National rail contractor, QTS Group, hosted its annual ‘The Future of Rail’ event at its headquarters in South Lanarkshire last week.
The event, which took place on 20 and 21 May, welcomed several of QTS Group’s partners, including Network Rail, to promote the rail industry’s ability to offer flourishing careers for young people.
Now in its fifth year, the two-day occasion aims to engage with pupils and communicate the vast variety career paths available within rail.
The event comes at an important time to elevate the conversation around youth employment, with recent ONS (Office for National Statistics) figures revealing that unemployment within the 16-24 age group has reached 14.7%, the highest in 11 years.
On day one, QTS Group hosted several activities and workshops, including plant machinery and survey equipment showcases, and STEM workshops for more than 300 students from across Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Glasgow.
These included pupils from Calderglen High School (East Kilbride), The Grange (Kilmarnock), Kilmarnock Academy, Prestwick Academy, Loudoun Academy (Galston), Marr College (Troon), Auchenharvie Academy (Stevenston), Trinity High (Rutherglen), Clyde Valley High School (Wishaw), Hamilton Grammar, Queen Margaret Academy (Ayr) and Doon Academy (Dalmellington).
On day two, a selection of colleges and employability hubs were invited along to meet with the QTS team and supply chain partners, who had a variety of job roles on offer for them to apply for on the day.
Andy Steel, Managing Director of QTS Group, said: “The Future of Rail event provides a fantastic opportunity to engage with young people across Scotland and inspire them to consider rewarding careers in the rail industry.
“Tackling the skills shortage is a top priority for us, and events like this offer a great platform to engage with so many young individuals, helping them to foresee the flourishing career they could build in rail.
“As a proud employer in the region, we’re also committed to providing local jobs for local people, and a key part of this relies on being visible in our community. It’s fantastic to have worked so closely with schools, colleges and employability hubs this year, and I’d like to thank all our attendees for taking part.
“Together, we can tackle the ongoing talent vacuum and offer young people the skills and opportunities to forge long-standing careers.”
QTS Group provides numerous initiatives to encourage young people to join the rail industry, including offering apprenticeships, traineeships and a graduate development programme, and joining the Government’s Kickstart Scheme. The contractor also delivers talks in schools across the UK, aiming to bring rail careers directly into the classroom.
Its Rail Skills Academy, created in partnership with East Ayrshire Council, offers funded training for 18-to-24-year-olds with no prior experience required, providing a direct route into the industry for young people across Scotland.
These efforts form part of QTS’s ongoing commitment to reducing the industry’s skills gap, as the sector contends with an ageing workforce and a shortage of new talent entering the pipeline.
For more information on upcoming events, please visit https://www.qtsgroup.com/
Image credit: QTS Group
