September signalled the start of term time at Newcastle College’s new Rail Academy – a multi- million pound investment in training and skills, described by the college as the first of its kind in the country.
Developed with support from NSARE and Network Rail, the Rail Academy will train young people looking to develop a career in the rail sector as well as those wanting to update their qualifications or change career. The facility will also serve employers who need to up-skill or cross- skill their existing workforce or simply recruit for future growth.
The academy, which is based in Gateshead, has been designed to help deliver the Government’s ambitious rail infrastructure investment plans. These include £5.2 billion of previously unveiled projects and new schemes totalling £4.2 billion for electrification and plant, which are to be delivered between 2014-2019.
Supporting the rail industry
The £5 million academy allows learners of all ages to be trained on industry-standard equipment, such as indoor and outdoor track with fully functioning switches and crossings, TPWS & AWS, fully operational OLE, and modern S&T equipment. There are also a number of heritage rail sites in close proximity to the site, which gives learners the opportunity to gain valuable experience on live track.
The Rail Academy’s new head of rail, Marc McPake, has over 13 years’ experience working in the rail industry and understands the challenges that employers face recruiting and retaining the highly skilled workers that will be needed to support the future of rail engineering.
Solid foundations
Says Marc, ‘Through the development of the Rail Academy, we are supporting the rail industry in building the solid foundations needed to ensure that there is a pipeline of highly skilled technicians now and
in the future. Working with partners, we have established what the likely demand for skills and training would be to support a 21st century rail infrastructure and, as a result, we have created a purpose built Rail Academy that will act as a gateway to employment and skills.
![Marc McPake preferred [online]](http://g-r-news.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Marc-McPake-preferred-online.jpg)
‘What’s so unique about our proposition is that we take a different approach. We don’t just offer qualifications, we offer the technical skills required by industry and the opportunity to develop a solid career in the rail or engineering sector. The Rail Academy has been designed to recreate a real-life functioning rail environment in the confines of a safe training facility. The railway is recognised as one of the most dangerous environments to work in where the utmost respect for these surroundings is essential.
Blended learning
‘We offer blended learning, which combines academic study and technical niche skills. Our staff have also come from industry so bring with them a wealth of experience and knowledge.
‘Newcastle College is also one of the only colleges in the country able to develop and validate its own foundation degrees, a huge benefit for those looking for specific higher level skills.
‘Another aspect of our offer is the direct support we can provide to employers. The academy will provide a pipeline of highly trained, enthusiastic people who are ready to progress straight into employment. We can help employers by identifying the skills they needs and then providing them with candidates that meet those requirements. This approach takes the time, cost and risk away from the organisation, which is a huge benefit.
But alongside providing training, we will also open our doors to companies looking to deliver their own training, or looking to test or showcase their own products in a safe functional rail environment.’
For more information about the Rail Academy visit www.newcastlecollege. co.uk or contact Marc McPake at [email protected] or 0191 2004438.
Fantastic news. I hope there’s focus on engineering and designing rolling stock though, as this is a great industry which Britain must be involved in.