24 June 2010

Business Forum Launched to develop Railway Engineering Skills

More than twenty representatives from railway industry employers in the Northwest, particularly the Crewe area, attended the first specialist business forum held on 16th June. The forum met to progress plans for a Crewe centre for the National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering.

Organised by the Cheshire and Warrington Enterprise Commission (CWEC) - with support from key partners - and hosted at Virgin Trains’ Talent Academy in Crewe, the event was the first in what will be a regular forum to help develop railway engineering skills in the region, and drive forward the development of a regional centre in Crewe.

Attendees on the night were keen that the forum be used as a way of businesses working better together  as well as providing an invaluable opportunity to enable practical discussions to take place on employment and skills issues. This powerful collective voice for the sector will help inform, influence and shape activities to tackle and improve the sector’s skills base, with the sharing of skills between businesses one of the forum’s key areas of focus.  

The wider purpose of the National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering is to improve the skills of the industry’s existing workforce, and help attract new, particularly young, people into the many exciting careers available within the sector. It will become increasingly difficult to satisfy the industry’s increasing demand for higher level and key skills, which will be lost as existing employees retire. There is also now substantial and growing competition for these skills both from other sectors, and other parts of the world.

A bid for a National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering was approved by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills in March 2010 following a successful bid led by the Railway Industry Association. The bid followed a campaign initiated by CWEC and the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and headed up by Pete Waterman.  In June 2008 CWEC submitted an Expression of Interest (EOI) which demonstrated a strong commitment to fully support the establishment of a regional centre for the National Skills Academy, working in partnership with the NWDA and Cheshire East Council.

Crewe’s rail heritage and central location on the UK rail network have made it the ideal location for a regional centre of a National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering, while the demand for railway engineering skills, both in the UK and abroad, has increased rapidly and is continuing to grow. It is expected to increase further as a number of major railway projects are implemented. 

Aidan Manley, Managing Director of CWEC, said: “This is a great opportunity for the railway engineering businesses in Cheshire and Warrington to ensure their employees have the very best skills in the industry. These businesses are vital to our continued economic growth and it is absolutely right that the employers should be dictating the skills provision that is on offer.”

Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive, NWDA said: “We are pleased that we are able to support the National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering. Education and skills are the basis for success, and we would encourage businesses to seize these opportunities that will support our region’s future economy.”

John Nicholson, Strategic Director for Places at Cheshire East Council, said: “We really welcome this development. It’s a significant boost for Crewe, which is a very important centre of industry and innovation within Cheshire East and a key area for future development.

“Crewe has strong heritage links with the rail industry and this National Skills Academy for Rail Engineering is a way of ensuring that this continues into the 21st century – maintaining the town’s active involvement within the rail industry.

“We are trying to raise aspiration levels generally within Crewe and create job opportunities – and there is no doubt that this skills academy will actively help to do this.”

CWEC, NWDA and Cheshire East Council will now work with the business forum and the leaders of the new Academy to progress plans for the set up of a regional centre in Crewe in 2011. The next meeting of the Business Forum is planned for Thursday 15th July 2010. Visit the events page for details.

For further information contact:
Tina Johnston, External Relations Manager
Cheshire & Warrington Enterprise Commission
Tel: 01606 734187; Mobile: 07976 617129;
Send Tina an email.

NOTES

Cheshire & Warrington Enterprise Commission
The Cheshire & Warrington Enterprise Commission is the economic development partnership for Cheshire and Warrington and is funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency and the Local Authorities of Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester and Warrington. 

Northwest Regional Development Agency
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) works to deliver economic success in England’s Northwest by building the competitiveness of businesses, people and places. Their strategic influence on transport, housing and economic planning helps to deliver high impact projects that will enhance the quality of life for people living, working or visiting the Northwest.
For further information visit: www.nwda.co.uk.