Guards Manager Apprentice
SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY LIMITED
Salisbury (SP2 7RS)
Closes in 31 days (Friday 31 October 2025)
Posted on 29 September 2025
Contents
Summary
You will receive comprehensive support from your depot manager and the On-Train team to effectively oversee the day-to-day front-line operations of Guards and Commercial Guards. Your primary focus will be on ensuring the highest standards of safety, punctuality, and customer service are consistently maintained.
- Wage
-
Competitive
Competitive wage offered
Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Salary increase on successful completion of first year
- Training course
- Passenger transport operations manager (level 4)
- Hours
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Monday to Friday - with some flexibility.
37 hours a week
- Start date
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Monday 14 September 2026
- Duration
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2 years
- Positions available
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1
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
- Team Leadership and Motivation: Lead and motivate Guards to consistently achieve optimal levels of train safety, punctuality, and customer service excellence.
- On-Train Visibility Checks: Conduct regular out-of-hours visibility checks to ensure Guards deliver exceptional on-train customer service, addressing any issues promptly.
- Training and Development: Support the ongoing development of Guards by providing both online and practical training sessions, nurturing their skills and competencies throughout their careers.
- Supporting Guards Management: Assist the Guards Management team during on-call duties, attending relevant training courses to effectively handle safety of the line and operational incidents.
- Exemplifying Company Values: Serve as a shining example of the company's values and behaviours, embodying a commitment to excellence in service delivery. Uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity in all interactions with team members and customers alike.
Where you'll work
South Western Road
Salisbury
SP2 7RS
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
CHARTERED INSTITUTION OF RAILWAY OPERATORS
Training course
Passenger transport operations manager (level 4)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Evaluate the transport environment and ensure it complies with relevant laws and contractual obligations
- Ensure checks to the transport environment are performed and that teams are working in a safe and efficient manner.
- Comply with procedures regarding personal preparation prior to undertaking a role in the transport environment.
- Comply with security procedures and systems, taking appropriate action when a breach has occurred or is suspected.
- Monitor and review safe working practices and make suitable recommendations for change.
- Recognise when behaviour is inappropriate and could lead to a conflict or dangerous situation and take prompt actions to ensure safety.
- Conduct a transport environment risk assessment.
- Investigate the nature and level of an incident or emergency and determine the likely cause based on the evidence and ensure corrective action is taken and preventative controls are put in place.
- Act appropriately and effectively during incidents and emergency situations to minimise risks to people and the environment.
- Monitor and review the availability of facilities and services and implement plans to meet demand and minimise disruption to the transport service.
- Monitor and evaluate information and feedback, recognise trends and suggest improvements to transport services and products.
- Recognise opportunities and implement plans to improve the customer experience within the transport environment.
- Develop a network of contacts within the transport environment and associated industries with clear personal and organisational benefits.
- Review processes and procedures to improve performance of service.
- Encourage a culture of continuous improvement and identify efficiencies.
- Assess your team's current skills, knowledge and competence against business needs.
- Analyse and interpret management information
- Present relevant and specific information to key network stakeholders, ancillary services, groups of staff and customers.
- Conduct negotiations with key stakeholders to meet objectives and inspire confidence in the transport industry.
- Identify and assess situations that may lead to confusion, panic and conflict and provide management intervention in a way that maintains the safe operation of the transport environment.
- Identify and assess when teams and/or individuals require support, the techniques for dealing with this and the potential impact of a lack of support.
- Encourage customer service actions that comply with transport industry standards and promote a positive image of the transport environment.
- Assess the outcomes of both negative and positive customer feedback and implement improvements to the customer experience.
- Management skills and competence
- Prepare for and support compliance checks and audits and take corrective action.
- Monitor the performance of contracts including resource requirements and take action when variations occur.
- Investigate and take action when fraud is suspected or has been identified.
- Build and maintain a team which meets the needs and the strategic objectives of the business and the safe operation of the transport environment.
- Set objectives, provide support and monitor and review the progress of the team and department.
- Manage the control of resources, equipment and materials, determining the quality, quantity and suitability for the benefit of transport service delivery.
- Build staff commitment to organisational values and goals and encourage collaboration.
- Evaluate and deal with the performance issues affecting team members ensuring courses of action are in-line with professional codes of conduct.
Training schedule
- You will undergo thorough Guards training, ensuring you maintain the highest level of competency. This will involve regular assessments and practical train working to continuously enhance your proficiency.
- Work towards achieving an assessor's qualification, enabling you to assess Guards' adherence to safety-critical competencies. You will collaborate with them to develop action plans for improving standards where necessary.
- Develop a strong understanding of the operational transport service, including its targets, obligations, infrastructure, and assets. This knowledge will provide you with a holistic view of the industry landscape.
More training information
Attend 14 face-to-face teaching days or online sessions approximately every 4 weeks, covering apprenticeship standard content. This structured and immersive training programme aims to provide you with a solid foundation for success in your role, ensuring you are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and qualifications necessary to thrive in the dynamic railway operations environment.
Requirements
Desirable qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 4)
- Maths (grade 4)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Team working
- Flexibility
About this employer
South Western Railway (SWR) operates over 1,500 services each weekday across the network and employs more than 5,000 people. We provide easy and convenient mobility, connecting people and communities in South West London, southern counties of England, and the Isle of Wight.
https://careers.southwesternrailway.com/jobs/search (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employees. Free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependent). 75% discount on many other train operating companies. Excellent pension scheme.
Disability Confident
A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.
You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.
After this apprenticeship
Multiple opportunties for progression within the company on completion of this apprenticeship.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
CHARTERED INSTITUTION OF RAILWAY OPERATORS
swrapprenticeships@swrailway.com
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000344176.
Apply now
Closes in 31 days (Friday 31 October 2025)
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After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.