Tomorrow, Saturday, 15th July, is World Youth Skills Day, and 19-year-old Riley Barnes tells how he is encouraging more young people to consider joining the railway for a fulfilling career.

Riley never considered going to university, and as soon as he could he started his career path on the railway by studying towards a Business and Admin Apprenticeship at Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR).

He said “For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to work in rail. I started looking into different ways to join the industry and saw lots of apprenticeships on offer at GTR. I was doing my A Levels at the time and applied on the off-chance I might get in.

“Lots of my friends decided to go to university but I wanted to start earning my own money as soon as I could. I’ve been on the apprenticeship course for a year now and I’m really enjoying it. It mixes online learning with practical experience, where I can shadow colleagues and learn about different roles.”

Riley works in Govia Thameslink Railway’s busy Rail Operating Centre at Three Bridges near Crawley in West Sussex, said he isn’t fazed about being the youngest person in his team and is relishing every opportunity to learn new skills.

“Being the youngest in my team is great because I bring fresh ideas and a different perspective to the table. Since starting my apprenticeship, I’ve realised just how much opportunity there is in the railway, because there are so many career paths you can explore.

“I couldn’t recommend the railway enough to young people – no day is the same and there’s always something new and exciting on the horizon.”

Anyone wishing to follow in Riley’s footsteps can find out more about careers and apprenticeships with Govia Thameslink Railway at GTR | Careers (gtrailwaycareers.com)