Newcastle College Rail and Civil Engineering Academy was host to some of the biggest organisations in the rail industry last week, including Permaquip, McCullock and Pandrol.
The Academy held a Rail and Civil Exposition Day, organised by the professional institution for railway infrastructure engineers, the PWI, which provided an opportunity for all rail and civil engineering students at Newcastle College to meet with industry professionals and see some of the latest technology being introduced across the globe.
Event organiser and Vice President of the PWI, Phil Kirkland, said: “The aim of this event is to inspire the younger generation of railway engineers to open their eyes to the latest technologies within our industry. We wanted to give these future engineers a true hands-on learning experience, so we invited some of the biggest players in the industry to demonstrate their products and answer any questions the students have. It was a fantastic day, and I was very impressed with the students’ questions and the level of involvement.”
Permaquip Product and Service Development Manager, Richard Cradock added: “It is very important to engage the next generation of Engineers in our industry. Through these events we can point students to a path of a rewarding career within the rail industry. I’ve been very impressed with some of the students I’ve met this morning, and I’m looking forward to seeing where their careers take them.”
Level 3 Rail Engineering student Joss Webb added: “Industry days are so important for students as it is a time where we can be exposed to different employers within the rail and civil industries. I especially enjoyed meeting with employees from Network Rail, Nexus with their Unimog (RRV) and Cross Country.”
Newcastle College has worked closely with the PWI for the last five years. Members of the PWI board regularly advise colleagues at the Rail and Civil Engineering Academy on issues from curriculum to equipment and PPE, as well as organising monthly technical presentations, and providing a wide variety of guest speakers and work experience opportunities.
The partnership provides students with all the professional, technical information they need to go straight into a role in industry upon completion of their course.
Newcastle College’s Rail and Civil Engineering Academy is a one-of-a-kind training facility in Felling, Gateshead, renowned for delivering true to life training for the rail and civil engineering sectors.
Find out more about the Newcastle College Rail and Civil Engineering Academy