First cohort of AI apprentices begin work at Great British Railways
Key Points
- The first cohort of AI apprentices have started at Great British Railways.
- The 20 apprentices will be placed in York and London, building the skills they need to support adoption of AI in the rail industry.
- The scheme is supported by GBRX, the strategic technology and innovation arm of Great British Railways.
The first cohort of Artificial Intelligence Engineering Apprentices have started work at Great British Railways.
These 20 apprentices form two groups based in York and London and will build the skills they need to support the safe and responsible adoption of AI across the rail industry in the United Kingdom.
The scheme is a direct product of an action plan by GBRX, which is the strategic technology and innovation body for the publicly owned railway.
In its industry action plan for the adoption of AI, GBRX said it hopes to use AI to gain a better understanding of the national railway’s day-to-day operations, discerning patterns that can be optimised to improve the experience of customers.
These patterns could include noting how small, unattributed delays accumulate and affect train scheduling, as well as the knock-on effect of seemingly isolated decisions on other parts of the network.
The 20 newly arrived apprentices will be distributed throughout the railway industry and coordinated through GBRX’s AI Incubator Accelerator. This will help them to build skills within individual organisations and across various parts of the railway network while strengthening AI capabilities across the sector.
This apprenticeship programme is also part of the government’s push to drive more young people into the rail industry and build the skills the sector needs. To this end, the Department for Transport will open apprenticeships for 600 young people aged 16 to 21, with the first cohort based in Derby.
“We’re investing in the future talent and expertise that will bring the rail network into the 21st century,” said Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy.
“These AI apprenticeships, alongside the new GBR rail foundation apprenticeships, mark the start of a new era for the sector as we work to set up Great British Railways, one where cutting-edge technology and skilled people work hand in hand to transform how our railway runs.”
“This is about investing in the railway of tomorrow and I’m proud to welcome this talented first cohort on board.”
