RAIL SKILLS
RAIL SKILLS ACADEMY
The Rail Skills Academy was created by QTS and East Ayrshire Council in 2022 to engage enthusiastic young people, aged 18 to 24 years, to join Scotland’s first Rail Skills Academy and have the opportunity to enter careers in the rail industry.
The Academy is delivered by QTS Training and funded through the East Ayrshire Council Young Person Guarantee programme, together with local authority employability funding, and has been developed to help to combat the skills shortage and lack of diversity in the rail industry. With over 48% of railway workers aged 50 or over and women making up just 16% of the current workforce, action is being taken to create a knowledgeable, diverse and qualified workforce for the future.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Trainees attending the Rail Skills Academy receive a £55 per week training allowance, together with lunch subsistence. Transport is also arranged where required to assist with travel to the QTS HQ at Drumclog, Lanarkshire.
The Rail Skills Academy is open to anyone aged 18 plus who lives within the funding local authority areas, with no formal training or experience required.
Graduates:
SANDY OBRIEN
Sandy is currently working with our Scotland civils team and has gained experience working with the site team on things like embankment regrades and drainage works as a general operative.
CURTIS MURRAY
Curtis joined our Scotland drainage team fresh from his Rail Skills Academy graduation! He’s been able to get some great hands-on experience at a few of our sites cleaning pipes with high pressure water, ready for our cameras to carry out a survey.
JAMIE FULTON
Jamie is working with the civils & geotechnical team after finishing the Rail Skills Academy. He’s been learning about concrete cloth, cess drainage and regrades and to understand their function and role in protecting the rail infrastructure.
His first job out of the academy was laying cloth in a 300-metre ditch to allow water to drain away correctly, this prevents water sitting under the track which could cause landslides or movement of the track.
LUKE MCCOY
Luke is working with our arbor team and was stationed at a few different sites follwing his completion of the Rail Skills Academy including Wemyss Bay and Elderslie. The team have been impressed with his work and Luke has been enjoying the new experience.
