Year of Engineering at Network Rail

In 2018, Network Rail and the wider rail industry joined forces to support the government-led Year of Engineering. The initiative set out to increase awareness and understanding of the work engineers do and promote engagement with science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects among young people.

We have used January as an opportunity to look back at some of the ways Network Rail teams have supported the campaign to encourage young people from all backgrounds to take a closer look at engineering, challenge stereotypes and showcase the variety of the profession:

Filling the skills gap

In March, a new university technical college – co-funded by Network Rail – formally opened. Sir Simon Milton Westminster University Technical College aims to get young Londoners into work through training and education.

Following more than five years of collaboration by Network Rail, the University of Westminster and the Sir Simon Milton Foundation, the college welcomed its first cohort of students in September 2017 and works closely with organisations such as Landsec, Alstom, Colas Rail, BT Fleet Solutions and Transport for London through its employer alliance to provide pupils with education, combined with vocational skills and training. 

Emily the engineer

In August, Network Rail and industry partners created an activity book which was given to families travelling on the railway during the summer holiday period. The book is full of puzzles and quizzes and follows the character of Emily the engineer on her rail adventures – seeking to spark children's imaginations and inspire them to consider a career in engineering.

Last year, Network Rail also teamed-up with British Transport Police (BTP) and Thomas the Tank Engine to help children learn how to use the railway safely.

Read more about the special Thomas & Friends storybook on MyConnect.

Tomorrow's engineers

Graduates and year in industry students from Safety, Technical and Engineering (STE) marked Tomorrow's Engineers Week in October by hosting a series of STEM challenges. A team of Network Rail colleagues visited almost 600 students across the week (Monday 5 November – Friday 9 November) to deliver interactive sessions, including presentations on Network Rail careers, bridge building activities, LEGO challenges and project management tasks.

Full STEM ahead

Tavare Harris, construction manager and Infrastructure Projects (IP) Central STEM ambassador, led students from Stoke Studio College, Stoke on Trent, to victory in November when they scooped the award for Best Project in a contest that set 57 schools against each other to create a Station of the Future. This was the second time Tavare had taken a winning Go4SET team – part of The Engineering Development Trust – to the competition's national finals.

Wonderlab

Also in November, Network Rail and The Science Museum Group hosted rail industry guests and their children at The Science Museum's Wonderlab, London. The Inspiring Futures event was arranged as part of the Year of Engineering and among the guests were Network Rail colleagues, apprentices, graduates and their children, selected to attend via Yammer.

Visitors were able to explore more than 50 exhibits, shows and demonstrations of scientific phenomena, including virtual reality experiences, a chemistry bar for live experiments, giant slides and a space canopy of stars.

Industry effort

Network Rail teams hosted an Engineering Unlocked event at King's Cross station in October, aimed at parents of young people to showcase the opportunities that a career in engineering can offer their children.

Colleagues from Network Rail also supported the Department for Transport (DfT's) stand at World Skills UK – the largest skills, apprenticeships and careers show in the UK. At the event, which hosted more than 73,000 visitors, Network Rail gave young people a tour of a Network Rail training depot using virtual reality (VR) headsets.

For the third year, Network Rail joined the wider rail industry to attend the Big Bang Fair – a national STEM event by Engineering UK. Children were able to try on personal protective equipment (PPE) and experience a train driver's cab using a VR simulator.

STEM ambassadors

Colleagues interested in getting involved with early engagement activities are invited to become STEM ambassadors. These ambassadors support young people in developing their careers to help close the national skills gap in STEM subjects and predicted shortfall of engineers and technically skilled people in the transport sector by promoting the subjects in schools and communities.

Network Rail has developed new resources – launched today (Monday 7 January) – for young people aged 9-13 years. These include an Awesome Railways guide, animation and video featuring Maddie Moat, YouTuber and CBBC presenter. The tools are available on Network Rail's new Awesome Railways web page and STEM ambassadors are encouraged to use them to support early engagement activities.  

A big thank you to Amit Kotecha & Xenia Rimmer for writing this article.