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TRAINING


Network Rail apprentices gain engineering degrees


Former Network Rail apprentices have graduated from Sheffield Hallam University with Higher National Certificates in railway engineering.


Network Rail offers 40 places a year for employees to undertake the course whilst on the apprenticeship scheme. It is a two- year part-time course, with fees and accommodation paid for by Network Rail.


This year is the first cohort of students on the scheme, and a total of 64 employees received honours. 22 gained undergraduate honours in engineering (BEng), with ten class 1 awards and 19 who


completed a foundation degree in engineering.


Network Rail’s education programmes manager,


Bill


Templeton, said: “Investing in our people and developing their skills and knowledge is absolutely vital if we are to become better and more efficient at running the railway.


“As the network continues to get busier and we face the challenges to get more trains on time and increase capacity, we will need a more highly skilled workforce to achieve these.


“It makes absolute sense for us to develop the excellent talent


RMT wants to ‘tool up hundreds of militant reps’


The RMT national education centre in Doncaster has had its new extension officially opened.


The rail union is embarking on a programme of further education for its reps, which it said will “drive the RMT’s brand of industrial trade unionism deep into workplaces the length and breadth of the land”.


The extension will add capacity and allow for hundreds of extra activists. They will now be able to attend courses to become more successful workplace representatives.


TUC general secretary-elect Frances O’Grady formally opened the extension to the centre in November.


RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: “RMT is not only opening expanded education facilities today but is also sending a warning to both the boss class and the political class that this trade union is building for the future with plans to train up and tool up hundreds of new militant activists who will drive the RMT’s brand of industrial trade unionism deep into workplaces the length and breadth of the land.


82 | rail technology magazine Dec/Jan 13


“RMT has taken the decision to invest heavily in training and education as the building block for the future which will see this organisation expand and build in the teeth of the relentless assault on jobs and working and conditions unleashed under the umbrella of austerity.


“RMT is taking the tried and tested union slogan ‘Agitate, Educate, Organise’ and placing it in the most modern and well-equipped facilities at our expanded Doncaster centre as we look to the future and learn from the past.”


we have coming through our advanced apprenticeship scheme and I am convinced that this form of pipeline development will make us a more attractive employer for other bright men and women seeking a career in engineering.”


Stuart Birchall, portfolio director for UK Collaborative Engineering at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “Studying for the HNC raises former apprentices’ knowledge of


engineering theory as applied to the rail industry and complements the experience they gain in the workplace. After completing the HNC, students are able to progress onto our foundation degree (FdEng) and can ultimately consider studying the full bachelor of engineering (BEng) here at the University. I am extremely pleased to see the first cohort of students complete the HNC and hope that they consider continuing to study.”


©. Robin Hamman


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