.png)
CASE STUDY
SOUTHEASTERN:
Scaling Apprenticeships Through a Fully Digital, Integrated Learning Ecosystem
Southeastern operates one of the UK’s busiest rail networks, connecting Kent with key London termini including St Pancras, London Bridge, Charing Cross, Waterloo East, and Victoria. As an organisation that depends entirely on its people, workforce development is central to long‑term success. Apprenticeships sit at the heart of Southeastern’s skills and talent strategy. The organisation employs apprentices across every function, from finance and engineering to frontline operational roles.
We met with Sarah Jones the Apprenticeship Manager at Southeastern to see how their apprenticeship delivery has expanded and how MAYTAS has supported this.
WATCH NOW
“We have apprentices in every area of our business - in finance, engineering, and all our train drivers are apprentices. We’re bringing young people into the industry and developing those skills to take us even further ... When we started in 2017, we had maybe ten apprentices a year. We now have around 300 people starting an apprenticeship every year, and almost 1,000 of our colleagues have completed an apprenticeship with us.”
The Challenge
As apprenticeship delivery scaled rapidly, Southeastern needed a system that could:
- Manage increasing volumes of learner and compliance data
- Support accurate and timely ILR submissions
- Provide strong learner engagement and wellbeing oversight
- Eliminate inefficiencies caused by multiple disconnected systems
- Move away from paper‑based onboarding processes
At the same time, visibility of learner progress was essential, not only for apprenticeship teams, but for learners themselves.
“Tracking the learner journey is incredibly important - not just for us as a team, but for the learner. If they can’t see their progress, their engagement drops.”
The MAYTAS Partnership
Southeastern has used MAYTAS since 2018, aligning with the launch of its in‑house apprenticeship programme. From the outset, MAYTAS became the core system for learner management, funding, and compliance, evolving over time to include both MAYTAS and MAYTAS Hub.
The long‑standing relationship has enabled Southeastern to take advantage of Tribal’s Funding and Compliance Advisory Services, who provided reassurance as the apprenticeship programme scaled and as Southeastern transitioned to operating under the Department for Transport in 2021.
Fully Digital Onboarding and Enrolment
Through MAYTAS Hub, Southeastern transitioned from paper‑based enrolment to a fully digital onboarding journey, including Training Plans and Apprenticeship Agreements.
This streamlined approach reduced administrative burden, improved data accuracy, and ensured learners were fully set up from day one.
A Single, Joined‑Up Learner View
The integration of MAYTAS and MAYTAS Hub provides Southeastern with a holistic view of each learner’s journey - from enrolment through to completion.
“Our ePortfolio system (MAYTAS Hub) is the lifeblood of the team. I’m on there every single day, as is every member of my team.”
From one system, the team can access funding information, programme timelines, learner progress, evidence, journals, and wellbeing indicators.
“I can go into MAYTAS, see a learner’s start and end dates, and at the same time pull up their ePortfolio and show their progress. It gives us a whole‑rounded view of the learner journey from day one to completion.”
Secure Cloud Delivery
MAYTAS is hosted in the Tribal Cloud which provides Southeastern with a secure and resilient environment for learner management, ePortfolio delivery, and ILR submission.
Learner Engagement, Reflection, and Wellbeing
MAYTAS Hub plays a critical role in learner engagement. Weekly reflective journals encourage structured learning and are increasingly used by learners as revision tools ahead of assessments.
Equally important is the platform’s support for wellbeing. Wellbeing indicators allow learners to flag concerns discreetly, enabling the apprenticeship team to intervene early and provide targeted support.
“Wellbeing is vitally important to us. We don’t just say we care - we live it! Having everything in one system has been a game changer. We don’t have to jump between different platforms just to answer one question.”
Results and Impact
The combination of a structured apprenticeship strategy and a fully integrated digital system has delivered measurable results:
- Around 300 apprenticeship starts per year
- Nearly 1,000 apprenticeship completions
- Improved learner engagement and retention
- Reduced data errors and rework
- Greater confidence in ILR accuracy and compliance
These outcomes contribute to significant external recognition, including top‑tier Investors in People accreditations and nominations for the National Apprenticeship Awards.
Southeastern’s commitment is further reflected in its membership in the 5% Club, achieving Gold status for three consecutive years, in 2025 they received Platinum status in recognition of sustained excellence.
“Achieving platinum with the 5% Club is a real validation of the hard work the team, the company, and the learners put in every single year.”
With up to 10% of colleagues on apprenticeship programmes annually, Southeastern is among a small group of employers leading the way in earn‑while‑you‑learn initiatives nationwide.
Looking Ahead
For Southeastern, apprenticeships are not just a workforce solution - they are a driver of culture, wellbeing, and long‑term capability building.
As part of its continued commitment to innovation and learner experience, Southeastern is looking forward to moving to MAYTAS 6, the next generation of learner management with a secure, cloud‑first solution that will provide greater resilience, scalability, and insight to support the next phase of its apprenticeship journey.
Together we are Empowering the World of Education! Find out how you can support your apprenticeship delivery with MAYTAS.