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Myerscough College on track to deliver railway engineering training

Published
Tuesday 19 Sep 2017

Myerscough College has launched a brand new railway engineering apprenticeship designed to equip learners with the skills necessary to gain employment in the industry.

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The rail engineering technician apprenticeship, a three year course, aims to provide the qualifications and skills needed for apprentices to meet the current skills requirement for the industry. Myerscough has this week welcomed the first cohort of sixteen learners to its Preston campus at the beginning of their journey.

The College is working in partnership with the National Training Academy for Rail (NTAR) to deliver the programme. The new rail engineering technician Level 3 apprenticeship was approved in March 2015 and has been developed and designed with input from the trailblazer group, which included a range of key employers from the sector.

Learners will attend Myerscough College full time for the first year of the programme and then be assigned to key employers in the sector with NTAR and industry partner Northern Rail for years 2 and 3, to gain further enhanced technical skills and to prepare for end point assessment.

Myerscough College can now provide key training and qualifications, to address skills gaps within the industry and an ageing workforce within the sector, leaving learners qualified enough to enter the industry with confidence.

Back in July, the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR) announced the launch of their National Training Partnership, a new skills initiative to help solve the growing demand for new talent across the rail sector. The National Training Partnership brought together NSAR’s newly formed National Network of Colleges and Training Providers, of which Myerscough is proud to be part of, which will support the UK rail industry in achieving an integrated approach to education, professional development and training.

Paul McGrail, Assistant Principal Apprenticeships & Quality at Myerscough College, said: ‘’Britain has the fastest growing rail network in Europe and the industry will need thousands more qualified workers in the next few years throughout the different rail pathways available. In addition, with the construction of the HS2 rail link planned in the coming years, as well as other infrastructure projects, thousands more posts will be created.”

“Working in partnership with Northern Rail supporting their journey to 2020 and the National Training Academy for Rail (NTAR) Myerscough are excited to expand their engineering portfolio to support the railways of the future.”

“The introduction of this new apprenticeship provision will also play a significant role in helping to fill both the current and projected shortage in the rail industry.‘’

Dan Walker is Head of Apprenticeship Delivery at the NTAR and said: ‘’The apprentices are a talented group of individuals with a ridiculously diverse range of backgrounds, experiences, and interests, and are ready to take The Railway by storm.

‘’We're really pleased to be playing a role in their success stories. Many of our learners - supported by our partner providers such as Myerscough College - will be studying in mixed-business rail classes, and returning to us together for specialist traction and rolling stock or electrification training.’’

The photograph shows the first cohort of learners at Myerscough College with Pat Masters (Apprenticeship Delivery Team) from Northern Rail, Steve Bennett (Myerscough Assistant Head Construction & Railway Engineering), Clint Swindlehurst (Course tutor Railway Engineering), and Deputy Principal, Alison Robinson.

For more details about the new programme, click here: http://bit.ly/2ffjDG0

by Dave Salmon

DSalmon@myerscough.ac.uk