Leeds trains: TransPennine Route Upgrade to recruit more apprentices on multi-billion-pound Manchester route

The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is close to reaching the halfway mark of its ambitious aim to take on 590 apprentices across the rail upgrade between Manchester and York, via Leeds and Huddersfield.

The number of apprentices on the multi-billion-pound programme has reached 264, primarily recruited from locations along the route and amounting to £14.3 million in value to society, according to the Rail Social Value Tool.

Apprentices on TRU identify the cost of living crisis, tuition fee debt, career prospects and enhanced hands-on learning as reasons for choosing apprenticeships.

Neil Holm, TRU Managing Director said: “Providing opportunities through apprenticeships is at the heart of the TRU story. A railway fit for the North of England is being built by the communities through which TRU travels.

“Our nearly 590 apprentices are key to the TRU programme and reaching the halfway point of our ambitious apprenticeship intake underlines our commitment to developing skills and employment prospects for TRU communities.”

TRU, which recently secured a further £3.9 billion of governmental funding, marks the milestone during National Apprenticeship Week, taking place 5-12 February.

The upgrade is creating tens of thousands of jobs both directly and indirectly, including 8,000 new and safeguarded roles, with 60% of the construction workforce employed from within 25 miles of the route and 80% within 40 miles.

Bethany Draper, TRU Commercial Apprentice based in Leeds and York said: “I was accepted into two Russell Group universities but If I were to have gone to university, I would have been in a lot of debt.

“Financial independence is a key part of choosing an apprenticeship. With expanded work experience in an office or site environment, you have a better start to your career than other students.”

Apprentices are working in various disciplines across TRU, including Civil Engineering, Project Management, Quantity Surveying and Ecology.

Many TRU apprentices have university degrees built into their apprenticeships, taking one or two days a week off work to study.