ROUND-UP MAY 2019
In Depth 700
Fast facts: Siemens’ Goole factory
skilled jobs
set to be
created
£200m
of investment
potential at
the factory
271,000
size of the
site in square
metres
Plans submitted for new £200
million train factory in Goole
Siemens Mobility Limited has
formally submitted an outline
planning application to develop a
new rail manufacturing site in Goole,
East Yorkshire.
The submission is a major milestone
towards establishing a £200m facility to
manufacture and commission stateof
the-art trains for the expanding UK
market. Plans for the project were first
unveiled in 2018.
The application has been submitted
to East Riding of Yorkshire Council for
the development of a 271,000m2 site
close to Junction 36 of the M62.
As part of the project, Siemens
Mobility is planning to create up to
700 jobs and a further 250 during the
construction period, with an additional
1,700 potential UK supply chain roles.
The application is for outline consent
to enable the development to be delivered
in phases, with the first phase of the
manufacturing facilities expected to open
in 2023 ahead of full operation in 2025.
“This is a major step forward for
our plans,” said Will Wilson, managing
director of rolling stock at Siemens
Mobility Limited. “With digitalisation we
can help make trains and infrastructure
intelligent and reaching this milestone
furthers our vision to create a
sustainable, long-term and technically
advanced facility that is an asset to the
UK. It’s the result of positive dialogue
with the local authority, statutory
bodies and other stakeholders, including
community representatives.”
Siemens
In addition to the new manufacturing
facilities, Siemens Mobility’s UK rolling
stock engineering and commissioning
team will be based at the Goole site. The
company also plans to locate its Digital
Operations Centre on-site, to collect and
analyse train-borne data for operators,
strengthening Siemens Mobility’s
position as the leading, most innovative
and technologically advanced supplier
to the UK rail industry.
Last November, Siemens Mobility
signed a £1.5bn contract to design and
build the next generation of rolling
stock for the Piccadilly Line on the
London Underground.
Following this contract award, the
Siemens Mobility Limited localisation
team, charged with delivering the Goole
development, established an office
in East Yorkshire, with recruitment
underway for key project roles.
Make UK gives T-Level
awareness warning
Almost two-thirds of manufacturers are
unaware of the government’s new
T-Level qualifications, according to a
new survey by Make UK.
The survey was conducted at the same
time that UK manufacturers have urged
the government to work more closely
with business on new reforms to
technical education, or risk repeating the
same mistakes that were made during the
introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy.
T-Levels are due to be introduced
in the engineering and manufacturing
industries in 2022, with the aim of
placing technical qualifications as an
equivalent to A-Levels. The aim is to
simplify the landscape for vocational
qualifications and provide a route into
skilled employment after two years of
study. They will be made up of five
key elements and include mandatory
work placements.
However, the Make UK survey found
that almost two-thirds of companies
(65%) hadn’t heard of them, whilst a
quarter (28%) had heard of them but with
only limited knowledge. Furthermore,
two-fifths of companies are unaware of
what is required of them when it comes
to providing work placements.
“The introduction of T-Levels is another
fundamental change to our education
system, which has been subject to
constant chop and change, often leaving
employers bemused,” said Verity Davidge,
head of education & skills policy at Make
UK. “Currently, there is a worrying lack of
awareness amongst industry with low
levels of knowledge even amongst those
who have heard of them.
“To avoid a sense of déjà vu with the
introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy,
which was rushed in without proper
consultation, government must continue
to work more closely with business
groups to boost significantly awareness
throughout industry. The programme is
at risk of failing if employers aren’t aware
or on board, particularly when it comes
to offering mandatory work placements.”
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