27.03.15
Rail Academy officially opens in north east
Newcastle College’s new £5m Rail Academy has been officially opened in Gateshead, and will help secure the future of rail engineering in the north east.
The college-run academy is the first of its kind in the country and will be a regional hub for training and development for railway engineering.
In a pre-recorded message to mark the opening of the facility yesterday (26 March), business secretary Vince Cable said: “The Rail Academy is an important initiative that will support the government's investment in the future of the UK's rail infrastructure.
“Developing specialist training and skills is vital in creating the next generation of rail engineers and will provide opportunities for thousands of young people to develop careers in this growing sector.”
The Academy serves all age groups, including young people looking to develop a career in the rail sector, those wanting to change career and employers who need to up-skill their existing work force or simply recruit for future growth.
On top of this, it will also offer a bespoke training venue to help employers up-skill existing staff, and train new staff in a safe environment. Full-time diplomas in rail engineering, suitable for all age groups, are currently available.
Marc McPake, head of the Rail Academy, said: “The opening of the rail academy signifies the start of a new era in training for the next generation of rail engineers. I believe that what we have here is unique.
“We are helping to develop the skills that are needed by industry today, but also creating a pipeline of skilled people with the knowledge of the state of the art equipment that we will see in the rail industry in the future.”
The facility has been developed with support from the National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering (NSARE) and Network Rail.
(Image: Head of Newcastle College Rail Academy Marc McPake (centre) pictured with Guy Wilmhurst Smith from Network Rail (left) and David Waboso from London Underground (right) and Rail Engineering students at the official opening.)
Image c. North News & Pictures ltd
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