and book a slot at one of these monthly surgeries. I want to hear your views and ensure your voice is heard on local issues. These surgeries are just part of the wider work that I'm undertaking to raise awareness of the role of PCC and make sure I'm alive to the views and opinions of local people."

Representing the views of residents is a key responsibility of the Commissioner and an important part of monitoring Merseyside Police's performance and holding the Chief Constable to account. The surgeries will help the Commissioner to identify themes or trends in public opinion, which will help to influence her scrutiny of the Chief Constable and inform future decisions, including the commissioning of services, projects and campaigns.

While the Commissioner is unable to intervene in operational matters, she welcomes your feedback on how the region is Policed and how we can work together to build a stronger, safer Merseyside.

Future surgeries are scheduled for:-

► Wednesday, 14 December 2022 – afternoon - Virtual.

► Thursday, 26 January 2023 - evening - St Helens.

► Monday, 27 February 2023 - afternoon - Norris Green.

► Tuesday, 21 March 2023 - afternoon - Heswall.

► Monday, 17 April 2023 - afternoon - Prescot.

► Wednesday, 24 May 2023 - afternoon - Bootle.

► Saturday, 24 June 2023 - morning - Newton.

► Thursday, 20 July 2023 - morning - Speke.