CrossCountry partners with the Prince’s Trust to encourage young people to consider a career in rail

• CrossCountry ran a two-week placement for young people in the Greater Manchester area to gain important career skills  
• It acted as a unique opportunity to see the wide range of career opportunities available in rail 

CrossCountry has partnered with the Prince’s Trust to welcome nine young people to a two-week work placement with the company. The cohort were able to explore the wide range of career opportunities on offer in rail, gaining hands-on experience of what it is like to work in the industry.   

As well as offering an insight into the industry, the placement also enabled them to gain new skills to equip them for the future. They got to visit a working depot as well as a food hygiene course, essential for our onboard teams and with the revenue team as well as understand the role of a Train Manager. The cohort visited a freightliner, attended a recruitment day and went to Ascot Drive to experience CrossCountry simulators. 

CrossCountry’s Regional Director for the West Midlands and the North West, John Robson, presented the cohort with their certificates to mark the completion of their placement at a ceremony in Manchester, attended by several VIPs including Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester.   

Over the past three years, The Prince’s Trust and Greater Manchester Combined Authority have formed a revolutionary partnership to deliver the Future Workforce Fund; a government-funded skills pilot project to tackle the challenges of short- and long-term unemployment faced by the younger generation today. It has allowed businesses such as CrossCountry deliver a programme aimed at developing the personal and social skills of young people, raise their aspirations and fulfil their potential.   

CrossCountry’s Regional Director for the West Midlands and the North West, John Robson, said: “At CrossCountry, we’re keen to attract the next generation of rail workers to our business. As such, we were delighted to welcome nine young people to CrossCountry to experience the many different career options available in rail. During the placement, they gained useful transferable skills for the future, and I really hope that these young people will consider applying for one of the many varied roles within our industry.”  

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “I am so proud of the partnership that Greater Manchester has with The Prince's Trust. We've worked together on the Future Workforce programme and as a result of it, 5000 young people in our city region have moved onto a better opportunity in life.” 

Contact Information

CrossCountry Press Office: [email protected]

About CrossCountry

CrossCountry is a long-distance passenger train operator, with a network stretching from Aberdeen to Penzance and from Stansted to Cardiff and calling at over 100 stations. Based in Birmingham, CrossCountry connects seven of Britain’s 10 largest cities and delivers 240 services every weekday, equating to over 42 million passenger journeys each year.

For further information on CrossCountry services, visit crosscountrytrains.co.uk or visit one of our social media platforms via X @crosscountryuk or Facebook at facebook.com/crosscountrytrains