School students learn job skills from Network Rail, Milton Keynes' biggest employer

Twenty Year 11 students from Lord Grey Academy have joined a Track to the Future programme designed with Network Rail.

The students take part in four sessions, two of which are held at Network Rail’s Quadrant office in Milton Keynes.

The programme, designed by The Talent Foundry, gives the youngsters a unique insight into the work of Network Rail, with mentors from the company supporting them through four interactive sessions,

Students will develop key transferable skills such as innovation and creativity, while also learning about key competencies such as accountability, collaboration and responding to challenging situations, says The Talent Foundry, which is an independent education charity.

Its aim is to increase social mobility by helping young people from disadvantaged backgrounds discover what they are amazing at, develop valuable new employment skills and take that first step into the world of work.

David Smith, assistant Vice Principal at Lord Grey Academy said: “At Lord Grey Academy, we are committed to offering a large variety of activities that centre on providing high quality careers guidance. We provide numerous opportunities throughout the student journey that allows young people to explore different career paths and build their skills. We truly believe that Lord Grey CAN! "

He added: " The Track to the Future programme is a fantastic way to get students to think more about what they want to do in the future and help them achieve their goals. We are excited with this partnership and developing our core character values of our young people: Determination, Ambition, Curiousity, Civility and Integrity.”

Cate Smith, head of programmes at The Talent Foundry said: “Everyone at The Talent Foundry is delighted to be working with Network Rail on the brand-new Track to the Future Programme. I hope this programme inspires lots of students from Lord Grey Academy to consider a career in the rail sector.”

Pratisha Tailor, Resourcing Business Partner, said: “We hope the Track to the Future Programme will be a great success and we are keen to highlight opportunities in the rail industry for all students to consider. I know the volunteers who are working on the programme are really excited to share their expertise and passion for the sector with the participating students.”