Careers in Rail – What Can it Offer? By Duncan Freer At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

In spite of the pressure placed on businesses across the country by the current ‘credit crunch’, the UK’s rail industry seems to be enjoying a renaissance that will define it as one of the major rail industries in Europe, if not, the world. The government is continuing to invest huge sums into the improvement of existing rail networks and is dedicated to providing a ‘greener’ service by the year 2014, aiming to bring carbon emissions down to an absolute minimum, whilst looking at factors such as trackside biodiversity, reduced intrusion on communities and their landscapes, air quality, noise and vibration levels. There is even research into rainwater harvesting and the use of photovoltaic cells to generate electricity from the sun’s rays.

The increase in fuel prices is doing what the government could not and is turning people to the trains for transport to and from work. In addition, with a larger portion of Britons deciding to holiday at home, there is a steady increase in rail use for holiday travel. The UK’s rail industry appears to be an impressively sustainable form as transport, one of which that has a major impact on the nation’s economy. As well as transporting commuters and holiday-makers, it also devotes a significant portion of its services to freight and industrial transport. Major international operators look to the UK’s rail industry for guidance for rail structure and expertise on minimising the environmental impact of such a vast and efficient system.

As the rail industry strives to meet public and legislative demands, the demands of its staff grow with it. As the service grows more varied, so too do the types of rail vacancies; as well as the more traditional rail jobs on the market, such as engineering posts, planners, electricians, schedulers and IT operatives, there are now posts surfacing for jobs such as research scientists, environmental specialists, technical strategists and technological consultants.

These jobs offer opportunities for skilled workers already in the industry, as well as newly-qualified graduates. Compared to most other industries of this size, staff turnovers are relatively low, with management preferring to allow jobs to evolve with the system, but its continued expansion means that the opportunities for new recruits in all aspects of the rail industry are consistently significant.

Another aspect of the rail industry’s size is the location of jobs for employees. With over 100 of the UK’s networks having been privatised, there are rail jobs available right across the country, from regional head offices and stations to travelling engineers and technical experts. Obviously the capital employs a vast section of the country’s workforce, but the quantity and quality of jobs to be found in the rail industry across the UK does seem to fly in the face of the predicted recession. In addition, wages seem to remain unaffected by the current economic climate – perhaps reflecting the industry’s potential as a lifeline to commuters and commercial goods during hard times.

Finding the right job in the rail industry requires a little acumen, as there are a vast number of posts available, many of which are not immediately obvious to those seeking work in this remarkably resilient industry. In this case, it is worth seeking advice from recruitment consultants to ensure that your skills and qualifications are considered by the right people.

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