Railway engineering design technician apprenticeship launched by consultants

A new apprenticeship standard for railway engineering design technicians was one of the new apprenticeships highlighted by Government this week in its Get in Go Far campaign.

Jackie Whitelaw
22 August 2014

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The railway apprenticeship standard is the latest to emerge from the engineering consultancy led Technician Apprenticeship Consortium which started in 2010 and now has over 700 apprentices in training at over 50 companies around the country.

Government’s new campaign is designed to bridge the gap between university and vocational education and demonstrate to young people that there are alternative ways of achieving high end qualifications without attending full time college.

Infrastructure Intelligence is working with Technician Apprenticeship Consortium on an editorial guide to apprenticeships in consultancy. To get involved please contact jackie.whitelaw@infrastructure-intelligence.com or sally.devine@infrastructure-intelligence.com

Minister for skills and equalities Nick Boles said: “I am delighted the TAC has led the development of a new apprenticeship standard for railway engineering design technicians. Since 2010 there have been 1.8 million apprenticeship starts and TAC is leading by example in the development and delivery of high quality apprenticeships that give people the chance of successful careers and help businesses get the skills they need to grow.”

Key to the success of the new railway apprenticeship has been the National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering and employers helping develop the standard include Atkins, CH2MHill, Hyder Consulting, Jacobs Engineering, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Tony Gee & Partners, URS and WSP.

TAC is supported by ACE. Its chief executive Nelson Ogunshakin said: “TAC is an example of a very successful industry-led initiative guiding over 700 young people into apprenticeship places in its first four years of operation.."

He added: "It is clear to me that the optimism of ACE member companies, large and small, is tempered by a concern that they are finding it difficult and expensive to recruit and retain the highly skilled staff they need to deliver their projects.  With an ageing workforce and a potential shortage of graduates the situation is only going to get worse.  The sector as a whole urgently needs to find new ways to access and train the next generation of professional engineers.”