Network rail took over the running of the British railway system in 2002 with the aim of providing a safe, reliable and efficient railway.
The challenges in running the rail network are huge. We employ nearly 35,000 staff dedicated to improving every aspect of the railway which includes 20,000 miles of track, 32,000 bridges and tunnels, and 17 major stations.
Demands on the rail network are increasing, in the past year there were more than 1.3 billion journeys made across the network, more than at any point since the 1920s when the network was twice the size. To meet increased demand we have provided a million more trains compared to just 5 years ago. However with the latest predictions showing that customer journeys will increase by 140% over the next 30 years, there is still much more to do.
Over the next two years we are forecasting to spend £7bn on infrastructure projects that will provide faster, more frequent and more reliable journeys. This investment will benefit the economy by stimulating private sector growth, help us introduce new technologies and invest in our workforce...
Our employees are fundamental to the future development of the network; we need to ensure they have the skills and competencies to meet the business objectives. In order to do this we searched for a training provider who was recognised within the industry and has a reputation and brand that matched our own.
We approached the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). As a recognised and trusted brand we were confident that they could provide us with learning solutions that would develop the skills we needed to meet the challenges that lay ahead.
After a consultation period it was clear a 'one size fits all' strategy would not fulfil our needs. Utilising the training portfolio of courses and learning methods, RICS presented a mixture of technical, management and business skills courses tailored to our specific requirements.
RICS met our brief, within budget and with sensitivity to levels of proficiency and individual needs. They did this by utilising various training platforms such as the Online Academy and tailored face-to-face courses that are held at our offices.
As an early adopter and supporter of the Online Academy, we thought it was important that our employees had a platform to access courses on demand. RICS' e-learning provides concise and easy to access courses, while Web Classes, hosted by leading industry figures, provides valuable insight into the industry. RICS also provides distance learning which supports employees with their professional development, at a time and pace that suites them.
As a result of working closely with RICS, we have implemented methodology from the training courses, to improve the engagement and understanding of employees and meet business objectives. We have identified and created new initiatives and seen our employee proficiency levels mature.
We are excited about the challenges that lay ahead and are confident we can deliver them with the support of RICS.