Government minister to visit college rail track training facility
Posted: 09 May 2012
FE and Skills Minister John Hayes will meet with rail apprentices at work on the facility.
Rail apprentices at West Nottinghamshire College will discuss the importance of vocational learning with a government minister tomorrow (Thursday 10 May).
John Hayes MP, Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, is visiting the college’s rail track training facility at Beeston, Nottingham, to see how it is benefiting students and employers.
Mr Hayes will meet with rail engineering apprentices gaining work experience on a 140-metre stretch of rail track, which is used to provide them with a realistic working environment before they start employment in the industry.
The facility, which includes training rooms for class-based study, is run by college subsidiary company Vision Apprentices in partnership with Trackwork, specialist railway engineers and a national training organisation to the rail industry, and Bridgeway Consulting, the UK’s leading railway infrastructure and asset management contractor.
The college is one of only three centres in the region that provides this type of training, which is delivered by tutors with vast experience in their field. Courses provided include NVQ Level 2 in Rail Engineering Track Maintenance and Personal Track Safety.
Mr Hayes will also meet with representatives of training provider Trackwork and Bridgeway Consulting, whose Beeston headquarters are home to this specialist training facility.
The visit will be hosted by principal and chief executive Asha Khemka OBE and vice-principal (business development) Graham Howe, who will explain how the college provides high-quality vocational training that combines work experience with theory and practical study, and shapes its curriculum to meet the needs of industry.
Mrs Khemka said: “I am delighted to be welcoming the Further Education Minister to the college’s innovative rail track training facility. We are really proud of the work we do with employers in the industry and look forward to showcasing the high-quality training that enables young people to enjoy rewarding careers in railway engineering.”