Avanti West Coast launches new initiative to inspire young people to take up a career in rail

• Feel Good Futures teaches young people about the railway and career opportunities
• Heath School from Runcorn visited a train maintenance depot on inaugural trip
• Programme will run for a year, building on award-winning Feel Good Field Trips

Avanti West Coast has launched a new school trip programme to educate young people about the railway and the career opportunities within the industry.

Feel Good Futures provides local school students aged between 14 and 18 with unique learning opportunities that may otherwise be inaccessible to them.

Each trip is focused on highlighting the role of science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) in rail, as well as showcasing the diverse career opportunities available in the industry.

Set to run for a year, the initiative builds on Avanti West Coast’s award-winning Feel Good Field Trips. This scheme saw over 5,000 school children, aged between four and 18, taken on immersive and enriching learning opportunities.

These field trips were organised and run by Community Rail Lancashire’s Rail Officer David Savage, who is now leading the Feel Good Futures initiative.

It also coincides with the industry’s Railway 200 celebrations, marking two centuries of the modern railway by educating future generations about how it shaped the UK.

For the first trip, Year 10 pupils from The Heath School in Runcorn joined David, with colleagues from Avanti West Coast and maintenance provider Alstom, for a visit to Liverpool Traincare Centre in Edge Hill. The pupils learned first-hand from a team of experts about what it is like to work at a train depot and how the intercity operator maintains its Class 390 Pendolino fleet.

Speaking about the new project, former geography teacher, David said: “I am delighted to once again be working with Avanti West Coast to deliver a new project that inspires young people to consider careers in the rail industry. Feel Good Futures is all about opening their eyes to the incredible range of opportunities available from engineering and technology to customer service and sustainability. Many of these students wouldn’t normally get access to this kind of experience, so it’s fantastic to offer them a behind the scenes look at how the railway works and to spark ideas for their own future paths.”

Dean Duthie, Engineering and Infrastructure Director at Avanti West Coast said: “Building on the success of Feel Good Field Trips, we are delighted to once again partner with David Savage and Community Rail Lancashire on an exciting new initiative, this time aimed at those in their later years of education who are seeking inspiration for when they embark on their career path. These young people are the next workforce generation, and Feel Good Futures is a fantastic way for them to learn what our exciting industry has to offer.”

“It was a pleasure to arrange a visit for The Heath School to Edge Hill Depot, where the pupils were able to learn about different engineering roles and see all the hard work that goes into ensuring our trains are maintained thoroughly.”

Craig Milne, a teacher from The Heath School who attended the trip, said: “It was a fantastic opportunity to see engineering in the workplace. It had a resonating effect on our students following their work experience. It was a real motivator for the students attending as they can now see what can be possible after school, college and university.”

“The attending students were able to identify where engineering drawings had been used and why as well as seeing materials chosen and used for a specific purpose. A very fulfilling visit for both staff and students.”

Gaynor Stewart, Head of Customer Service Delivery at Alstom, said: “At Alstom, we believe in the power of early engagement to shape the future of rail. Feel Good Futures is a brilliant opportunity to open young minds to the dynamic world of rail engineering and operations. It was a pleasure to welcome students to our Liverpool Traincare Depot and showcase the passion and precision that go into maintaining Avanti West Coast's Alstom-built Pendolino fleet. We hope this experience inspires the next generation to consider a career in rail.”

ENDS