CHANGING PERCEPTIONS
Network Rail is investing heavily in the next generation of engineers and project managers, giving them the opportunity to work on some of the biggest infrastructure projects in Europe, as Paul Stephen discovers.
By providing an exceptional opportunity to work on some of the biggest and most challenging engineering projects in Europe, Infrastructure Projects (IP) offers a highly attractive career path to some of Britain’s most talented young individuals.
Each year it receives hundreds of applications to its graduate and apprenticeship schemes, where the intake is equipped with the practical skills and vocational training needed to build a career in programme management or engineering.
IP passionately believes in investing in its people to improve the safety, reliability and efficiency of the railway. NR has 26 training centres located across the UK, supporting a range of accredited vocational courses.
It also prides itself on immersing new entrants in practical front-line roles from the very beginning, while offering a wide variety of placements within different areas of the business.
Alison Rumsey, IP’s Human Resources Director, explains: “We encourage people into our apprentice and graduate schemes to move around different parts of the business or change career paths if necessary, to tailor the experience to both their needs and those of the business.
“We also focus very heavily on giving people structured career paths to keep them in IP, because sharing learning and transferring it from one project to another is an important part of how we deliver.”
She adds: “We’ve had a lot of success and external recognition for our young talent and the projects that they work on, which have won a huge range of accolades. It demonstrates what a great place IP is to come and have a career. We want to use the skills, knowledge and experience that they have developed to enhance what we do and improve the way we operate.”
Broader base
IP is also committed to broadening its appeal to reach all demographic groups. This is not only in line with NR’s diversity strategy, which aims to tackle female under-representation in the workforce, but also to maximise the pool of talent it attracts.
A key part in achieving that aim is to change traditional perceptions of working in the rail sector. Rather than a heavily labour-intensive and unfashionable career choice, IP wants it to be viewed as a powerful vehicle to achieving a highly accomplished technical or professional career in roles including construction engineering or project management.
“We’re actively trying to change the image that jobs in NR are exclusively in the ‘orange army’,” adds Rumsey.
“We’ve done a lot in the traditional media and in social media to try and improve that understanding so that we’re known as a diverse organisation and that people can benefit by making it their career choice.
“What we’re trying to achieve on the diversity side is not just about ethnicity or gender, but the diversity of thought that comes with their background and experience. We’ve had a lot of success in attracting talent from a wider variety of sectors, bringing different approaches and innovative ideas.
“We’ve recruited people to the IP executive team, for example, who aren’t from traditional railway backgrounds, but have great programme management experience in an allied sector. That brings diversity in its broadest sense by saying ‘it’s not just about whether you are a man or a woman, it’s what experience you have and what you can bring to make IP a better organisation’.
“We’ ve had a lot of success in attracting talent from a wider variety of sectors, bringing different approaches and innovative ideas.” Alison Rumsey, Human Resources Director, Infrastructure Projects IP passionately believe sin investing in its people to improve the safety, reliability and efficiency of the railway. N Rh as 26 training centres located across the UK, supporting a range of accredited vocational courses.