The UK rail industry is facing turbulent times as Network Rail’s CP7 brings funding uncertainties, project delays and job losses.
Many skilled professionals are finding themselves at a crossroads, unsure of what the future holds. However, despite these challenges there are proactive steps that rail workers can take to strengthen their career prospects and secure new opportunities during the CP7 turmoil. Here’s how you can put your best foot forward in the face of industry uncertainty.
Upskill and Diversify Your Expertise
The rail sector is evolving, with increasing emphasis on sustainability, digitalisation, and automation. Enhancing your skill set can make you more competitive in the job market, plus when CP7 starts to ramp up you will be able to bring an even broader array of experience to the table. Certain qualifications can help you to stand out against the crowd. Look at courses within rail engineering, digital signalling, or project management (e.g., PRINCE2, PMP, or IRSE licenses).
If you have transferable skills, consider training in related sectors such as civil engineering, construction, so that you can look at roles outside of the rail sector. Also, having expertise in the likes of signalling, automation and data analytics can open doors to roles in tech-driven industries which is beneficial as those skills can also be used if and when you go back into the rail industry.
Expand Your Rail Network
Building strong professional connections can open doors to new job opportunities whilst CP7 is within it's quieter period. There are multiple rail industry events and conferences that you can attend, such as RSN, Rail Live and RIN to name a few. We also recommend that you update your LinkedIn profile making sure that it is detailed and highlights all your key achievements. There are also many rail groups on LinkedIn and Facebook, which will help you to build relationships within the sector.
Consider Freelancing or Contract Roles
We understand that finding work within the rail sector during the CP7 uncertainties might be difficult. However, with long-term projects facing delays, short-term contracts and freelance work can sometimes provide stability while you navigate CP7’s challenges. This will also help you to work on a variety of projects whilst also gaining a diverse range of experience. It can also help to keep your earnings up whilst you wait for permanent opportunities to arise.
Stay Informed About Network Rail CP7 updates
With CP7 causing fluctuations in rail projects, staying up to date on sector news can help you anticipate job openings. Keep an eye on Network Rail’s website for updates on CP7. We also recommend that you keep you in touch with a specialist recruitment agency who have worked within the rail sector for some time. This is because they will be speaking to clients on a daily basis, so will be able to keep you posted with new roles and when there’s progress on CP7.
Maintain a positive mindset
Job uncertainty can be challenging but the industry quickly changes so staying resilient is key. Also bare in mind that this CP7 period is temporary and we are already seeing projects moving forward and progressing. By doing the above key points we are confident that it will help you to put your best foot forward in eventually securing a role. Also, the industry is changing but those who embrace those changes and become adaptable have a better chance of finding new opportunities.
Overall, we starting to see some positive movement for Network Rail's CP7 framework, as more companies are starting to post reassuring statements about securing new projects and work, equalling more job opportunities across the industry.
Looking for a new role within the rail sector?
We have multiple live vacancies within the rail industry in the UK and beyond- explore our latest jobs below.
Have you recently been made redundant and need more advice on how to navigate it?
We have written an article below highlighting the best way to navigate redundancy as we understand that it's a challenging time.
Are you wanting to put your best step forward for your job search with CP7 uncertainty, but don't know where to start?
Below we have listed all the key points of what a LinkedIn profile should contain, which will help you to stand out when applying for jobs.
