By ashleykaren
Courses offered by the City of Wolverhampton College to deliver people the skills required to build a career in the rail and infrastructure sectors are arranged to be extended with the opening of an extra training site in Dudley.
The college and National Infrastructure Solutions (NIS), its infrastructure training partner, has taken over space at the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organization (BCIMO)’s Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre in Zoological Drive, allowing it to train more local people to meet the demand for skilled operatives to work on the construction and maintenance of train lines, tram routes and stations across the region.
The site boasts over 2000 meters of conventional rail track, comprising two split-level platforms, an 870m tunnel, and signaling components to deliver students hands-on training in multiple disciplines across the industry and improve their learning experience by working with the exact equipment used on rail construction sites.
Moreover, the brand-new Signaling Academy opening will further support the industry by managing the skills gap in signaling specialization and making extra career pathways for local people.
Rail training courses are available for newcomers to the sector, plus those already working in the industry who want to upskill and develop their knowledge further.
In addition, the center will offer free programs to people who are registered as unemployed via a sector-based work academy programme (SWAP).
The six-week plan will offer pre-employment training, on-site work experience, and an assured job interview with an industry employer looking to recruit new staff.
Courses will be financed by West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and provided by NIS – a leading training provider in the rail, civil engineering, and utility industries – which already delivers training at the college’s current rail training centre at the Wellington Road campus, in Bilston.
Details of rail training courses offered by the college are available here.
