TRACK TO THE FUTURE: INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF RAIL LEADERS
In late 2024, ARL kicked off the Track to the Future programme in partnership with Talent Foundry, aiming to inspire students from underserved communities and engage them in meaningful conversations about careers in rail. ARL’s Revenue Protection and ESG teams collaborated to launch this initiative to address key issues like antisocial behaviour and ticketless travel among young people.
Focusing on Edmonton County School, which is located near stations with high rates of trespassing and antisocial behaviour—such as Edmonton Green and Bush Hill Park—Track to the Future provided a proactive approach to tackling these issues. Through four interactive sessions with volunteers from ARL, students learnt about the wide range of career opportunities within the rail industry while working on competitive group projects that involved creating a business plan for improving Arriva's rail services alignment with Arriva's objectives.
"We wanted to go outside the box. Students had not considered rail as an option. These workshops inspire students and help build their confidence. Employee engagement is essential to show them diverse career paths."
The group projects were led by Talent Foundry and the school's career counsellor, while ARL colleagues worked with 20 students in the programme to share their expertise and insights to help them with their business plans. This was an excellent opportunity for ARL to build a relationship with the school and the community in Edmonton, as it allowed young people to reflect on how their actions can impact their futures and the community around them.
"It’s great to explore jobs we wouldn’t have thought about. It helps us understand the opportunities available to us in the future."
In the programme’s final session, students presented their projects to ARL’s executive team in hopes of winning the competition. The winning team, SafeStation, tackled the important issue of reducing incidents of sexual harassment on the railway, particularly for women and girls. Their slogan, "Stop the violence, not her journey," summed up the team’s dedication to creating a safer and more inclusive environment for all passengers.
The project proposed a multi-pronged solution to address this issue, including a button for passengers to alert staff in case of emergency, a safe word for discreet texting, and increased staffing and policing. They also recommended recruiting a more diverse workforce, especially women and people of colour, to improve trust in the service. Their project aligned with Arriva's people-centred rail objective, focusing on inclusivity and addressing harassment.
This collaboration is a testament to ARL’s ongoing commitment to promoting social mobility and supporting the communities in which we operate. Through Track to the Future, we are addressing antisocial behaviour and offering career inspiration to the youth, making a lasting impact on both students and the wider community.
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