Alan Horton

Said the following about Babatunde Olorunsogo:

“Babatunde joined Colas Rail as a trackman in 2017 but was intrigued by the work of the OHLE linesmen and set his sights on realising this role for himself. He quickly showed his commitment and determination to progress within the industry and later that year he became aware of the chance to enrol on a Rail Engineering Apprenticeship however, he faced an obstacle, as he did not hold any previous qualifications. He would not let this stop him from striving to progress and he committed to undertaking functional skills in Maths and English which would allow him to achieve his apprenticeship. He has surpassed all his expectations to date and is aiming to complete his functional skills this summer.

Babatunde is committed in his drive to educate others on the opportunities that doing an apprenticeship can bring them and has become a young apprenticeship ambassador and an apprenticeship champion with the National Apprenticeship Service, promoting both apprenticeships and the rail industry through social media and attendance at events which aim to promote and inspire.

Babatunde consistently supports at a new UTC in the local area, attending careers days and open evenings to inspire other young people who are looking at studying STEM subjects, and through his honestly and engaging personality he is able to show them the possibilities that are open to them after school via apprenticeships. Passionate about encouraging diversity and inclusion within the industry he works with the Young Westminster Foundation, championing their efforts to engage with young people from all backgrounds, some who have circumstances similar to those of Babatunde when he first joined the industry and show them that there are options available to them to realise their potential.

Babatunde is also an active member of the Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network (ADCN), which champions apprenticeships and diversity amongst employers and encourages people from underrepresented groups, including those with disabilities, women and members of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities, to consider apprenticeships. As part of this work he met MP Anne Milton and spoke to her about how positive his apprenticeship experience has been and how it is important to encourage others to embrace apprenticeships.

Over the past 12 month’s Babatunde has begun mentoring a new apprentice, and he has worked hard to support them through sharing his own experiences and the knowledge that he has gained over the past 18 months. His positive influence has a strong impact on his wider team and he is a role model within the apprenticeship programme. In an environment where teamwork plays a critical part in ensuring successful delivery, Babatunde’s positivity and hard work have earned him the respect of the wider team, some of whom have worked in the industry for many years. This was recognised when he was invited to form part of the Colas Rail team at the Big Rail Diversity Challenge and was a significant player in the teams positive performance on the day.“