ATOC Professional Engineering Development Scheme APEDS

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ATOC Professional Engineering Development Scheme
(APEDS)

• Bryan Donnelly
• Vehicle Engineering Manager
• ATOC

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APED Scheme

• ATOC run a Professional Engineering Development
  Scheme, accredited by the Institute of Mechanical
  Engineers (IMechE) and the Institute of
  Electrical Engineers (IEE)
• Successful trainees are employed in individual
  Train Operating Companies (TOC)
• The scheme is a fast track to becoming a
  Chartered or Incorporated Engineer status
• Each trainees will be allocated a mentor, a
  senior engineer in the industry who will monitor
  their progress and offer counselling and advice
• Training is predominantly in the field of
  Traction and Rolling Stock Engineering but
  trainees will be involved in all the varied
  engineering aspects of running a fleet

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APED Scheme

• Some TOCs may decide to take on Undergraduates
  for a year of railway industry experience
• Thus giving them a head start towards their
  professional development once their degree is
  complete
• As with graduates, the candidates must be
  studying for an appropriate degree

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Features of the ATOC Scheme

• Designed to be approved by Institutions
• 1 3 Design
• Training Flexibility
• Ties in with UK SPEC
• Competence Assessment part of the arrangements
• Mentoring for Life
• Applies to Grads and also Undergrads
• Candidates to be CEng or IEng

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Features of the ATOC Scheme

• Formal courses, eg Traction Systems, Machine Shop
  Training
• Development of formal Further Learning modules if
  needed
• Training and Monitoring to be approved by ATOC
• 6 monthly monitoring visits by ATOC
• Accredited by the IMechE and IEE

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Recruitment Process

• TOCs apply different methods of recruiting
  graduate engineers and can include
• Assessment Centres and clearing houses
• Checks on qualifications
• Taking up references
• Ability Tests
• Profiling exercises
• Demonstrating technical competence and motivation
• Presentation Skills

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What we need from Applicants

• MEng or BEng degree in mechanical or electrical
  engineering
• Must be accredited by either the IMechE or IEE
• Candidates with accredited BEng degrees started
  in 1999 or later are likely to be eligible for
  development to Incorporated Engineer status
• Those candidates with a BEng who are eligible to
  carry on Chartered status will require additional
  academic work in the form of recognised Further
  Learning
• ATOC can provide information on suitable courses
• Candidates with an MEng can progress to Chartered
  status without the need for Further Learning

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What we need from Applicants

• Prior knowledge of the railway in not a
  pre-requisite, as the training fully covers the
  appreciation needed
• Essential to have a good understanding of
  Electrical or Mechanical engineering fundamentals
• Other qualities sought are self motivation,
  ability to innovate and the ability to work well
  in teams
• We do not require back-room academics, but do
  require candidates to have the ability to apply
  their engineering knowledge in an intensely
  practical environment

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Salary Guidance

• Salaries for graduate engineers vary between
  Train Operating Companies and location, ranging
  between
• 19,000 - 25,000

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Educational requirements Unblocking the
confusion

• BEng
• CEng
• IEng
• MEng

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Educational requirements
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Progress Management

• Every trainee will have a 6 monthly review
  meeting with their mentor, line manager and ATOC
  scheme advisor to monitor their development and
  quality of experience gained
• At the monitoring meetings, agreement will be
  reached on any changed requirements which may be
  needed
• Help is available from ATOC at any stage of the
  development

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Training Records

• The scheme follows the IMechE online Monitored
  Professional Development Scheme (eMPDS) record
  system for recording MPDS activity
• Standard process for all trainees to record their
  experiences and competence development
• Guides and helps engineering trainees through to
  potential eligibility for registration as a
  professional Chartered or Incorporated Engineer
• MPDS requires a disciplined reporting framework
  to ensure experience and development of
  competence is planned and recorded
• Maps progression of Young Engineers to the
  competence framework of UK Spec
• Information and help available from ATOC and the
  IMechE
• Electrical trainees also follow the e-MPDS scheme

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Portfolio of Evidence

• Personal notes of achievements
• Project reports
• Engineering designs
• Observed exercises or activities
• Record of course attendance
• Performance appraisals
• Line manager reports
• Responses to specific requests for evidence

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Support for all Trainees

• Formal help offered from ATOC
• Informal Training network between all ATOC MPDS
  trainees, mentors and managers and former
  trainees from other schemes
• Training network offers mutual assistance to all
  concerned and encourages best practice in the
  training arrangements

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Trainee Responsibilities

• Maintain Institution Membership
• Produce record of activities
• Complete formal reports
• Exploit the opportunities
• Arrange Mentor discussions
• Be in the Initiative
• Grow knowledge
• Become competent
• Help others

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Overview of Training

• Depot Experience
• External Placements
• IMechE Summer technical Visit
• Training Opportunities
• Networking with colleagues in the industry
• Practical skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Understanding of processes

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APEDS Graduates
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IMechE Summer Technical Visit May 2005
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IMechE Summer Technical Visit May 2005
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Contact Details

• Amanda WhyteProduction CoordinatorATOC0207 841
  8134graduates_at_atoc.org
• Or
• Complete the application on atoc.org/engineering/g
  raduates and return it to graduates_at_atoc.org