Institution responds to Government announcement on apprenticeships and skills

The Institution's Chris Kinchin-Smith welcomes plans but says much more needs to be done to attract people to the railway sector.

Chris Kinchin-Smith, Chair of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Railway Division, said in response to the Government announcement on apprenticeships and skills:

“Plans for an apprenticeship levy and the publication of new industry standards for apprenticeships are both welcome news which will hopefully help boost the number and quality of apprenticeships available to people in the UK.

“The pledge to create 30,000 apprenticeship places in the road and rail industry and the imminent opening of the National Training Academy for Rail (NTAR) are also very positive steps, which will help plug some of the UK’s engineering skills gap. Located at Northampton, NTAR is a multi-million pound state of the art flagship for railway engineering skills development.

“But while we are creating the opportunities, much more needs to be done to attract people to the sector and ensure these positions are filled.

“There are many exciting developments in UK railway engineering such as the Crossrail project and HS2, and more than 4,000 new railway passenger vehicles are already committed for delivery over the next five years, but the sector is facing an image problem. According to an Institution commissioned survey of 1,500 people aged 11 to 19, railway technology was one of the least appealing for students. Indeed for girls the maritime and rail sectors were the least appealing of 12 sectors listed.

“We need to dispel the myth that railway engineering is old-fashioned, and champion the major investments and technical innovations that are set to revolutionise railway travel.

“NTAR presents Government and the railway sector as a whole with a fantastic opportunity to develop new skills which will not just help develop the UK’s railway network, but help change people’s perceptions of railway engineering. Truly there has never been a better time to become an engineer, technician or apprentice in the UK’s railway industry.”