1. TRAINING: MAINTAINING A SKILLED WORKFORCE
Words:
Allan Macdonald
Rail Project
Manager, EAL
(NSARE) and employers to devise
flexible, robust qualifications to address
the issue.
For example, fourteen young
people began their training this month
after being chosen from more than
200 applicants aged 18-24 to
become the country’s first OLEC
based (Overhead Line Equipment
Construction) apprentices, working
towards a unique qualification.
SPL Powerlines, partnered with
specialist training provider Intertrain
and EAL to devise and deliver the
18-month apprenticeship.
The students will work towards
an EAL Level 2 NVQ Diploma in
Rail Engineering Overhead Line
Construction and an EAL Level
2 Certificate in Rail Engineering
Underpinning Knowledge.
They underwent a rigorous
selection process, involving a series
of assessments and practical tests
before being chosen by SPL to start
their apprenticeships.
T
hose of us working in and
travelling by rail are well-used
to hearing the expression
Mind the Gap. Never has that
warning been more applicable than
when it comes to the skills levels within
the industry.
The good news is, thanks largely
to the CP5 investment in infrastructure
over the next few years – £38bn
injected into Network Rail’s track and
stations, the completion of Crossrail,
the billions going into the Underground
network, and the Crossrail2 and HS2
projects – the industry has finally
woken up to the issue.
Our future is hi-tech. We need
engineers and technicians across a
whole range of disciplines equipped
with the skills to meet the challenges
and seize the opportunities created by
this fast-paced, changing environment.
EAL, the specialist awarding
organisation for industry qualifications,
has worked closely with the National
Skills Academy for Railway Engineering
08 WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK
MINDING THE
GAP BEFORE THE
DOOR CLOSES
Allan Macdonald, EAL Rail Project Manager
explains what is being done to ensure the
industry has a workforce that is fit-for-purpose

2. TRAINING: MAINTAINING A SKILLED WORKFORCE
09WWW.THECONNECTSERIES.CO.UK
Each will have an individual training
plan combining classroom learning
with practical, on-the-job training and
regular assessment throughout their
apprenticeships. They will be utilising
the Rail Engineering Overhead Line
Construction Apprenticeship framework
developed by Semta, the organisation
responsible for engineering skills for the
future, working in close partnership with
the rail industry.
It is estimated overhead power lines
sector will need around 2,000 skilled
workers by 2016 which is 10 times the
current capacity.
Simon Talman, Operations Director
for SPL Powerlines UK said: “The
investment in rail electrification over
the next ten years will be a welcoming
challenge for us and our competitors.
The growth that we all need to establish
is an exciting time for our industry and
having good people across all activity
roles is crucial for our success. This is
just the start with the apprenticeship
programme and something I would
encourage all rail electrification
contractors to pursue, so we can
collaboratively meet the UK challenge
with quality and safe delivery.”
Alex Pond, Intertrain’s Operations
Director said: “You need a vocational
qualification to be a plumber or joiner
but up until now not to be a rail
engineer. SPL is a very forward thinking
company and together with EAL we
have devised and are now delivering
the first vocational qualifications which
will go a long way to rail being able to
class itself as a skilled industry.”
Pond’s observations are particularly
pertinent. For too long, rail has not
been recognised as a highly skilled
industry and it is time for that to
change.
The NSARE has identified almost
35 per cent of the industry’s traction
and rolling stock (TRS) employees
are due to retire in the next five years
– that’s over 4,500 of the 13,500 strong
workforce. Not only will the industry
need to replace skills lost through
retirement, upskilling of the current
workforce is also required to meet and
maintain next generation
rail technology.
Similar issues exist in signalling
engineering, indeed across the board.
To get back on track a huge amount
of work was done and initiatives
introduced.
EAL has developed its new suite
of industry approved qualifications;
Newcastle Academy opened its
state-of-the-art railway engineering
department in September; NSARE has
partnered with Siemens to launch a
TRS Academy in Northampton in 2015;
and a specialist HS2 Academy is to be
officially announced soon and expected
to be operating by 2017.
All these developments will have
a positive impact, not only in bringing
more apprentices and graduates into
the industry but also upskilling the
existing workforce – ensuring learners
are right up to date with the latest
engineering practices, techniques
and technology.
These developments will help
increase the availability and quality
of skills, training and apprenticeships
available. They will also help bring
existing training programmes into the
21st century; ensuring learners are
getting skills and knowledge of the
latest engineering practices, techniques
and technology.
We need to attract more talent
– traditional roles merged to create
flexible, multi-skilled workers defined by
their competencies rather than job titles
with significant investment in training
and an increase in certification to show
they have met the required standards.
These are exciting times and the
industry is gearing itself up. But we
need to see even more investment in
training and apprenticeships, especially
in the supply chain among small and
medium enterprises.
It takes approximately four years to
get someone from raw recruit through
to unsupervised skilled worker. We
also need more trainers to impart their
knowledge and expertise – the industry
is on the right track but we must keep
up the pace of change in the skills
landscape to avoid being derailed.
www.eal.org.uk
We need engineers
and technicians across
a whole range of
disciplines equipped with
the skills to meet the
challenges and seize the
opportunities created by
this fast-paced, changing
environment.