Rail recruitment firm ISS Labour set for £4m revenue

Rail recruitment firm ISS Labour is set to achieve a turnover well into the seven figures for its overhead line electrification (OLE) business.

For the last two years ISS Labour, part of training group Specialist People Services (SPS), has given companies access to railway engineers who undertake OLE work on the UK’s extensive rail network.

Now the firm, which opened a large training facility in Salford in November last year, has forecast its revenue from OLE services to hit the £4m mark by March 2017.

Under Network Rail’s £25bn infrastructure investment plan, large parts of the UK’s rail network are being electrified and require skilled engineers.

Some of the routes being overhauled include the Great Western line running from the South East to South Wales.

ISS Labour’s OLE director, Colin Kelly, said: “Our objective has been clear in that we’ve aimed to become the natural partner to the rail industry in providing specialist, highly-skilled people to help modernise the UK’s network.

“We have invested heavily in our overhead electrification offering in recent years, not least in our Salford training hub. This is now bearing fruit.”

He continued: “That said, we know that being the recruitment partner of choice to the rail industry requires hard work and focus to ensure our people have the correct skillset, so anticipating where future demand will come from and staying one step ahead continues to be at the heart of what we do.”

In the year ending March 2016, ISS Labour achieved a total turnover of £21m. The company was acquired by SPS in 2013.