London Transport Museum helping kickstart careers in engineering and infrastructure

London Transport Museum is helping young people kickstart their careers in transport, engineering and technology with a free Skills Late event on January 18.

Young people aged 16 to 25 are invited to join the event at the museum in Covent Garden to meet recruiting employers to find out about different job opportunities in engineering, and London's transport and infrastructure industry.

Businesses offering entry-level vacancies, apprenticeships or training opportunities will be on hand to share information and answer questions, including Transport for London (TfL), Microsoft, Sopra Steria, Siemens, ABM, Abellio, Thales GTS and Telent.

The event, titled Skills Late: Talent Transported, runs from 6.45pm to 9.30pm. Tickets are free but places are limited so advance booking is essential.

Evidence suggests the nation’s transport industry and other sectors face major engineering and green skills shortages – particularly as demand for new green skills grows with the UK focused on hitting net zero carbon by 2030. 

This Skills Late aims to break down barriers for young Londoners – including those from a broad range of educational experiences and those underrepresented in these industries – showing them that careers in transport, engineering and technology can be for them. 

The museum says young people entering London’s transport and infrastructure industry will play a key part in shaping a sustainable future for the capital.

Part of the museum’s Enjoyment to Employment programme, the Skills Late is just one of the ways London Transport Museum supports young Londoners to pursue careers in transport and engineering, with a focus on sustainability. 

Each year up to 50 young people also take part in its Route into Work course, which offers up to four days of free employability training, before guaranteeing participants an interview with transport businesses recruiting for current vacancies.

Amber Parmar, who graduated from London Transport Museum’s Route into Work course and secured a TfL Track Engineering Apprenticeship said: “Looking back on my experience, Route into Work staff gave me the confidence to apply for a TfL apprenticeship by helping to shift my perception of what an engineer should be. 

“They taught me that you don’t necessarily need to have studied science and you don’t need to look a certain way.”

Attendees to the Skills Late can sign up to take part in Route into Work in 2024.

Tickets for the Skills Late event can be booked on London Transport Museum’s website: ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on/skills-late