It’s Rail Week – an industry-wide celebration that aims to inspire the next generation of rail workers.
There’s a huge skills shortage for rail-related roles so the industry is working together to get young people excited about science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM subjects) and the wide range of rewarding career opportunities the sector offers.
The UK requires 124,000 engineers and technicians with core engineering skills across the economy each year up to 2024, according to a report, Engineering UK: The state of engineering. There is an additional requirement for 79,000 related roles, requiring a mixed application of engineering knowledge and skill alongside other skill sets.
However, the report anticipates a shortfall of between 37,000 and 59,000 due to the supply of talent coming through education.
Watch our flagship film all about the excitement and challenges in modern engineering:
For school children, we have our Awesome Railways resources:
Our new Awesome Railways resources for schools will teach more young people about careers on the network.
The Awesome Railways leaflet and animation tells children why railways are vital to Britain and why science, technology and maths (STEM) are so important to their development.
“We think trains and railways are awesome, and that’s why we need girls and boys at school today to learn about science, maths and technology – so that you can help us to invent and design the railways of the future.”