Shauna O’Reilly, graduated from AmberTrain’s Tyseley site on 25th April 2014. We had the pleasure of catching up with Shauna recently to find out her classroom experience and how far she has come since completing our programme.
[Shauna] My rail story so far:
As soon as my successful application letter came through the post I must confess I jumped for joy!
As I walked in to the class room in Tyseley and met my tutor Chas, I instantly felt that this was the beginning of my new life. I remember it like it was yesterday - I headed off to meet my new class mates and there we all were, new minds waiting to learn about what this business has to offer us and what we could bring to the rail industry.
The paperwork was my weakest talent (as I have Dyslexia) but Chas helped and supported me every step of the way - our group was lucky to have him!
The projects that we were to accomplish during the programme seemed like a lot of hard work at first but by lunch time on the first day we made that connection as a team and formed a great bond that flourished as the weeks went by. We learnt a lot in our time at AmberTrain but one thing that always stood out was safety and how important it is in a career within the rail industry.
I remember my first shift on the infrastructure like it was yesterday! I was so excited to go out and prove myself but I was scared and felt like I wouldn’t be able to succeed. I was in the middle of trying to talk myself out of the shift when I recalled my tutor’s motto: “You only do what you are trained and competent to do”. I instantly felt more confident to push on with the day ahead. This was the first and only time I felt scared and since then my confidence has grown so much.
I love going to work and learning new skills and tricks of the trade. I feel like the rail industry is one big family and if you want to be part of it follow the rules, pull your weight, always respect your surroundings and always respect your peers because it's life or death out there if you don't.
Training with AmberTrain will give you the knowledge and skills to progress your career and open doors to potential employment with some fantastic organisations across the nation. We pride ourselves in helping our trainees achieve maximum potential in the railway industry.
