We had also been looking ahead to how we could help them solve the industry-wide challenge of a skills shortage as the country came out of recession – which became particularly relevant in 2015 when they needed 160 additional engineering contractors on-site in Derby to meet the needs of a number of high-profile contracts.

It was clear that there were not enough people with the required skills sets in the market, and we were asked to come up with a solution.

We decided to utilise semi-skilled engineers and provide them with client-specific competency-based training. By creating a series of engineering-based assessments and recruitment processes to find people with similar skills sets, we were able to tap into previously unexplored talent pools and found some great people.

We then teamed up with our long-term training partner to create and develop Alstom-specific programmes that would ensure workers had the precise skills needed to do their jobs.

We screened over 250 candidates over a three-month recruitment process which involved face-to-face interviews and trade tests as well as numeracy and literacy assessments and placed the required 160, including 87 who were semi-skilled engineers with no rail rolling stock experience but who had the right attitude and core skills.

Not only did this ensure the headcount requirement was met, it also provided significant financial savings without any disruption to the build programme or quality.

Alstom selected training modules that trained and assessed their workers in four key competencies covering electrical verification, earth bonding, hock bolt and torque tightening and testing – so we organised a bespoke training programme to deliver an industry-recognised qualification that is tailored to Alstom’s requirements.

Through our training relationship, we've managed to secure funding for the course, which has obviously also reduced costs.

The net result is that we deliver workers to Alstom on day one, with the right skills and training to do the job.