Our partner Railway Study Network (RSN) recently hosted their second ‘Fireside Chat’ last week, kindly hosted by Eversheds Sutherland. I had the honour of interviewing Laura Shoaf CBE, Chair of Shadow Great British Railway and Shamit Gaiger OBE, Managing Director of West Coast Partnership Development. This relaxed evening invited discussion from members across the rail industry and supply chain about the future of rail and what it will entail.
As rail goes through an unprecedented level of change with the formation GBR and development of the high speed railways, concerns about innovation and meeting the demands of passengers as we navigate this new landscape were the focus of this enlightening evening. Read the full write-up of this event and the valuable insights it revealed here.
As part of this innovation in rail, digital strategies are increasingly falling behind the demand of AI and data improvements within the sector. As we announced last month, NSAR has joined forces with GBRX to create a ground-breaking apprenticeship programme designed to support both entry-level and upskilling pathways across the sector, with a strong focus on applied learning and rotation across industry.
More information about these apprenticeships will be released later this autumn, so make sure to keep an eye out. If you have any questions in the meantime or would like to discuss your interest in the programme, please get in touch now.
Recent feedback from the Assured Provider community has wanted the RTAS Rules & Standards QA Assurance Visit process, the questions asked and how the grades are determined to become more transparent. NSAR has been diligently working to address these and can now announce some of the exciting changes that are soon to come to these processes. Please contact us to find out more and have your say on the way these systems are run.
Lastly, the recent cabinet reshuffle could signal some substantial changes to both the administration and direction of skills policy. Please look out for an email soon detailing these changes in more detail, along with what it could mean for the future of the rail sector.Â