Member Article

Newcastle College reveal plans for rail engineering training centre

Newcastle College has revealed plans to invest millions in a world-class rail engineering training centre to be based in Gateshead.

The centre is being developed with support from National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering (NSARE) and Network Rail, and will serve all age groups including young people and those wanting to change career.

Robin Ghurbhurun, deputy principal at Newcastle College said: “There are incredible changes taking place in the rail sector and our investment in the Rail Academy will help to put the region on the map in terms of world-class training and skills for the railway engineering sector.

“The Government has committed to spending billions to upgrade the rail network in the next 20 to 30 years creating thousands of job opportunities, so it is critical that the industry has access to the very best training and higher level skills.

“Our investment in the Rail Academy is very exciting and will support the Government with its plans to bring rail into the 21st Century. We have worked with a number of partners to establish what the likely demand for skills support would be to support this infrastructure, not only in the North East but nationally.

“As a result of this, Newcastle College and its parent company, NCG have made a significant commitment in what we believe to be a fantastic development for Gateshead and a centre of excellence for rail engineering across the country. It will be a hub for the North East and a first for the region in terms of rail engineering.

“The Rail Academy will be a gateway to employment and skills, not a destination for courses. It is a demonstration of our continued intention to invest in world-class training and facilities that support the STEM agenda and emerging industry sectors where we believe that there are opportunities for employment.

“By working in close partnership with employers and industry partners, we will form part of the supply chain that enables these industries to grow and prosper and provide more opportunities for local people. This is our commitment today and will continue to be our commitment to the future prosperity of the region.”

Plans for Newcastle College’s Rail Academy in Gateshead

NSARE’s chief executive, Gil Howarth, said: “NSARE is proud to support this excellent initiative which will provide a centre of excellence for railway engineering training in the North East.

“It is vital that we attract young people into our buoyant industry - we need a highly competent workforce to support record levels of investment.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .