South & City College students get a fast track into railway engineering careers

Around 55 engineering students at South & City College Birmingham are getting a direct line into careers on the railway, through a new partnership with Network Rail and the local train operator. The scheme, launched at the college on Wednesday, will bring real-world railway experience into students' Level 1 and Level 2 engineering courses and help prepare them for apprenticeships, Network Rail said.

As well as learning about railway engineering, students will get careers support, including help with CVs and coaching for job interviews.

Meeting people who have done it

The launch event brought rail industry staff together with students, teachers and college staff, with speeches and a chance for students to talk to people already working on the railway. They heard from two former Network Rail apprentices, Dan Taylor and Adam Johnson, who now have full-time careers at the company's Sandwell & Dudley Delivery Unit.

Adam, now a section manager for signals and telecoms, said: "The railway has been a great place for me to learn new things and build my career. I work with great people and can't wait to continue developing personally and professionally in this exciting industry. I would recommend working on the railway to anyone who is interested."

"Investment in rail is benefitting Longbridge and Northfield"

The partnership was brought together with help from Laurence Turner, MP for Birmingham Northfield. "It has been a privilege to help facilitate this initiative," he said. "It's an exciting time to work in the rail sector, and this apprenticeship scheme represents an invaluable opportunity for students at South & City College Birmingham."

"These apprenticeships will provide young people with practical experience and industry-recognised skills," he added. "It's proof that the investment in rail in Birmingham is benefitting areas like Longbridge and Northfield."

Denise Wetton, integrated managing director for Great British Railways in the region, said: "I'm really passionate about bringing the next generation of engineers into the railway and making sure we create clear pathways for local people to build great careers in our industry." She said she was "genuinely impressed by the students and the insightful questions they asked".

An ongoing partnership

Mike Hopkins MBE, principal and chief executive of South & City College Birmingham, said: "We have some fantastic future engineers in our classrooms and workshops, and this opportunity will help them develop and grow so they are better prepared and ready for their next steps into the world of work."

He said the launch marked "the start of what will be an ongoing partnership between the college and the rail industry", one that will sit alongside the college's existing engineering courses and help create clearer routes into apprenticeships.

Why it matters

The railway needs new engineers. The industry faces a wave of retirements in the coming years, and projects across Birmingham, from HS2 and Curzon Street to station upgrades on the Cross-City line, will need skilled people to build, run and maintain them for decades.

For young people in the south of the city, it offers a practical, paid route into a long-term career close to home. Anyone interested in railway apprenticeships can find details on Network Rail's website, and the college has information on its engineering courses.