Facilities Team (Engineering) Apprentice

Are you practical, hands-on, and eager to learn? Looking for a career where no two days are the same? Join Southern as a Facilities Team (Engineering) Apprentice and gain valuable experience maintaining and improving the facilities that support one of the UK's busiest rail networks. This is an exciting opportunity to develop technical skills, work alongside experienced facilities professionals, and build the foundations for a long-term career in engineering and facilities management. Our apprenticeship scheme is 2 years and will be kicking off in September 2026.

Main Responsibilities

As a Facilities Apprentice, you'll work closely with our experienced Facilities Team, learning how to maintain and improve depot facilities while ensuring a safe and efficient working environment for colleagues and depot users. You’ll gain exposure to a wide range of tasks, including:

• Assisting with the upkeep, repair, and maintenance of engineering depot facilities.
• Supporting planned improvement projects across depot sites.
• Learning how to diagnose and repair minor faults before they require external contractors.
• Working alongside specialist contractors and monitoring their work when required.
• Conducting workplace inspections and helping maintain high standards across facilities.
• Using permit-to-work and facilities management systems.
• Recording completed work, including time, materials, and job information.
• Looking after tools, equipment, plant rooms, and spare parts.
• Supporting the team in delivering cost-effective maintenance solutions.

This role offers a fantastic opportunity to learn practical engineering and facilities skills in a busy operational environment.

The Ideal Candidate

We're interested in enthusiastic individuals with the right attitude and a willingness to learn. You don't need extensive experience, but you should have:

• Good practical or DIY skills.
• Confidence using hand tools or a desire to learn.
• A good standard of English and Maths.
• The ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Good organisational and time management skills.
• A positive, proactive approach to work.

All successful candidates will need to undertake and pass a full safety critical medical before formal offer. This vacancy may close early if we receive a large number of applications. So, make sure you get yours in early. All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references, a right to work verification, a basic criminal record check, and a pre-employment medical assessment. Work visa sponsorship isn’t available for this role.

Please note - If you are successful during the initial recruitment stages you will be required to attend a Recruitment Experience Day on 26th May 2026.

What you’ll get in return

Along with your salary, the rewards you’ll get include:

• a final salary pension
• 32 days annual leave allowance (including bank holidays) in year one (24 days once shift work commences)

We’re one of Britain’s busiest train operators, serving London, Kent and parts of East Sussex. We run over 1,700 trains a day, carrying more than 500,000 passengers and serving 180 stations. However, working on our railway is more than getting passengers from A to B. It’s about all the little moments that make a difference to their journey. It’s also about making our railway a great place to work and our team one that represents the communities we serve.

This is a journey we’re fully committed to and we’re proud to have been named a ‘Great Place to Work’ at the 2023 National Rail Awards and endorsed as a WORK180 Employer for Women.