A key priority this month is the Rail Workforce Survey 2025, which we launched last week for submissions. I strongly encourage all our members to participate and submit your workforce data. The Survey’s quality and the industry’s engagement have gone from strength to strength in recent years, providing invaluable insights into the UK rail skills landscape. This data is used by both industry and government to understand the current environment and inform effective workforce planning. The value of the Survey lies directly in the comprehensiveness of the data we receive, so please get involved.
I also want to thank everyone who contributed to the consultation process for our refreshed NSAR strategy. Your feedback has been instrumental in shaping our future direction. This refreshed strategy will guide our work in supporting the industry understand and effectively meet its skills needs. We will be launching an outline of the strategy later this month, so please keep an eye out to see how our efforts will align with your organisation’s efforts to build a skilled workforce.
Last month, I was glad to have the opportunity to brief Laura Shoaf, the newly appointed Chair of the SGBR, on the excellent work being done across the industry in skilling and upskilling our workforce, and the potential that lies ahead. NSAR also contributed to the government’s Railway for the Future consultation – read more about our submission here. Thank you to all our members who provided input to this process; your insights were immensely helpful in shaping our response.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge the excellent progress being made by Barry Smith and the apprenticeships team on refreshing apprenticeship standards. Their work is vital for ensuring apprenticeships remain relevant and effective in meeting the evolving needs of the rail industry. Well done to NSAR members and everyone involved in this process for taking the time to get it right.