Paul Case

Said the following about Mohammed Kadir:

“Mohammed (Mo) Kadir joined the London Underground Station Works and Improvements Team (SWIP) in April 2017 as part of his Transport for London (TfL) Project Manager Apprenticeship Scheme. In that time, Mo has become an integral part of our team and through his proactive work ethic, inquisitive nature, confidence and competence in his role has proved an invaluable asset in the delivery of what is a fast paced, complex and difficult programme of works.

Prior to joining the SWIP team, Mo had minimal site experience in delivering construction projects and had no experience in managing contracts or contractors. Within days, he had thrown himself wholeheartedly into working on sites, meeting and managing contractors and taking an extremely active role in driving forward several projects. He never once shied away from tricky tasks or difficult conversations, even when they may have daunted him, and has dealt with every challenge thrown at him with a level-headed, warm-natured and pragmatic mentality.

Despite his relative inexperience, Mo has also consistently shown a willingness and confidence in taking on responsibilities far beyond those expected of his role. When asked, (and quite often when not!) he has stepped up, taken ownership of a critical package of works or project, and quietly gotten on and delivered it successfully. He was instrumental in delivering a complex roof refurbishment at Grange Hill station earlier this year and has been a driving force behind one of our most complex jobs, a large refurbishment of West Acton Station, a Listed 2 heritage building. In true fashion, he recently gained approval for a complex and sensitive listed building consent, requiring very little guidance or support from myself or the project team.

Prior to joining the SWIP team Mo completed three other placements at TfL and came highly recommended. Immediately prior to SWIP he worked at London Trams delivering system upgrades and on board CCTV systems projects. This was an extremely sensitive time for London Trams, following the tragic derailment of a tram at Sandilands Junction. Under difficult conditions, Mo received praised for his resilience and commitment to delivering high quality works. His team at London Trams were very reluctant to let him go!

As an ongoing element of his Apprenticeship Scheme Mo has also successfully completed the APM level four diploma in Project Management, an academically demanding qualification, made more difficult when having to complete it while working in a demanding day job. Despite this, Mo showed his characteristic tenacity and resilience.

Furthermore, Mo has shown an active interest in learning more about and supporting the Railway Industry. He is a member of Young Rail Professionals (YRP) and has attending and convinced others to attend several events including their Summer BBQ and as a guest of London Rail Director Jonathan Fox at the YRP Annual Dinner in 2017. He has also shown an interest in the supporting YRP committee in organising events to support the development of young professionals within the industry.

Of the many outstanding apprentices I’ve worked with through my capacity as a Transport for London Project Manager and as Chairman of Young Rail Professionals, Mo has stood out for his consistently outstanding work, his proactive work ethic, his good nature, confidence and the quiet tenacity with which he does his job and does it well. For these reasons I highly recommend him for the RailStaff Apprentice of the year award, and see a bright future ahead for him within the industry.“

Alan Howarth

Said the following about Mohammed Kadir:

“Managing construction on a working railway is extremely challenging; it is a notoriously difficult environment in which to operate; projects typically involve modifications to very old assets on one of the world’s busiest working railway systems; schemes are generally unique, requiring bespoke solutions and methodologies. Accurate drawings for many assets simply do not exist; the operatives are working with the unknown; one would be very foolish to consider generic solutions. It is therefore essential that only the best candidates are chosen to work in this milieu; London Underground is renowned for hand-picking outstanding individuals to face present, and more critically, future challenges. After joining the team, it quickly became very clear that Mohammed Kadir was more than up to the distinctive every-day challenges faced by London Underground. I would consider Mo and “all-rounder”, a through and through “team-player”, very hard working, enthusiastic, tenacious with intellectual integrity and a person willing to go “the extra mile” to get solutions to problems and to finish schemes; you cannot ask for more than that.“