To mark National Apprenticeship Week 2026 (9 – 15 February) publicly owned operators are encouraging young people to take up apprenticeships in the rail industry.

South Western Railway currently has 28 apprentices due to begin engineering, leadership and young talent roles in September. This will be the first-year young talent and leadership apprentices are introduced in non-engineering roles across the fleet division.

Rail Minister, Lord Hendy, said: “From personal experience I know how rewarding a career in the rail industry is. It is brilliant to see so many opportunities available at publicly owned operators, from roles for those wanting to start their careers, to people of any age keen to learn new skills and develop, in a fast-paced and exciting sector.

“I encourage everyone looking for a new challenge to discover how they can use their unique skills and talents to help build the publicly owned railway we can all be proud of.”

Increasing apprenticeship numbers is said to be a vital component of “future proofing” the workforce to ensure publicly owned operators can deliver a high-quality service to passengers and drive improvements in performance.

Apprenticeships can enable people of all ages and backgrounds to develop the expertise they need to succeed in their professions. Trainee opportunities at publicly owned operators range from train drivers to onboard operations, ticketing and engineering, including corporate functions like HR and finance.

Applications are set to open soon for candidates aged between 16-18, who meet standard GCSE requirements in English and Maths to start a three-year apprenticeship with publicly owned operators from September.

Anyone who is interested can find out more information and apply on South Western Railway’s website.