Sunil Madhavan started his rail journey 20 years ago with ‘no knowledge of the industry’ His career has gone from strength to strength in the years since, climbing the rail ladder and now thriving as a Regional Training Manager here at Morson Training. We recently caught up with Sunil to find out more about his experience in the rail industry and what a usual day at Canning Town looks like for himself:
What is the most fulfilling thing about your role at Morson Training?
“I find it extremely fulfilling helping delegates and watching them go through the learning cycle. I’ve been in the railway industry for 20 years, so I remember when I started and how daunting of an experience it was. It’s one of those things where I enjoy watching people grow as they come through the centre and start their railway experience.”
Are there any success stories that have stood out for you?
“When I was joining the business in 2017, we set up an award-winning apprenticeship programme. We won the award for Best New Apprenticeship Programme in 2017, and as part of that cohort, a couple of the apprentices are still with us within the business and we’ve watched them grow. They’ve gone through their journey right from the basics of working on the track, through that experience into the office and into other parts of the wider business.”
What does a typical day look like for you?
“I’m one of those people. I’m an early bird. I’m always in the centre very early. My normal day starts around 7:30. If I’m teaching a class, you start at about 8:30/ 9:00, but I’m always in early. I just like to be prepared, it’s one of those things I’ll use as a mantra. It’s about making the days count, not counting the days. That’s a quote that I have in the centre.
At Canning Town we deliver one course per trainer. If I was delivering a session, I’d be there from 9am – 4pm. My day typically starts by engaging with the training coordination team to find out what’s happening and if they have any handovers from the previous night at the centre. If I am delivering, the classroom is where you’ll usually find me. Come and say hello.”
What distinguishes Morson Training from other providers?
“The industry as a whole is very big and training captures so many different areas. I just remember joining 20 years ago and my first experience of the railway, I found it very daunting. I came from an academic background and I knew nothing about the railway.
I know what delegates will go through when they come into the centres from my own experience. I feel that at Morson we’re very welcoming as a training provider and as we’ve grown, we’ve always made sure we have that personal touch. Whether it’s from the training side or encouraging delegates to pick up the phone and contact us if they need anything. I find by engaging with delegates and making them feel more welcome, more relaxed, that training is an enjoyable experience and they want to come back.
Our recent NSAR Gold Standard award win also shows the calibre of training we bring to the classroom and the expectations we have here at Morson Training to be the best.”
