New rail training programme launched to support former Tata steelworkers into skilled employment

The Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) and Neath Port Talbot Council have launched a new training scheme to help former Tata steelworkers transition into the rail industry. Funded by the UK Government’s Tata Transition Fund, the ‘Access to Rail Engineering Programme’ will retrain 72 individuals at the GCRE site near Onllwyn.

The first group of trainees begins on Monday 7 July. The three-week programme will equip participants with essential rail industry qualifications including Personal Track Safety, Track Induction Training, and a Level 1 NVQ Certificate in Rail Engineering Track Renewals. The initiative plans to train six cohorts of twelve people over the next six months and aims to secure paid employment for all successful participants through partnerships with leading Welsh rail suppliers.

GCRE, supported by both the UK and Welsh Governments, is being developed into a hub for world-class rail research, testing, and innovation. While construction of the main site is ongoing, training will take place on completed rail infrastructure at the location. GCRE will work with training provider Train’d Up to deliver the programme and is encouraging more rail and supply chain employers to participate.

Secretary of State for Wales, Rt. Hon. Jo Stevens MP, said, “Investing in training more than 70 Tata workers so they are ready to take up skilled, well-paid jobs in the rail sector is an example of how money from the Port Talbot / Tata Steel Transition Board is providing the right support for people in the local community.”

Neath Port Talbot Council Leader Cllr Steve Hunt added, “Our Employability team is working to support anyone affected by the changes at Tata Steel and this partnership with GCRE provides, right on our doorstep, a route into a sector with huge demand for skilled workers.”

Simon Jones, Chief Executive of GCRE Ltd, said, “From the very beginning the Global Centre of Rail Excellence has been a project focused on rebuilding local prosperity and creating good quality jobs and skills opportunities.”

Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Evans MS called the programme “good news for the individuals who will benefit and evidence of GCRE’s industrial potential for the future.”

By 2025, there is expected to be a shortage of 3400 skilled rail workers within 90 minutes of the Port Talbot area. Employers or affected individuals are encouraged to contact [email protected].