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TRAINING
RAILSTAFF MAY/JUNE 2020
GRADUATES
IN LOCKDOWN TRAINEES NEED TO LEARN FROM THEIR SUPERVISORS AND MANAGERS, SO HOW DOES THAT WORK DURING LOCKDOWN?
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etwork Rail has a well-respected graduate training programme, during which trainees visit, work with and learn from different departments and projects around the railway. Graham Coombs investigates how that can still happen while working from home. Joanna Dobell (right) discusses Innovations in Safety with colleagues.
It is obviously an understatement to say that the coronavirus pandemic has had an enormous effect on our working lives. Whether continuing to provide key services in difficult situations, working from home, being furloughed or even self-isolated, everyone has been affected. But one group that has faced particular challenges is made up of those just starting on their railway career in Network Rail’s graduate schemes, who would normally be in the middle of an intense and tightly scheduled programme of activity. RailStaff asked them how they are keeping on track.
OPERATIONS AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT
Joanna Dobell.
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Joanna Dobell (22) has been on Network Rail’s operations and general management programme since September last year, after graduating from Loughborough University. As part of the broad spread of experience provided by the programme, she has so far worked with safety, technical and engineering in the R&D team, and then out on location with the national stations team, a posting that was supposed to finish in early April. But unfortunately, those plans came to a halt when coronavirus hit. Joanna takes up the story: “I am between placements at the moment - I should have moved to performance, but this has been put back to June at least. It was difficult adapting at first, but I am keeping busy with my apprenticeship coursework and have quickly become involved in several interesting projects. The Institute of Railway Operators is continuing to deliver the apprenticeship remotely and, thankfully, there’ll be no delay to the completion of my apprenticeship. “I have been working with the R&D team on a thermal cameras trial, both at Network
