National Apprenticeship Week: Seven ways to start a career in the UK light rail sector
1. Apprenticeships with light rail operators and maintainers
Apprenticeships offer a direct and effective route into light rail. Many tram operators, infrastructure organisations and maintainers offer apprenticeship opportunities across technical, operational and business-facing roles. These opportunities are typically advertised through operator careers pages and national sector portals.
It's also a good idea to check operator and supplier websites directly. UKTram members like Network Rail, Colas Rail, VolkerRail, RSS Infrastructure, Siemens, and Hitachi Rail all help support early-career development with structured training and paths for progression.
The UKTram Members page provides information on active organisations and links to relevant websites and career resources. A list of light rail and tramway operators in the UK and British Isles can be found here.
As UKTram Managing Director James Hammett reflects:
“Apprenticeships build confidence and offer a real-world understanding of how the sector works. What appealed to me was the mix of academic learning and practical, hands-on experience.’’
2. Use sector platforms and careers portals
Sector-specific platforms also help individuals understand the range of available roles and how skills transfer across different areas. Key starting points are Routes into Rail and the Gov.uk website, which are great sources of vacancies across the rail industry, including light rail.
Routes into Rail provides a central view of live opportunities, and for those new to the sector, these platforms are often the quickest way to understand the roles that exist beyond the most visible frontline positions.
3. Education, training and aligned qualifications
Not all routes into light rail begin with a vacancy. Colleges and training providers across the UK offer courses that closely align with light rail roles, particularly in engineering, electrical systems, mechanical disciplines, civil engineering and operations.
Some providers work directly with operators and employers to ensure learning reflects real-world requirements. Keeping an eye on employer-linked training, regional skills initiatives and sector-led programmes can help bridge the gap between education and employment.
Strong foundations in STEM subjects, particularly maths, physics, engineering and design, remain important. Early engagement through schools, colleges and careers events helps raise awareness of light rail as a career option and builds confidence well before formal applications begin.
4. Volunteering and heritage tramways: learning by doing
Volunteering is a valuable and often overlooked way to get into light rail.
Heritage tramways and museums in the UK give you hands-on experience in real working environments. They offer insight into maintenance, safety, teamwork, and customer service. Many people now working in modern networks got their first practical experience and confidence from heritage systems.
For many professionals working in modern light rail today, heritage systems provided their first opportunity to gain practical experience, confidence and sector insight. These environments also help develop transferable skills that are highly valued by operators and suppliers.
Check the UKTram website’s list of heritage systems to find organisations across the UK that may offer hands-on learning opportunities.
James Hammett’s own experience reflects this pathway:
“I started out volunteering at Seaton Tramway before going on to do my Engineering apprenticeship. At the time, I didn’t imagine I’d go on to lead the trade body for the UK light rail sector. But apprenticeships show you what’s possible.”
Volunteering also demonstrates commitment and genuine interest, qualities consistently valued by employers.
5. Transferable skills and reskilling into light rail
Light rail benefits enormously from people joining the sector from other industries. Individuals with backgrounds in heavy rail, construction, utilities, manufacturing, digital systems or safety can bring transferable skills.
Increasingly, platforms such as Worktree help connect people with training pathways, placements and opportunities across transport and infrastructure, supporting those looking to reskill or change direction. Having people with different backgrounds makes the sector stronger. as it brings new ideas and perspectives.
6. Events, networks and professional communities
Light rail is a collaborative sector and professional networks play a key role in opening doors and supporting career development. UKTram is proud to partner with organisations such as the Permanent Way Institution, Rail Forum, Women in Transport, Interchange and Campaign for Better Transport.
These organisations support skill-building, inclusion and early-career engagement through events, mentoring and sharing knowledge. Attending industry events, technical sessions and career talks can help you learn about the range of roles available and meet people already working in the sector.
7. Staying curious and open to opportunity
Careers in light rail rarely follow a single path. Many people move between heavy and light rail, start in operational jobs before moving into leadership, or join the sector in unexpected ways.
As James Hammett notes:
“An apprenticeship gave me a confidence and an understanding of how the industry works. It provided the skills I needed to carry throughout my career. Light rail needs people who are willing to learn and ask questions and apprenticeships remain one of the strongest ways to develop that talent.”
While engineering jobs are often the most visible, light rail depends on many other professional skills. Planning, safety, data, digital systems, communications, business strategy, customer service, and leadership are all important for successful networks. Apprenticeships and early-career roles increasingly reflect this breadth, creating opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds to enter and progress within the sector.
As the UK light rail sector grows and changes, investing in skills and apprenticeships is essential. National Apprenticeship Week reminds us that these pathways make networks stronger and help support and secure the future of sustainable urban transport.
UKTram will keep supporting its members, partners, and the wider sector by promoting skill development and highlighting the many ways to enter light rail. We continue to be been actively involved in work such as the engineering apprenticeship trailblazer reviews and the development of National Occupational Standards.
These initiatives help ensure training reflects the real needs of light rail, while also supporting progression and mobility across the wider rail family. There will be some exciting new announcements from UKTram on skills and training collaborations, and on support for the sector, in the Spring.
If you’re an operator or UKTram member organisation with an apprenticeship programme, case study or upcoming opportunity, we’d love to include it in our National Apprenticeship Week round-up. Please email chelsea.branch@uktram.co.uk by 12pm Thursday 12th February to be included.