VolkerRail young professionals help break ground at Doncaster's National College for High Speed Rail
The National College for High Speed Rail took a significant step forward Monday, as construction officially began on its two sites in Doncaster and Birmingham.
Invited to the ground breaking ceremony at Doncaster, by the College Chair, Terry Morgan, four of VolkerRail’s young professionals helped mark the event by sharing their own training experiences.
VolkerRail’s head of engineering, Jack Pendle, was involved in the bid preparation phase of the college and is now involved in developing the college’s curriculum. Commenting on the college Jack said: “this is a fantastic opportunity for the Doncaster region to continue with an unrivalled heritage in developing world class railway engineers. VolkerRail and I are proud to have been involved and look forward to continued involvement in this flagship college for high speed rail.”
The college will equip thousands of students with the highly technical engineering skills required to build, operate and maintain a railway, including a strong emphasis on practical and virtual learning. It will be open to a wide range of people including new entrants, existing workforce, students studying for a foundation degree in rail engineering, access students, mature entrants, higher apprentice rail engineering students, progression from L3 diploma rail engineering, continuous professional development and career changers.
Minister of State for Transport Robert Goodwill, said: “This landmark moment means we are one step closer to seeing students walk through the doors of the college in 2017, learning the cutting-edge skills we need to deliver HS2 and world-beating rail infrastructure.”
Terry Morgan, Chair of the Corporate Board for the National College for High Speed Rail, said: “The National College for High Speed Rail is progressing at an excellent pace and I am delighted that construction is underway on both sites in Doncaster and Birmingham. It was great to have VolkerRail’s apprentices and graduates there today to mark the occasion.”
Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, said: “It is fantastic to see construction starting on the National College for High Speed Rail, a very significant project for both the UK and the future of Doncaster and our young people. Rail is in our blood in Doncaster and VolkerRail has been a major part of the towns proven track record of delivering world-class engineering and infrastructure projects; making us the perfect location for the college.”
