Bridging the engineering skills gap

Amber Train offers traineeships and apprenticeships to those just out of education or towards the end of prison sentences. Trainees are equipped to work on the tracks for Network Rail’s sub-contractors and are trained to achieve City and Guilds qualifications.

Stephen Tetlow MBE, Chief Executive of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, commented, “This is a very exciting move for the institution. Amber Train is not only equipping people to pursue valuable, worthwhile careers, but is providing much needed skills for the UK rail sector.

“This move will allow us to build on the company’s hugely impressive work, expanding not into the rail industry but also into other engineering sectors where there are critical shortages. It will also allow Amber Train to benefit from the huge resources and network of the institution and its membership.

“This is the institution taking action to help plug the UK engineering skills shortage and provide more opportunities for those aspiring to become professional technicians and engineers.”

Martyn Butler, Managing Director of Amber Train added, “I’m looking forward to working with the institution on this new chapter for Amber Train. I’m confident that we will be able to offer yet more opportunities for budding engineers and technicians.”

Once Amber Train trainees have completed an initial training programme, they are placed with an employer and supported until completion of an NVQ Level 2 apprenticeship.

Amber Train’s headquarters are in Retford, Nottinghamshire, however, the company has activities around England at a combination of training centres on heritage railway sites which provide the practical training environment, and prison education units, which include training centres and railway structures.

Amber Train will be the most recent acquisition by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, which has been rapidly expanding its training and learning development activities.