Exeter College Apprenticeships and Great Western Railway (GWR) are celebrating a decade of developing exceptional apprentice talent for Britain’s railways, with the partnership on track to enrol its 1,000th apprentice by the end of the year.
Since the partnership began in 2016, 920 people across the South and South West have enrolled on an Exeter College and GWR apprenticeship, with many progressing into railway careers in customer service, train driving, engineering and head office roles.
Exeter College has become GWR’s sole apprenticeship provider, with the programme achieving an above-national-average apprenticeship success rate of 73%. Around 1,500 people apply for GWR Apprenticeship roles each year, with successful applicants going on to support rail travel for millions of passengers across its 2,000-mile network each year, connecting London with destinations including Penzance, Hereford and South Wales.
GWR Apprentices consist of young people looking to start a career in the industry but also include existing GWR colleagues looking to enhance their skills and knowledge, supporting their continued development and progression within the business.
GWR was recognised in 2026 when it was named one of the UK’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers, with Exeter College supporting them throughout the accreditation process. The train operator also became the first in the UK to achieve Platinum accreditation through Investors in People’s We Invest in Apprentices programme.
Other highlights from the past decade include the achievements of individual apprentices and the Apprenticeship Train, which saw two special train services operated entirely by current and former apprentices.
To mark the partnership’s anniversary, more than 60 representatives from the education, rail and transport sectors gathered for a celebration lunch at Exeter College’s award-winning, student-run @Thirty-Four restaurant. In keeping with the apprenticeship theme, the lunch was run by Exeter College hospitality apprentices, working in the kitchen and front of house.
Exeter and North Devon Colleges Group’s Executive Director of Partnerships and Apprenticeships, Mike Blakeley, opened the celebration and reflected on the partnership’s journey and achievements.
The event also featured talks from Joshua Clay, a former apprentice who is now a Senior Revenue Protection Manager at GWR; Jenny Vince, a former Exeter College employee and GWR Partnership Manager; and Andrew Perry, GWR’s Learning and Development Manager and Apprenticeship Lead.
Exeter College and GWR are now looking ahead to the next stage of the partnership, continuing to develop the skilled workforce the railway network needs across the South, South West and beyond.
Discover Exeter College and GWR apprenticeship opportunities: www.gwr.com/about-gwr/careers/apprenticeships
Find out more about Exeter College apprenticeships at an upcoming Open Event: exe-coll.ac.uk/open-events/
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