Rail Futures Ebook

CANDIDATE CAREER TIPS 2021
towards securing your
WWW.RAILFUTURES.CO.UK - 2 -
When looking for a promising and

exciting career opportunity, the rail
industry is often overlooked. But why?
Well, a lot of people aren’t aware
of the amazing opportunities that
the industry proposes. Of course,
that’s through no fault of their own.
It’s purely down to poor signposting
of development areas and general
education of careers in the industry.
To combat that, at Rail Futures, we’re

keen to increase the overall awareness
of the rail industry and ensure that all
opportunities are accessible by all. After
all, there’s no limitations on who can
excel within the rail industry. No matter
your age, no matter your background,
we can guarantee that there’s
04 THE KEY OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN
THE RAIL INDUSTRY
something to suit everybody.
We’re massively invested in personal

development - and industry
development too. Therefore, we’re
keen to show everybody that a career
on the rail could well be for you. Not
05 TYPICAL CAREER PATHS WITHIN
THE INDUSTRY
only are we here to signpost tailored

opportunities but we’re here to support
candidates through this process and
07
ensure they’re in the best position WHO CAN WORK IN THE RAIL
possible for a prosperous future. INDUSTRY? ARE THERE ANY
LIMITATIONS?
With that in mind, this comprehensive
guide will cover everything you need
to know about the necessary training,
entry points into the industry, what
08
WHAT EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
it’s like working within the industry ARE NEEDED FOR A JOB ON
and more. Plus, we’ll include handy THE RAIL?
candidate tips that’ll stand you in great
stead to take the first step towards
securing your career on the rail.
10 THE MAIN BENEFITS OF WORKING

WITHIN THE RAIL INDUSTRY
WWW.RAILFUTURES.CO.UK
12 INTRODUCING RAIL FUTURES -
AND HOW WE CAN HELP!
- 3 -
The Key
Opportunities
Within the
Rail Industry
The rail industry is diverse, Northern Powerhouse Rail will
ever-growing and essential have “spades in the ground”
to Britain’s economy. It’s vital in 2024/25 according to
to keeping people, goods and Transport for the North NPR
services moving efficiently director Tim Wood. Meaning
over time. Within the industry, there’s a lot of growth to be
the improvement and made in the next four years.
management of key transport With growth comes a higher
networks are highly prioritised. demand for workers, whether
Of course, these projects
After all, with over 20,000 it’s customer service or high-
aren’t the only proposed
passenger services a day the level engineering positions,
plans within the UK - we’d be
overall rail network NEEDS the rail industry can be a
here all day otherwise. And
to be reliable. And with this flexible, interesting and
who can forget HS2? One
core need for reliability arises rewarding career pathway.
of the main sources of mass
incredible opportunities.
opportunity. The current
Proposed improvements
fruitful period of growth
The railway industry in the are also in place for part of
within the rail industry is
UK is booming with growth! the Transpennine Upgrade.
super exciting! Not only this,
London, the hub of transport, This project proposes to
but it’ll pave the way for
is projected to grow by two create faster journeys
successful careers - creating
million people by 2031. So, the between Manchester and
job security and growth.
transport infrastructure will York via Huddersfield and
need significant assistance Leeds. With more proposed
and investment to be able rail improvements comes
to adequately cope. In result, increased career opportunities
more rail workers will need to - and that’s the case whenever
be recruited to ensure this is new plans are approved and
completed efficiently. rolled out across the country.
Typical Career Paths

Within the Industry
Permanent Way Maintenance and

Renewals
The purpose in this role is to assist with the maintenance
and operation of the railways. Not only are the roles and
responsibilities diverse in this department, but they’re crucial for
ensuring everything is safe and running correctly. After all, no one
wants to be travelling or responsible for a dangerous service.
Daily duties could include inspection of the tracks, repairs and

dismantling of permanent way assets or assisting in the lining
and levelling of tracks. As well as day-to-day activities you may
also be called upon to respond to unexpected events, for example,
ensuring the tracks are safe after extreme weather conditions.
If you enjoy working in an outdoor environment, count

yourself as a team player, and have the willingness to
undertake operational duties, then this might be the role for you!
OPERATIONS
The operations team helps with day-to-day functionality of the rail
to ensure it’s safe and working effectively.
Daily responsibilities vary from each role within different

operations departments. You could be signalling operators in
the operating centres or providing support for incident response
teams. If speaking to the public is your thing, being a part of the
customer service operations team might also be an available
option you choose.
Every day provides something different, whether you’re

interacting with the public or helping resolve an emergency. In
this area of the industry, you will see the full life cycle from
strategy to delivery and it’ll definitely keep you on your toes!
Typical Career Paths

Within the Industry
Engineering
Engineering is a discipline that deals with the design,
construction and operation of railway systems. Engineers
contribute to shaping the future of designing and building
transport infrastructure.
As a Rail Engineer, you’ll build and service the mechanical

and electrical systems on train engines and rolling stock. Daily
responsibilities could include, building new engines, repairing
train parts, dealing with unique problems or carrying out
regular maintenance checks.
This is the perfect role for someone who relishes a predominant

hands-on approach. You’ll spend most of your time in a rail
depot or engineering workshop playing a vital role in the safety
of the railway.
Signalling and
Telecommunications
As a signaller, you’ll take great care to make sure trains travel
safely and efficiently along the large network. This job role
compromises of many parts and your decisions make all the
difference.
Each day could present a different challenge but that’s all part
of the development and fun! While signalling is your main focus
day-to-day, when things do go wrong, you’ll use your training,
problem-solving skills and quick thinking to get the passengers
moving safely onwards.
If you’re comfortable working alone and have a passion for

putting others first, you can look forward to a rewarding and
fulfilling career in signalling and telecommunications.
WHO CAN WORK IN

THE RAIL INDUSTRY?
Quite simply, there is no age limit working within the rail
industry. Training is offered to individuals aged 19+. While that
may seem like a huge sweeping statement, it’s true! This is partially
why we always aim to uncover amazing training opportunities
for all. Quite often, people limit new careers to young people,
however, that’s certainly not the case - and we feel you should
know that.
Are There Any So, whether you’re unemployed,

starting out in your career, fancy
Limitations? a change or want to prepare for

happy retirement, a career in the
rail industry should never be out of
the question. Of course, we appreciate that going back to college
is a lot harder when you’re older - but it doesn’t need to be. The
stigma of rubbing shoulders with younger people is all in your
head and certainly shouldn’t deter you from pursuing a career in
the rail industry.
Our signposted training opportunities appeal to a wide range of

people. The courses themselves are a balanced mixture of theory
and practical, therefore, no matter what your learning style is,
you cand find the perfect way to excel. All courses have practical
elements, so you’re presented with opportunities to apply new
knowledge throughout your learning journey.
No prior experience is required - seems too good to be true

for such a skilled career, doesn’t it? We’ll explore this in more
detail in later sections. But this just shows you how wide ranging
the training opportunities are. Of course, there are various
transferable skills too that will stand you in good stead for a
successful future - again, we’ll look at that in more detail in the
next section.
All the experience and knowledge that you need is delivered

within your training course. The courses themselves are thorough
and ensure that all learners possess the right knowledge level to
pursue a successful career and ensure safety best practices are
always adhered to.
What
Experience
and Skills
are Needed
for a Job on
the Rail?
The nature of the industry is ever- help you expose opportunities for
changing and the demand for an ideal career in the rail industry.
different skills is always growing.
Whether you’re coming from a If you’re wondering where you might
skilled background or you’re just fit in the industry, don’t worry, no
starting out, the opportunity to previous experience is required for a
develop and grow is massive. job in rail! The industry boasts many
opportunities for people from all
As rail remains so important and backgrounds. HOWEVER, if you’re
the workload increases, the need reskilling or thinking about a career
for more skilled workers is essential change, the following skills will help
and this means that more jobs are you progress even further.
becoming available. Transferable
skills will not only help develop
your existing toolkit of knowledge
and personality traits, but will also
Transferable Skills That Can Be

Used Within the Rail Industry
health and safety

Every workplace needs trained health and safety professionals to ensure that tasks are carried out
smoothly, safely and effectively.
These professionals are particularly sought after in the rail industry. Typically, workers in the
industry have a higher risk of injury due to the practical nature of the job and the dangerous
machinery they have to control.
Health and safety skills are essential to any role in the rail industry and it is a rewarding
transferable skill to gain through training.
manual handling
Manual handling can be described as lowering, lifting, pulling, pushing, holding and carrying.
These tasks must be carried out correctly to prevent injury to staff. Manual handling is one of the key
health and safety concerns in the workplace, as almost every organisation will have some form that
needs to be carried out.
This is an essential skill to have in your toolkit when carrying out roles on railway lines. Whether
you’re doing maintenance, inspection or renewal of the lines, manual handling is key.
electrical compliance
Electrical compatibility can be a reoccurring issue in any railway environment. Learning the electronic
basics can help with rail day-to-day performance by preventing delays and restoring services quickly
after a disruption.
Being trained in electronics is a key skill to gain as passengers depend on trains to run efficiently every
single day. One of the main goals of the rail industry going forward is to ensure trains are reliable
and any issues that do arise are quickly resolved.
This skill can be transferred across many career paths from rail work to installation practices.
The Main Benefits

of Working
Within the Rail
IndustrY
Job Security
As there’s always a great demand for track
maintenance and improvements, you can rest
assured in the knowledge that your job will
always be safe - providing that you put in the
effort and deliver results. We appreciate that a
lot of people worry about the certainty of their
job - any insecurity over your future can lead to
valid concerns and uneasiness.
However, in the rail industry, you can put these

concerns to one side and simply focus on
getting the job done. The rail industry is a vital
transport network in the UK so in order for it
to run as smoothly as possible at all times, it
constantly needs to be improved.
This will help ease your mind, contribute to

overall satisfaction (not just at work either) and
allow you to stay motivated in your career.
Financial Stability A Progressive Skilled

Career
When worrying about your job security,
financial insecurities go hand in hand. For Going to work each day and knowing that
example, if you were to be made redundant, you’re making is a difference is all that a lot of
it’s not only your job that you’d lose but your people want, isn’t it? Well, when working in
financial income too. Also, a lot of people the rail industry, all careers are progressive
worry about money despite having a steady and make a difference. Being a rail engineer
monthly income. With a future in the rail is a skilled and rewarding career that
industry, you needn’t worry about either of commands a lot of respect - and it’s widely
these. accessible by a wide range of people.
Skilled positions within the industry are The fact you’d be working in a progressive,
paid well - and there’s always scope for skilled position means that there’s plenty of
improvement as you develop and progress scope for development and progression. Of
through your eventual career. So, you course, you’ll enter the industry in a lower-
needn’t worry about making ends meet at level position (as any newly qualified position
the end of the month - that’s a huge load would in any industry) but with the right
of anybody’s mind and can alleviate a lot of amount of dedication and hard work, you
common stress problems. can quickly progress through the ranks.
Introducing
Rail Futures -
And How We
Can Help!
who are rail futures?

As a specialist technical consultancy, we At Rail Futures, we play a vital role in the
support colleges and training providers across rail industry. We’re committed to developing
the UK to deliver high-quality engineering the next generation of rail engineers and
training to willing learners. Obtaining high generate exciting job outputs for people of all
standards isn’t something we slack on, it’s a backgrounds. Quite simply, we care about the rail
priority. industry and want to ensure that it’s in the most
capable hands possible.
Providing a high standard of training ensures that
everyone is safe, they’re working efficiently and of
course, it gives each candidate the best chance
of succeeding. In everything we do, we put rail
engineers at the forefront of our vision.
We Assist Willing
Learners in ANY
Way We Can
We Educate Those
Interested in the Rail
Industry
If you’re interested in the rail industry
then that’s all you need to bring to
the table - we help with the rest. From
signposting you to the correct training
and development and showing you
how diverse and exciting a career in
rail can be, you have so much to choose
from.
With lots of proposed plans in place

for the industry and the continuous
demand for work, job security is always
guaranteed. Partner this with our
training providers, our support and our
direction, you needn’t look elsewhere, we
can help you take that next step.
We always have our fingers on the

pulse of the rail industry to ensure that
the training provided also meets the
demand for work. We want engineers
to be educated correctly to ensure no
opportunity is missed.
We Uncover Amazing We Put You On Track For

Training Opportunities Training
It’s very common for amazing training That’s right - we get you on the right track so
opportunities within the rail industry to you can succeed.
go unnoticed. Quite simply, they’re not well
advertised and that’s starving people of a Our training providers hold regular open days.
promising, secure career. At Rail Futures, With that in mind, we continuously aim to
we uncover these opportunities and detail keep everyone updated on any events. Have a
everything you need to know about them to question? Don’t worry, we’re always on hand to
ensure that you can make the best decisions answer queries or questions you may have to
possible.. help you through your exciting career change.
We bridge the gap between your interest We provide everything you need to enrol on
in the industry and connecting you with the right course for you - rest assured, you
the right training and job opportunities. We won’t be doing this alone. Also, we mustn’t
always make it easier for candidates to find forget, we also provide a valuable hub of
the right training at the right time. We aim resources for you to access at any time you
to uncover the opportunities that are readily like. We’ll continue to help you discover the
available and make the rail industry accessible opportunities that are available for you before
to all. and after training.
What Sets Us Apart From

Our Competitors?
Unrivalled Experience and Expertise

With over 90 YEARS of combined experience - we know the rail industry
inside out.
Therefore, when looking to pursue a career in one of the many exciting

job roles in the industry, we firmly believe that we’re the best technical
consultancy to position you within the right training opportunity.
Our expert team ensures that all learners benefit from the best training
courses available and we don’t compromise on anything - we want to
help individuals secure their successful futures and prioritise their
development.
Our Extensive College and Training

Provider Network
At Rail Futures, we work closely with the LARGEST network of colleges and
training providers in the industry.
With 15 colleges across the UK to choose from, this makes training flexible,
accessible to the masses and you’ll always be guaranteed to find a training
provider near you - succeeding has never been so easy.
A Pure Dedication in the Future Of Rail

We’re dedicated to the development of the rail industry. We always make
sure that our partnered training providers receive the right support to help
carry out effective and safe training. Safety is a priority for us at Rail Futures to
ensure rail engineers create safety on the rail for years to come.
With safety measures in place, the full focus can be aimed towards
prioritising an individual’s development. We believe everyone has the
potential to excel in a career of their choice and we are widely interested in
the learner’s start to finish journey.
With our main focus on creating a new generation of highly skilled engineers
for the railway, we can ensure the rail industry is in the best position.
Secure Your
Future Today!
And there you have it… And sometimes they can
everything you need to know be pretty daunting to make.
about starting a career in the However, that’s why we’re
rail industry and more! Of here to support you through
course, you’re going to have your learning journey and here, you’ll be able to pinpoint
a full list of questions and ensure that the right course which courses are near to
that’s absolutely fine. Our options are made available you, appeal to your wants and
expert team is always on hand to you. needs and best position you
to answer any questions or for the career of your choice.
queries that you may have. For more information on
which courses are right for Take the first step towards
We appreciate that any you, we urge you to take a securing your future today
career-based decisions need look at the upcoming open with Rail Futures - we care
a lot of thought behind them. days in our calendar. From about your development.
VI EW A L L COU R S E S
VI EW A L L COU R S E S

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CANDIDATE CAREER TIPS 2021

towards securing your

When looking for a promising and

To combat that, at Rail Futures, we’re

something to suit everybody.

We’re massively invested in personal

only are we here to signpost tailored

10 THE MAIN BENEFITS OF WORKING

Typical Career Paths

Permanent Way Maintenance and

Daily duties could include inspection of the tracks, repairs and

If you enjoy working in an outdoor environment, count

Daily responsibilities vary from each role within different

Every day provides something different, whether you’re

Typical Career Paths

As a Rail Engineer, you’ll build and service the mechanical

This is the perfect role for someone who relishes a predominant

If you’re comfortable working alone and have a passion for

WHO CAN WORK IN

Are There Any So, whether you’re unemployed,

Limitations? a change or want to prepare for

Our signposted training opportunities appeal to a wide range of

No prior experience is required - seems too good to be true

All the experience and knowledge that you need is delivered

Transferable Skills That Can Be

health and safety

The Main Benefits

However, in the rail industry, you can put these

This will help ease your mind, contribute to

Financial Stability A Progressive Skilled

who are rail futures?

With lots of proposed plans in place

We always have our fingers on the

We Uncover Amazing We Put You On Track For

What Sets Us Apart From

Unrivalled Experience and Expertise

Therefore, when looking to pursue a career in one of the many exciting

Our Extensive College and Training

A Pure Dedication in the Future Of Rail

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