Rail & Rail Systems Engineering Degree Apprenticeship - Birmingham (Rail Engineering Services)
WSP UK LIMITED
Birmingham (B1 1RT)
Closes on Friday 1 May 2026
Posted on 24 October 2025
Contents
Summary
What if you could do the kind of work the world needs? At WSP, you can access our global scale, contribute to landmark projects and connect with the brightest minds in your field to do the best work of your life. You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives.
- Wage
-
Competitive
Competitive wage offered
- Training course
- Rail and rail systems senior engineer (integrated degree) (level 6)
- Hours
-
Monday- Friday, 37.5 hours per week. Exact working hours to be confirmed.
37 hours 30 minutes a week
- Start date
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Monday 7 September 2026
- Duration
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3 years 6 months
- Positions available
-
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
As a Rail & Rail Systems Engineering Degree Apprentice in our Rail Engineering Services team in Birmingham, you will assist in supporting engineers in the production of designs for railway enhancements. The safe and reliable running of the railways is due to the support of a wide range of civil infrastructure, including signalling, overhead lines and telecoms. Where practical, you’ll get the opportunity to carry out site inspections and see the projects come to life.
Where you'll work
The Mailbox
100 Wharfside Street
Birmingham
B1 1RT
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
LONDON SOUTH BANK UNIVERSITY
Training course
Rail and rail systems senior engineer (integrated degree) (level 6)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Keep themselves and others safe by implementing and managing safe working practices and challenging unsafe practices. Promote and comply with railway/statutory regulations and organisational or project safety requirements, including competence and safe access to railway sites. Undertake and manage risk assessments / hazard reviews.
- Support the technical input to the development of railway standards, specifications and means of compliance; contribute to design/development of engineering solutions.
- Manage value engineering and whole life costing; evaluating information from diverse sources to develop, test and cost options: drafting rail specifications or detailed designs.
- Deliver rail and rail systems engineering solutions effectively including planning, resource allocation and management and delivery to rail industry specifications. Manage change and risk, monitor work, and make decisions and complex critical judgements.
- Contribute to and attend Senior Management and Executive meetings and report on both complex technical and financial issues both verbally and in writing.
- Manage financial systems, forecasts and budgets and operational / business performance using a variety of analytical techniques. Able to contribute to commercial and contractual reviews within a railway/regulated industry.
- Use evidence based approaches to problem solving and decision making. Manage and contribute to railway research and development of products and processes with cross-disciplinary collaboration. Conduct statistically sound appraisal of data, applying root cause analysis, and using evidence drawn from best practice to improve effectiveness.
- Lead /manage multi-disciplinary teams to effectively delegate tasks, identifying appropriate mentorship and coaching required, in line with talent management and succession planning. Able to apply change management processes.
- Work effectively and collaboratively, individually and as part of a team, being aware of personal actions and the impact they may have on others. Develop and maintain effective relationships with rail colleagues, clients, suppliers and the public at their level of influence [e.g. rail industry, local authority, and suppliers].
- Apply civil engineering skills e.g. geotechnics to support the effective performance and operation of the business.
- Provide expert advice and leadership specific to the Rail Civils discipline, but cognisant of how the railway works as an integrated, complex system.
- Apply and manage a wide range of Rail Civils skill-sets e.g. geotechnics, structures, bridges, tunnels, embankments, cuttings, vegetation and drainage in order to support and manage research, development, design, procurement, logistics, planning, delivery, quality assurance, inspection, testing, installation, commissioning, maintenance, life cycle management, decommissioning and environmental compliance.
- Apply and manage a wide range of track engineering skill-sets e.g. surveying for track design (for heavy rail and light rail projects) to support the effective performance and operation of the business.
- Provide expert advice specific to the track discipline, but cognisant of how the railway works as an integrated, complex system.
- Apply rail signalling and control systems skills e.g. independence of design checking and verification, assessing risk, manage interdisciplinary reviews.
- Produce rail signalling and control solutions for the railway industry based on known and defined concepts and principles and new and novel rail management system approaches.
- Take responsibility for managing the development of integrated designs that shall maintain or improve on the existing safety, reliability, capability (capacity), performance, efficiency and maintainability of the railway.
- Undertake systems integration engineering skills in line with mandatory company and client procedures, and relevant national / international legislation e.g. interoperability.
- Develop, produce, alter, review and approve detailed specifications relevant to new or altered traction and rolling stock assets.
- Obtain and retain relevant rail industry specific technical accreditation/ licences applicable to role.
- Support rail telecommunication, network and digital engineering design, application, configuration, operation, maintenance or decommissioning and disposal.
- Undertake company standards review and development as a designated subject matter expert within the discipline.
- Undertake standards review, operational practice, approvals and assessment of relevant rail asset types in line with technical knowledge.
- Approve and certify rail related electrical and mechanical and building services assets, as appropriate within the defined safety legislation e.g. building regulations.
Training schedule
- You will attend University to study a Rail & Rail Systems Engineering Degree Apprenticeship and gain a BEng, and the opportunity to gain your Incorporated Engineer status with your chosen professional institution
- You will be enroled onto a bespoke internal development programme to help you to attain the knowledge, skills and behaviours to successfully achieve your apprenticeship, and support your career in Rail & Rail Systems Engineering
- You will have the support of your team, line manager, mentor and buddy as well as a dedicated early careers team
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
A Level in:
BTEC in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Logical
- Team working
Other requirements
Candidates must complete the application form in full, answering all specified questions. This is mandatory for all candidates, inclusive of their background. Those who pass this initial stage are required to complete an online skills enablers assessment. The application form and the skills enablers assessment are essential parts of our recruitment process. Please note that we reserve the right to close vacancies ahead of the advertised deadline, so we recommend applying as soon as you’re ready.
About this employer
As one of the world’s leading engineering consultancy firms, at WSP we’re passionate about the big questions, and big answers, naturally. For us that’s all about reaching beyond the expected to do work that’ll make a profound impact felt long into the future. We engineer projects that will help societies grow for lifetimes to come. We’ve been involved in many high-profile projects like The Shard, Crossrail, M1 Smart Motorway and the London Olympic & Paralympic Route Network.
http://www.wsp.com/ukapprenticeships (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
2 paid days a year for volunteering, cheaper gym memberships , discounts with selected high street retailers, 25 days holiday (plus Bank Holidays), WSP's Cycle to Work Scheme, reduced rates on gadget insurance and other benefits.
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
- You will gain a Rail & Rail Systems Engineering degree apprenticeship with a bachelors' qualification. as well as completing your End Point Assessment (and your Incorporated Engineer status)
- As this is a permanent position, after gaining your degree, WSP will continue to be committed to your learning and development throughout your career with us
- You will have the opportunity to continue professional development and work towards gaining Chartered status or equivalent with your chosen institution, as well as the opportunity to pursue your further study and training goals
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
LONDON SOUTH BANK UNIVERSITY
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000347173.
Apply now
Closes on Friday 1 May 2026
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.