What is it like to work at Transport for London? We chat to some apprentices working in different business areas at TfL. Find out what to expect if you come work with us on an apprenticeship! 🤩
TfL Apprenticeships: Explained
Transport for London is a great place to work. It’s an award-winning employer for providing a great work-life balance and a fantastic place to kick-start your career. We invest a lot in our apprentices and graduates because we want them to be the future of our business.
- Apprenticeships provide you with on-the-job training and responsibilities from day one, with ongoing development and support.
- You’ll spend 20% of your time working towards an industry recognised professional qualification.
- Apprentices and graduates get access to our complete employee benefits package, including Free travel for you and someone who lives in same household on the TfL network.
👉 Find out more about how apprenticeships work at TfL
What kind of roles do you have?
We have roles in lots of different business areas including:
- Engineering
- London Underground and Rail
- Cyber Security
- Finance
- Project Management
- Technology
When can I make my application and what can I expect?
Our apprenticeships are open for those who are 18+ in September 2024, and there’s no upper age limit! 🤩 It only takes three steps to apply for our apprentice, graduate and intern roles.
- Step 1 – Online application
- Step 2 – We ask all candidates to complete two online tests
- Step 3 – Interview at an Assessment centre
Level 4-6 apprenticeships are open for applications now.
Level 2-3 apprenticeships will be open for applications in early February 2024.
🗓️ All schemes will start in September 2024.
Let’s meet some TfL Apprentices and get the lowdown on their jobs 🤩
Meet Natalie – Light Vehicle Repair Apprentice
Natalie is an apprentice at Dial-A-Ride on the Light Vehicle Repair scheme. We spent the day with her in the workshop – watch our Instagram Reel below:
Meet Jack – Cyber Security Apprentice ✨
Tell us about yourself and your role?
Hi, I’m Jack and I am a Cyber Security Apprentice. I joined TFL in September 2023 after deciding I wanted a career change.
Previously, I worked in the pharmaceutical industry after completing a degree in Neuroscience at university. I have always considered a career in the tech field, after studying ICT at A-level, and this apprenticeship felt like the perfect way to get into it. I also wanted to work for a company that had good culture and provided its staff with continuous personal development opportunities. Therefore, TFL felt like the ideal company to work for.
As a Cyber Security Apprentice, I work as the front line of defence against cyber security threats. This involves monitoring and securing systems to prevent security breaches and responding to cyber incidents.
What does a week look like in your apprenticeship?
My role changes from day to day, as cyber security is a constantly evolving field. In my current placement I am working as a Cyber Security Analyst in the Security Operations Centre (SOC) Team. Various duties include dealing with phishing emails, assisting with vulnerability management, and investigating security alerts.
I also have a dedicated study day once a week to complete my apprenticeship work and to study for my exams. It is exciting to know that I will be gaining industry recognised vendor certifications as well as a Level 4 Cyber Security Apprenticeship qualification.
What has been your favourite project so far?
So far it has been my threat actor profile. For this, I was given a specific threat actor, which is a group or individual that intentionally causes harm to digital devices or systems, to research and create a report on. I then got the opportunity to present my threat actor profile to my team in our weekly meeting.
I really enjoyed the research part of the project. I found it so interesting learning about some techniques a hacker might use to steal data or cause harm to TFL. It was also a great opportunity to hone my presentation skills and give me confidence in public speaking.
Meet Sia – HR Apprentice ✨
Tell us about yourself and your role
Hi, my name is Sia, I am an HR apprentice here at TFL, and I started my apprenticeship in September 2022.
Previously, before I joined TFL, I was on a gap year, and I was unsure about how I would start my career journey. I just knew I wanted to be passionate about what I did, and I wanted to genuinely enjoy my work. I am passionate about diversity and inclusion, and that part of the HR scheme and TfL in general is what drew me to apply.
Since starting, I have had the opportunity to have different placements in different areas within HR. I am currently working in Skills and Employment, and specifically the Early Careers team. My role supports the team with events such as Skills London and Apprenticeships go live events, and I will be working on Innovate TFL and putting together the final.
What does a week look like in your apprenticeship?
A typical week in my life in my role consists of me working with the schools’ team on Innovate, sorting out what needs to be done for the final, as well as getting updates on the progress of the schools taking part in the challenge. Additionally, some weeks I am away at schools and career events talking about TFL, and specifically the graduates and apprenticeship schemes. At these events I also talk a lot about my experience as an apprentice and answer any questions people have about my role and the application and interview process.
I also assist people in my team, whether it is to do with an event or an assessment centre.
What has been your favourite project so far?
So far, I think my favourite project that I have worked on so far, is the one I am currently working on with Innovate. In a short amount of time, I think working on this project has given me the opportunity to come out of my shell more. I was able to assist people in my team with going to the schools and presenting to them about the Innovate challenge, and being able to get out there and talk to people directly has helped me a lot with my personal development as well as my development in my placement. Learning about new things about what goes into an event and what it takes to make it happen, and seeing all that goes into that process has been really interesting.
Find out more
Interested in a role at TfL? Head to our careers site to find out more about roles and how to apply!