Young people from Leeds and surrounding areas are getting valuable work experience in Rail maintenance with Real Skills Training Ltd.
With a fully functional rail siding at their learning venue in Leeds, Real Skills are able to offer young people a valuable work experience programme, helping them to focus on maximising their progression to the next stage of education, employment or an apprenticeship. Councillors Kim Groves, Angela Gabriel and a member of Leeds City Council Carl Hinchcliffe visited the Real Skills Training site in Leeds on Tuesday 7th February to see first hand the youngsters engaged in their work experience.
Angela Gabriel and colleagues hearing all about the activities from the youngsters
All of the learners have been participating in work experience in an aim to give them basic track knowledge of maintenance/renewals, including rail replacement, sleeper changing and track geometry adjustment, while also integrating learning about employee rights and responsibilities, health and safety legislation and manual handling in the workplace.
With huge investment in the infrastructure the UK railway is currently undergoing a transformation unlike anything seen in their history, there has never been a better time to start a career in the rail industry.
Real Skills Training pre-apprenticeship programmes are designed to provide students aged 16-18 with a structured and challenging individualised learning programme that supports their development and progression in line with their future career plans. In addition to learning practical railway skills, support is provided to help young people to develop their Maths and English and Employability Skills.
Those enrolled on the programmes undertake a course of activities specifically designed to help them find work; which include things like communication, application forms and writing letters, interview skills.
Real Skills Training are a leading training organisation in the Rail Industry with strong working links with rail recruitment organisations, ensuring good progression opportunities for both young people and the commercial customers that access the training that is provided nationally.
So, if you want to join a growing industry and get your new career on track, why not give Real Skills Training a call today?
Email: info@real-skills.co.uk
Call: 0113 372 0045
Councillors receiving their Safety Brief prior to accessing the site, alongside Dee McDermott (Managing Director of Real Skills Training)
Different view of safety briefing
Councillor Kim Groves inspecting the rail stock
Councillor Kim Groves at the controls
Reference information provided for further details:
The £411 billion investment in infrastructure projects and programmes which started in 2015 is being driven by a growth in activity. Rail journeys on the £10,261 route miles of track in the UK has doubled in the past 20 years to around 3.2 billion a year, carrying 1.7 billion passengers and 110 million tonnes of freight, and significant future growth in freight and passenger traffic is expected.
High Speed 2 is a planned high-speed railway in the United Kingdom and is set to form the core of what will be one of the largest infrastructure projects in Europe. HS2 alone will create around 25,000 jobs during construction and 3,000 jobs when in operation.
“Quite simply, the prospects for the industry are more exciting than they have been for generations,” said Baroness Susan Kramer, the former minister of state for transport.
Opening up the sector to a more diverse workforce and taking action to engage, retain, invest and to develop the people that the Rail Industry needs is vital to the capacity, capability and future sustainability of the sector and to the UK’s position as a leading transport nation on the world stage.