Work experience opportunities

The team is responsible monitoring the Asset Management Performance, Disruption Performance and Station Presentation around the Tyne and Wear Metro Network.  This experience will consist of a mix of office-based work where you will have the opportunity to experience Excel and other Microsoft packages using established data collected and field work where you will also inspect Stations and Metro trains around the network collecting and processing data around functionality and presentation.

AFC maintain a variety of technical equipment such including but not limited to: 
•    Ticket Vending Machines 
•    Validators
•    Gateline Barriers 
•    Station Control Units
•    Car Park equipment 
•    ICT Network and Power cabling
•    Back office – monitoring and control software

You will be based in the AFC workshop to observe and assist in carrying out in-house repairs and maintenance of complex electro-mechanical and electronic equipment. AFC use a wide range of test equipment including manufacturers test benches, meters and oscilloscopes.

Nexus manages a number of bus stations and Metro/bus Interchanges in Tyne and Wear. In recent years many have been completely rebuilt or significant upgraded. 
As part of your work experience you will observe the day-to-day activities of the major bus stations in Gateshead, South Shields and Sunderland. You will provide passenger information and assistance and ensure the bus stations are safe and clean environments. You will deal with customer enquiries, and monitor the bus service information, including electronic displays, to ensure that it is current and accurate.

The Nexus Communications Team is responsible for a range of public affairs, stakeholder engagement, PR and media liaison, internal communications and school engagement activity.
The department manage Nexus’ internal and external communications channels to keep our key audiences up to date on all business activity.  They are also a focal point internally and externally for community issues arising from Metro projects including disturbance to neighbours and impact on other service providers.  As part of your work experience you will spend some time with our Stakeholder Relations Officers observing and getting involved in the activities they are working on that week.
 

Corporate Planning lead on a wide-ranging programme of market research and analysis which leads to the development of strategies, policies and business cases for funding as well as forming the basis of the Nexus Corporate Business Plan
During your work experience placement, you will
-    Develop an understanding of different types of research and how data and intelligence is used in decision marking
-    Understand how a strategy and a policy is developed and their purpose
-    Understand how businesses cases are developed and how Nexus attracts funding
-    Gain an insight into how business plans are developed and monitored and how business performance is monitored

You will have the opportunity to complete a business-related project relevant to the work the team is undertaking at the time.
 

Work Experience students will be given an overview of the Metro system, the role of the Engineering Department within Nexus and a summary of the various disciplines within the Nexus Rail Engineering Department.  Subject to live projects at the time, students may work alongside Technical Assistants within the Drawing Office or be able to shadow/attend meetings with Engineering staff.  Visits will be arranged to the Control Centre, Learning Centre and, if possible, the new Gosforth Depot.  Placements can be tailored for students expressing an interest in a particular discipline.

If you enjoy working with numbers and are interested in a career in finance, we have an opportunity for work experience within our finance department. You will spend time with different teams across the department, including sales and banking, purchasing, management accounts, capital and projects, and payroll. The department plays an important role within the organisation to ensure that income and expenditure is appropriately managed. You will observe the day-to-day tasks the teams undertake including processing of invoices, reconciling daily banking, preparing periodic accounts and production of the employee payroll.  

Our centralised administration support department is based in Nexus House and offer admin support to directors and department heads, this includes taking notes and actions at meetings, general admin duties, sorting and delivering post and preparing documents.  The team also work on corporate governance matters including compliance, Freedom of Information and data protection.  If you are interested in how a busy administrative office support works in a corporate head office environment, then this could be the work experience opportunity for you.

The Human Resources team is part of the wider People and Culture team, supporting over 1000 employees at Nexus.  The team are integral to the whole employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, career development, employee engagement, wellbeing and many bespoke projects, no two days are ever the same!  

You will join the HR team and carry out a varied range of administrative tasks that could include assisting with recruitment, producing reports and statistics from the HR database and working on exciting engagement initiatives.

The ICT team are based in Newcastle, supporting the ICT infrastructure across all employees and sites at Nexus.  Working with the ICT Service Desk, you will experience how this busy team resolves ICT problems, manages the infrastructure and works alongside Nexus colleagues to keep our services running efficiently.

The Infrastructure Delivery department carry out electrical work throughout Nexus’ infrastructure on a wide range of systems such as signalling and electrical cable work.  If you have an interest in electrical and signalling systems on a railway you will gain an understanding of how this works at Nexus.  You will observe the installation and modifications and testing of signalling systems and equipment and electrical and communication systems, media and equipment across the infrastructure. 

The Marketing team encompasses a range of traditional and digital outputs, reaching various customer segments with messages and creatives that aim to inform and inspire.  As part of your work experience you will observe how some of these activities are created into seamless and consistent content, across relevant and appropriate channels including social media.  You’ll see how campaigns are planned using the latest customer intelligence and market research and delivered using a range of media outlets.

Protecting our people and the environment is the QHSSE team’s top priority and we support everyone within Nexus to do this. So, what do we do and what can we offer you?

With such a broad range of topics to choose from, covering the Metro, Shields Ferry and Bus Interchanges. We can offer you an interesting experience which could include getting involved in:

• Risk assessing our activities to see if we can do anything else to make things safer.
• Workplace inspections and audits to make sure they are safe and comply with legislation
• Designing briefing documents and posters to communicate QHSSE information to our people and our customers
• Spending some time with our security team to learn how we keep our customers safe and secure when they travel
• Getting involved with some safety, security and environmental initiatives

Placements can be tailored for students expressing an interest in a particular topic.

If you have an interest in Project Management, we have a work experience opportunity within the Renewals team observing and assisting with the delivery of a variety of engineering projects, from inception through to close out.  You will gain invaluable exposure and practical hands-on experience of managing projects in a dynamic fast paced demanding project management environment.