V/Line Careers ~ Apprentice Signal Maintenance Technician

Brad Baker, Apprentice Signal Maintenance Technician

I’ve been with V/Line for three and a half years as an Apprentice Signal Maintenance Technician. My job is to maintain the train signalling systems throughout the north-east of Victoria, mainly around the Seymour area.

My day goes quickly. I’m always busy, plus it’s fun, interesting and there’s lots of responsibility. If a signal goes down or communication with a driver is lost, lots of problems can occur, including train delays, congestion and potential danger to both workers and the public.

I heard about this job through a friend who’s an electrician. The next day I had an interview and got the job. It was pretty amazing how it all happened. This role has just been one big lucky experience for me.

The main thing that interested me was the opportunities: I’d get my A-Grade electrician’s qualification plus a lot more. The best part of the job is doing different things every day. I’m figuring out how things work and learn from the experience. I also see a lot of the country.

You get a lot of qualifications. I’ve got my Austel licence, so I can do similar work to Telstra technicians. I’ve also got a High Voltage Competency Certificate. When I finish my apprenticeship and with some more training, I’d like to move into a supervisor’s position. These opportunities exist at V/Line. They won’t hold you back in any way. If you want to do something, they’ll keep opening the doors for you. It’s a good company to work for.

New technology is always being introduced and so we’re receiving regular training to keep up-to-date with the latest trends. It keeps you interested when you’re always thinking about making new things or designing something better.

We are encouraged to put our ideas forward and management is always interested because we’re the ones out there maintaining it, so we know what we’re talking about. If the business can make something work better then they’re definitely interested in knowing about it.

Signal Maintenance Technician (SMT) - Apprentice or Qualified Tradesperson

Main duties: Maintaining complex signalling systems, making emergency repairs, inspecting, testing and installing new signalling systems.

Minimum qualifications: Year 12 onwards (with science and maths interest) or Electrical Trades TAFE pre-apprenticeship.

Your skills: Communication, problem solving, team work and an interest in computing.

Job benefits: Work outdoors, challenges, responsibility, career paths internally and externally.

V/Line training: Four year apprenticeship at TAFE trade school and ongoing training for qualified tradies.

Job locations: Based in Melbourne and locations across Victoria.