Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Learning & developmentLearning & Skills Councils

Getting rail back on track

by Margaret Kubicek 19 Oct 2004
by Margaret Kubicek 19 Oct 2004

In the ever-expanding network of sector skills councils (SSCs) – a key plank in the Government’s strategy to promote an employer-led approach to skills and vocational training – rail is conspicuous in its absence.

It’s somewhat surprising, given the increased focus and concern over rail that led the Government to outline a radical reform of the network in its White Paper published in July. Lord Cullen, who chaired the Paddington rail crash inquiry, recommended in the paper that the industry should increase its focus on skills and on training its workforce.

However, Christopher Duff, chief executive of the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA), which oversees the SSC network, suggests that rail does not meet the criteria for “strategic and economic significance”.

“Most professions in the rail industry are already well represented by existing and developing SSCs,” he said. “In fact, only around 60,000 people employed in rail are not in a profession covered by another SSC.”

But there have been efforts – dating back well over a year – to establish an SSC for the rail industry, which have failed. Where there was once universal support from industry to establish the Centre for Rail Skills (CfRS) as an aspirant SSC, the two largest industry employers, Network Rail and London Underground, have lost faith in the body.

In an attempt to find a solution, the SSDA is funding a consultant to carry out a review of rail skills. This coincides with the Depart-ment for Transport’s implementation of a White Paper outlining plans to abolish the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) – which was instrumental in setting up the CfRS – and transfer responsibilities to the Government and Network Rail.

But the SSDA’s decision to include the credibility-suffering CfRS and SRA on the steering group for its consultation has provoked controversy. The group should instead be made up of employers with a proven track record on skills, according to Iain Smith, London Underground’s head of engineering and technical skills.

“One of the key outputs of this is an employer-led strategy,” he said. “Why would you not then give employers an actual steer on the consultation process? How else will they have ownership?”

Describing CfRS as having “no understanding of the industry, its needs and no networks”, Smith said London Underground and Network Rail withdrew their membership in frustration – and made more progress on skills in the past year than the previous 10.

For example, some 5,000 London Under-ground staff have achieved Level-2 NVQs in rail operations, in line with government strategy. Network Rail, for its part, is setting up a massive network of training centres, including one for management that would be available to anyone in the industry, and which was commended in the White Paper.

Ian Livsey, managing director of CfRS, insisted the body is “forging ahead” in meeting the needs of its members, including the pursuit of vocational qualifications, and representing the industry to Government.

Asked about the impact of two of the industry’s main players withdrawing support, he said: “The fact of the matter is the CfRS is here delivering what our members feel is a very useful service, or they wouldn’t be members. I’m pursuing the agenda that our members want.”

Nevertheless, the Department for Transport’s White Paper outlines the importance of getting Network Rail on board. It describes it as the “single body within the rail industry with overall responsibility for delivering improved performance, and for providing leadership on issues where there is a need for cross-industry action”.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The SSDA, whose consultation is now underway, with a full report expected early next year, has promised to review the decision not to include Network Rail on the steering group.

To a large extent, the controversy surrounding efforts to take a national approach to rail skills simply reflects the industry’s fragmented, post-privatisation era. But now that the Government has made clear its intention to radically reform how the network is managed, the national skills agenda will have to catch up.

Margaret Kubicek

previous post
Wanted: hands-on religious type
next post
Another week and still more furrows to plough

You may also like

Investing in skills when budgets are tight

12 May 2025

Leading with honest feedback: A responsibility in recruitment

24 Apr 2025

High-level apprenticeship spend doubles in five years

16 Apr 2025

Number of SMEs hiring staff in decline

10 Apr 2025

Gen Z and ‘conscious unbossing’: how can HR...

7 Apr 2025

How to build a commercially-minded workforce

3 Apr 2025

Why the apprenticeship shakeup is good news for...

20 Mar 2025

Scrapping NHS England could affect critical training, warn...

14 Mar 2025

Employee engagement: Growing disconnect between effort and recognition,...

13 Mar 2025

Schneider Electric doubles ex-military green skills scheme

13 Mar 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+