1. Pioneering Technical Excellence
Martin Owen National College for High Speed Rail

2. LONG-TERM, TRANSFORMATIONAL RAIL PROJECTS ACROSS BRITAIN
 The government is investing heavily in ensuring our towns and cities are properly connected
Crossrail is a £15 billion investment that will transform journeys across the South East
Transport for the North has published recommendations to improve east-west rail connections in support of the Northern Powerhouse
Crossrail 2 is being seriously considered
And of course there’s HS2
Demand in the rail sector has never been higher
This shows no sign of slowing down – according to Engineering UK we were expected to need to fill 69,000 engineering jobs per year through to 2022, a target which if met could see the sector generate a further £27 billion a year from the end of that period
All of which makes this feel like an industry in rude health.

3. SKILLS GAP IN ENGINEERING AND RAIL
are engineers over 55 and will retire in the next 10 years
are higher-level
technicians or professional engineers
are women
– the lowest
rate in Europe
However:
While demand is high, supply – specifically the supply of people – has never been more precarious. And there are a few reasons for this:
First of all, the UK already has a large skills gap, particularly in engineering and rail – while there’s no doubt we have brilliant engineers, we have nowhere near enough
Secondly, the age and breadth of its workforce is a problem – not just because of the shortfall in graduates starting work, but because experienced professionals are retiring from rail jobs every year and not being replaced
Third, skills within the industry are lacking – only half the engineering industry are semi-skilled, with very few working as higher-level technicians or professional engineers
Finally, the industry is simply unable to attract the levels of diversity it needs to move forward – only 9% of engineers are women
And with 53% of businesses expecting difficulty in recruiting STEM-skilled staff in the next three years, this is hardly the best position for us to be entering a new era of hi-tech rail engineering. 9%
are semi-skilled

4. NATIONAL COLLEGE FOR HIGH SPEED RAIL
And it is in this context and environment that the National College was conceived.
We are here to specifically address the challenges outlined above, that will be familiar to you all
We are the first fully incorporated college in the UK for 20 years.
But we are a different type of college – built by the industry, for the industry.
This is reflected in everything we do – from our model of governance through to how our courses are developed and delivered.
Our doors are open. And we are already training the existing construction and railway workforces in the latest design, data and delivery techniques, which the UK can then export abroad, as well as attracting new talent into the industry. Once it is fully operational, the college will train 1,000 people across its two campuses in Birmingham and Doncaster.

5. INSTITUTIONAL LANDSCAPE
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4/5
Level 6
School
Sixth form college
National College for High Speed Rail
3,500 learners over the next 5 years + short courses
University
UTC
Free school
General further education college
Academy
Career college
Private training provider
Qualifications
BTEC Level 2 and 3;
A-levels in relevant qualifications;
Access to HE in relevant subjects;
Apprenticeship & Advanced Apprenticeship
Higher Apprenticeships
Certificate of Higher Education
Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
Degree;
Postgraduate qualifications
Industry experience
Specialist, professionally relevant qualifications
Because of the skills shortages outlined, we have a specific mandate to commence our training at Level 4 – because this is where the skills shortage is most pronounced.
Our learners must be 18 to join us.

6. DEDICATED TO MEANINGFUL, LONG-LASTING CHANGE
Fundamental to the delivery of HS2 and other rail infrastructure projects is the diversification of the industry and this is one of the most significant ways the college is helping the industry prepare for the future.
For example, not enough progress is being made to tackle the pipeline of young female engineering talent. The National College for High Speed Rail is looking to encourage more women into the rail and engineering sector, as females currently account for just 9% of the UK’s engineering workforce.
Just 3% of engineering apprenticeships in England in 2013/14 were taken up by women and only 18.2 % of applicants to engineering degree courses in 2013/14 were female.
We’re targeting both young female and male school leavers and have seen some success - so far our initial recruitment campaign has been successful as around 30% of our applications have been from females.
We’re also promoting the college to people looking to change their career, and those looking to re-skill such as army resettlers, to let them know that the National College for High Speed Rail is the gateway to a once in a lifetime career opportunity to help create the future of the British rail network.
We want people to know that the college is open to all, regardless of gender, ethnicity or background.
So to sum up:
The college is dedicated to bridging the skills gap in the rail industry and across infrastructure sectors more generally
Our students will be taught in a rounded way: employability, team work, project planning We have a multi–disciplinary approach – a curriculum shaped by the industry, state-of-the-art workshops and campuses and hands-on experience provided by employers and mentors doing the very work they are lecturing on.
Diversity of the college and sector is at our heart We are supporting businesses to grow and develop, particular in the areas around our college sites, particularly as they prepare for the demands of bidding and delivering for HS2.

7. Thank you
Any questions?