10th July 2008

Pete Waterman Leads Campaign
For A National Skills Academy For Railways

Pop legend and railway chief Pete Waterman is leading a campaign for government backing to set up a National Skills Academy For Railways.

Pete is owner of London & North Western Railway, the biggest privately owned provider of rail maintenance services.

Currently there is a massive shortage of skilled railway engineers, with the situation set to worsen as the workforce gets older, demand increases and new technology develops. Rail is the sustainable transport mode for the future and with increasing passenger numbers and freight off road onto trail, demand on the railways will only increase.

Pete and his team are appealing to the government for funding as they feel a National Skills Academy is needed to encourage young people to join the railways, and create a new generation of skilled workers.

The Academy would provide a co-ordinated approach to training for jobs; meeting employers needs by giving young people apprenticeships and adults the opportunity to retrain.

‘Centres of Excellence’ would be created across the country, alongside a major new facility in Crewe. These centres would be accredited training establishments that would ensure consistency and quality. They would also promote the rail industry as a “career of choice” for a new workforce.
 
The benefits of these centres would be huge; helping to get young people on the career ladder and out of work adults into new skilled jobs. The current railway workforce could also be retrained as required to meet future challenges.

Pete says: “Doing nothing is not an option. The lack of skilled railway workers is a massive problem that needs addressing. A National Skills Academy with Centres of Excellence across the country will ensure the UK has a new generation of skilled railway workers. It’s important we are not left behind the rest of Europe in the race to develop new technology.”

For Further Information Please Contact:
Simon Jones or Alex Mullen
Hackford Jones PR
Tel: 0207 287 9788