Matthew Wright, Group Operations Director of NIS Group, outlines ambitious plans to expand the reach of its Transport, Rail and Infrastructure Academy (TRIA) network.

Five years on from launching NIS Group and our hugely successful partnership with the City of Wolverhampton College, we felt the time was right to make our biggest investment to date.

The specialist rail track and training facility we installed at the Bilston campus had become an industry blueprint on how to get people involved in rail, whilst also offering existing workers access to more advanced training, specifically around HS2.

However, we had to do more, as demand was outstripping capacity. Employers and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) were testing the water on how we could create similar specialist sites in other places across the region.

As many of you know, we like a challenge at NIS Group, especially if it means giving more people the opportunity to gain skills and long-term employment.

We hatched a masterplan that created the Transport, Rail and Infrastructure Academy (TRIA), a new overarching brand that will provide the framework for the creation and rollout of additional sites…first at BCIMO in Dudley, then in Aston and Coventry.

They all share similar characteristics to Bilston, most notably employer-led training courses and access to industry-specific equipment and tracks. In total we put aside nearly £1 million to make it happen and, nearly twelve months on, we can provide several positive updates.

Track ready

Our Dudley site boasts more than 2000 metres of conventional rail track, including two split-level platforms, an 870-metre tunnel and a Signalling Academy to give students hands-on training in multiple disciplines across the industry whilst enhancing their learning experience by working with the same equipment used on rail and construction sites.

External construction work at BCIMO has really gathered pace over the last few months. It has been a real collaborative effort from our experienced team, who have been joined by four NIS Group learners – Caleb, Jerome and Dan helping to ‘clip up and stone up’, whilst 18-year-old Sol Jacobs has been overseeing activities as Team Leader.

Our young people thrive on being given opportunities and the confidence to apply what they are learning to ‘live’ projects that will eventually help other learners to progress.

Geographic expansion

Two of our latest TRIAs fall in the south of the region, with Coventry starting to take shape with classrooms complete and a dedicated ‘digger and dumper’ training space now open nearby to cater for a surge in demand for more skills in civils.

This represents our desire to diversify into other areas of training that employers are telling us they need help with and where there is currently a lack of provision. We have listened and invested in both the space, the equipment, but, most of all, the experts who will impart their knowledge.

Just 19 miles up the M6 and we have taken ownership of our Aston training site on the Urban Express Park.

Refurbishment work has begun in earnest and will see the build of an additional classroom, break-out areas for learners/staff and a dedicated medical room. They are the final touches to meet the exacting standards of Network Rail and will ensure we can deliver approved medicals.

It is the final touches to the Aston Centre, which also boasts two rail tracks to support practical training and a specialist slab track that has been put down with the help of Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group to cater for HS2 courses.

We’re looking to provide more in-depth training opportunities for learners from Birmingham and surrounding areas and the latest works will help achieve that.

Just the start

In 2023, NIS Group trained more than 5,000 people and we have worked tirelessly to secure an 82 per cent success rate in helping individuals take their first step into sustainable careers – an industry-leading performance.

The expansion of TRIA into new geographic areas will hopefully see both these figures grow, as we urgently help to bridge the skills gap in rail, construction and civils.

 

TALAT NAHEED

Talat took part in the Gateway to Rail course at the TRIA facility at the City of Wolverhampton College in partnership with the WMCA.

‘I was a primary school teacher back in my country, so this is a big career change for me. I can honestly say I have loved every second of it. As the only woman in the class, when I first walked in, I felt a bit embarrassed because I’d never been in a situation where I was the only female in a group.

‘I want to spread awareness and encourage women who might be too shy or lacking in confidence to get on the rail.’

 

ELLIOT PEEL

After losing his way on his career path, Elliot from Chelmsley Wood found himself on the Gateway to Rail course at the TRIA facility at City of Wolverhampton College.

‘When I first left college, I pursued a career in engineering but after a few years I realised it wasn’t for me. My stepdad did a railway course years ago and he always talked about the endless opportunities within that industry.

‘The class has been wicked. Not only do you come out with qualifications but also with new friends. Being dyslexic, I was nervous about potentially struggling to keep up. But when I told my tutor Julian, he was really understanding and always checked up on me to see how I’m doing.

‘I’ll certainly recommend the course to others. It’s important to take this great opportunity and remember it’s never too late to learn a new skill. Work hard and you’ll see the results in the end.

I have definitely become more confident, and I do believe this is thanks to my tutor Julian for building me up to believe in myself.’

 

MATTHEW WRIGHT is Group Operations Director of NIS Group