Freight firm’s backing for new high speed rail school

A new UK high speed rail training centre is ‘an enormous opportunity for the whole industry’, says the boss of the country’s biggest cargo operator, DB Cargo UK.

With it’s Doncaster base right on the doorstep of the National College for High Speed Rail, DB Cargo will be one of the facility’s key industry partners, helping produce the next generation of highly-skilled rail professionals.

Clair Mowbray, the college’s Chief Executive, said: “The National College is focused on delivering the skills training that is required to modernise rail. The UK’s engineering workforce is currently falling short by around 69,000 engineers every year, with a growing older workforce which currently lacks diversity.

Skills

“It is our challenge to work towards solving the skills gap that Britain faces as it invests billions of pounds into modernising the rail network and wider transport infrastructure. By working with industry partners like DB Cargo we can ensure the range of opportunities reflect the needs of all aspects of the rail industry.”

Hans-Georg Werner, Chief Executive of DB Cargo UK, said he’d been ‘very excited’ by a recent visit to the new centre to discuss future opportunities for collaboration. It offers post-18 education and will cater both for those looking to develop current expertise in the industry and people wanting to retrain completely.

Development

Mr Werner said: “While the college has an important role to play in supporting the development of HS2 the state-of-the-art training and opportunities being offered here in Doncaster will be relevant to drivers, engineers and ground-staff across the entire UK rail network.”

“Here at DB Cargo UK we are leading the next generation of rail freight and we look forward to working closely with the college’s Chief Executive Clair Mowbray and her team on shaping the experience and opportunities they offer.”

Support

On behalf of DB Cargo UK, Mr Werner presented the college with a pantograph for use in the training of students, and in return he received a certificate and plaque, acknowledging the company’s ongoing support.

Students can choose from higher apprenticeships currently available in High Speed Rail and Infrastructure (Level 4) and Operations and Departmental Management (Level 5). The College also runs an entry level one-year full-time course – the Certificate of Higher Education (Cert HE) in High Speed Rail and Infrastructure, equivalent to Higher National Certificate (HNC) qualification.