Tom Bacon, 21 years
“It was certainly the degree element that I liked, but it was also a chance to gain experience in the field. I always wanted to test the water in different areas before committing myself to one career route, and this course has let me do just this.
“Being sponsored by Network Rail has also put me in a strong position to find a good job within the industry.
“’Challenging’ is probably the best word to describe the university part of the course. There’s a lot to fit in, but I’ve found that if I apply myself and schedule things carefully, I can still have a busy social life. There’s an active social scene here and it’s been very easy to make friends with other course members.
“In fact, I’ve been very impressed all round with how friendly everyone is and how willing people are to share their knowledge. I’ve learnt loads at Sheffield Hallam and I’ve just started my work placement, which fortunately is close to home.
“As for the future, I’m not totally sure which direction I will eventually specialise in and I’ll probably take up the option of further study to gain the BEng honours degree. One thing’s certain, though: I’ll be staying in the rail industry for a long time to come.”
Railway Engineering
Earn while you study at Sheffield Hallam.
Network Rail sponsor students on Sheffield Hallam University’s full-time Foundation Degree in Railway Engineering.
Fast track to railway careers
Who is it for?
Academic learning
Workplace experience
Paid contracts
More information
How to Apply
Fast track to railway careers
The course is designed to fast-track the right people with an interest in engineering into the railway industry. It combines theory with practical experience and gives you the chance to work on some of the biggest projects in the industry.
It has been developed by Sheffield Hallam University in partnership with Network Rail and other organisations in the rail industry, including London Underground, Jarvis Rail, Grant Rail and Balfour Beatty.
Who is it for?
We are looking for men & women who want a career in railway engineering. There is no age limit and the course has already attracted many mature students.
To become a full-time student, you will need to undertake a successful interview with an industry sponsor (Network Rail), have a medical assessment to meet the industry standards for employment and one of the following qualifications from a relevant technical or scientific subject area:
- 80 points from at least one GCE/VCE A-level or BTEC National Award
- Evidence of studying Maths at an advanced level
- Pre-2002 A-levels – 6 points from at least one GCE A-level
- GNVQ – advanced/level 3 pass
- Pre-2003 BTEC/SCOTVEC – National Certificate/Diploma pass
- Foundation – pass from the preparatory year (foundation) for the extended degree in engineering.
Academic learning
The course offers a valuable combination of academic learning at Sheffield Hallam University and workplace experience.
Each year, you will spend the first seven months (September to March) at the University. During these months, every Wednesday is designated an ‘industry day’ when senior managers deliver presentations, engineers give technical talks and hold workshops or students make industrial site visits.
Workplace experience
During the five months spent in the workplace (April to September), you will rotate around the different engineering functions of your sponsor organisation. For example, in year 1, you might follow a plan similar to this:
- 4 weeks with Signal Maintenance Engineering
- 4 weeks with Track Maintenance Engineering
- 4 weeks with Track Renewals Engineering
- 4 weeks with Civil Engineering
- 4 weeks with Electrification & Plant Engineering
From the first day of your work placement, you will be assigned a mentor. As well as providing general support, your mentor will set you objectives in line with the standards of the assessed, work-based learning elements of the course, which you will be expected to meet.
Paid contracts
As a Network Rail sponsored student, you will receive a bursary to help towards tuition fees for the seven months at the University. During your work placements, you will be employed on a five month fixed-term contract. You will earn £13,000 in the first year and £15,000 in the second year on a pro-rata basis.
You also will be given the necessary health & safety training and provided with the personal protective equipment & other tools that you need.
Where possible, you will be able to take up a placement close to your home or another location you choose.
In the future, you could also achieve a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Railway Engineering with an additional year of modular or part-time study. However, there is no guarantee of sponsorship for the third year.
More information
If you want more information, contact Sheffield Hallam University:
- Tel: 0114 225 3478
- Email: aces-info@shu.ac.uk
- Website: www.shu.ac.uk/courses/rail
Sheffield Hallam University hold selection days for the Foundation Degree throughout the year. To give you a chance to see the campus and find out more about the course, Please contact the University to find out more and learn how to reserve a place on 0114 225 3478 or email aces-info@shu.ac.uk
How to apply
You can apply through UCAS or contact Sheffield Hallam University Admissions Office. Their contact details are:
- UCAS - email: enquiries@ucas.ac.uk - phone:+44 (0)870 1122211
- Sheffield Hallam University - email: admissions@shu.ac.uk.
If you want to check the progress of your application, please contact Sheffield Hallam on 0114 225 5555.
If you want to apply for a sponsored place, you should apply through UCAS and you will be invited to an interview with representatives from the sponsoring organisations (Network Rail, Barcol, First Engineering, Jarvis, Grant Rail and Balfour Beatty) at the selection day. Usually, you will meet either an Engineer or a Human Resources Manager. If you are successful at the interview, you will be required to undergo a medical (which includes drugs & alcohol screening) before being offered a sponsored placed on the course.