London students get engineering career inspiration on the Elizabeth line

A charity that aims to improve London student’s confidence in maths has held training sessions at the Elizabeth line’s Old Oak Common depot.

Students from Camden’s Heath School, which caters to pupils who have been excluded or ‘managed moved’ from mainstream schools or other settings, were invited to workshops at Alstom’s Old Oak Common train depot.

The weekly sessions introduced maths applications in the rail industry, focusing on engineering principles, problem-solving, and increasing important soft skills such as confidence and communication.

Many students in the sort of alternative provision provided by Heath School do not get the option to study the wide range of subjects that are available in mainstream school, which is why career pathways such as these are so valuable.

Following the sessions, teachers reported significant boosts in students’ maths confidence and engagement, and some of the students are now considering a career in engineering.

The hands-on activities they undertook paralleled tasks that happen at Alstom’s apprenticeship assessment centre; encouraging teamwork and communicating under pressure.

The sessions were organised by Alstom, the Elizabeth line train manufacturer, and the Mayor’s Fund for London, a charity championing opportunities for young Londoners.

Ella Downs, Project Manager at the Mayor’s Fund for London, added: “To see students go from being understandably reserved and cautious at the start, to fully engaging with every activity was amazing. It was as a completely new environment for them, but each student was open to working with the Alstom volunteers and developed their communication and teamwork skills to complete the series of tasks. It was great to see the group learn the process for how train carriages for the Elizabeth Line are made, something they use every week. They engaged with the considerations the engineers make and put the learning into practice with their own designs.”

Launched in September 2023, ‘Numbers @ Work’ is a two-year pilot programme working with young people aged 14-16 who are at risk of exclusion or already studying in alternative provision. Through sessions, hosted in a variety of inspiring workplaces, the programme connects students with volunteer mentors from businesses, giving them the opportunity to discover “real world maths” to build their numeracy skills and self-belief ahead of their GCSEs.