Rail Forum has welcomed a new Transport Committee report Engine for Growth: Securing Skills for Transport Manufacturing. The report follows the 2025 inquiry into skills for transport manufacturing undertaken by the Committee and to which Rail Forum responded with written evidence.
Responding to the publication Elaine Clark, Rail Forum CEO, commented:
“Our 400 supply chain members will welcome the Transport Committee’s report into manufacturing skills released today”.
“In particular, the call for greater collaboration across government and with regional mayors to ensure the “British transport manufacturing sector can… make the most of the opportunities presented by the Government’s legislation and policies” as they affect the rail sector. We are also pleased to see the Transport Committee urge the government “to go as far as possible towards supporting public procurement from British manufacturers” (Recommendation, Paragraph 23).
“The call for Skills England to work closely with the manufacturing sector to review current and future skills requirements is also welcome. As new technologies and materials come on-stream at an ever-faster rate this will be essential to ensure greater alignment of technical education with the needs of industry (Recommendation, Paragraph 49).
“Similarly, requiring DfT to annually gather information from manufacturers on the effectiveness of the vocational training system and then share this information with both the Departments for Education and Work and Pensions will help make vocational training more relevant and focused on the fast-evolving needs of the industrial sector. This combined with the suggestion of a mechanism that would enable skilled workers to easily transfer between businesses, whilst minimising the loss of highly trained expertise during any sector specific shortfalls in activity (Recommendation, Paragraph 65 & 66).
“We also support the implicit suggestion that DfT should work with industry to promote manufacturing as a career option, which will not only help to change outdated perceptions but also encourage a greater number of young people into manufacturing, whilst increasing diversity amongst our ageing workforce (Conclusion, Paragraph 72).
“The Rail Forum welcomes this report and encourages the Department for Transport to act on its findings and recommendations.”