EMBS Talent Group, a specialist engineering & technology recruitment business with 23 years of experience across the Transportation, Energy and Defence sectors, today announced it has joined Rail Forum and is bringing its new Recruit. Train. Deploy service to the rail supply chain.
Derby sits at the heart of the UK’s rail industry, home to one of the world’s largest clusters of rail related businesses and, following its recent selection as the headquarters of Great British Railways, set to remain central to the sector for years to come. Rail Forum’s members, drawn from across the UK supply chain, share a challenge familiar to engineering employers everywhere: finding skilled personnel quickly, and getting them genuinely productive once they arrive on site.
Recruit. Train. Deploy. combines specialist recruitment with bespoke, intensive training that upskills people who are already qualified and skilled. Depending on the role and client requirements, training can focus on mechanical, electrical or welding competencies, with each pathway tailored to the relevant skills, program and site requirements, including health and safety. These pathways typically involve 70–130 hours of training. AI for engineering leaders, a separate program of around 30 hours, is relevant to applicable professional engineering and leadership roles; it is not required for every candidate.
The training is designed around the client’s requirements and may form part of a candidate’s initial onboarding and first weeks on the job. Where applicable, apprenticeship levy funding may be used; eligibility and funding arrangements are confirmed with each employer.
James Wall, Group Director and Co-owner of EMBS Talent Group said:
“Rail Forum members understand better than most what it takes to build a skilled, reliable workforce in this industry.
“We have been part of the UK rail industry story for a long time, and joining Rail Forum lets us work even more closely with the businesses that make up this supply chain. Recruit. Train. Deploy exists to solve a problem I know Rail Forum members face on almost every hire: getting people genuinely job ready, without adding cost or delay.”
Recruit. Train. Deploy builds on results already proven by EMBS Talent Group’s training partner. A bespoke programme, designed around a Tier 1 rail supplier’s own shop floor, helped the business double its workforce in six months without raising wages. Attrition fell from over 50 percent to under 20 percent, and right first-time quality rose from 78 percent to over 90 percent. The programme ran for more than a decade and trained around 900 people.
Harry Machell, Talent Partner for Engineering and Transport at EMBS Talent Group said:
“I work with rail and bus employers across the UK every week, and the same problem comes up on almost every role.
“A candidate gets placed, but it can be weeks before they are actually adding value on site. Recruit. Train. Deploy changes that.
“A clear training and onboarding offer can help employers attract candidates. Recruit. Train. Deploy. brings recruitment and role-specific development together, helping clients support skilled people as they get established in the job.”
EMBS Talent Group is now inviting Rail Forum member companies to take part in early pilot programmes, with bespoke training designed around each business’s specific site, processes and skills requirements.