Rail Youth Promise
A cross‑industry commitment to improve opportunities for young people aged 16–24, to strengthen the long‑term capability, diversity and sustainability of the rail workforce.
Why the Rail Youth Promise Matters
Nearly one million young people aged 16–24 are currently not in education, employment or training (NEET), and apprenticeship starts for young people have fallen by 40% in the last decade. This is a national challenge requiring coordinated action from government and employers.
The rail industry is well placed to help address this challenge with a nationwide presence, low skill barriers to entry for many roles, and the significant long‑term workforce pressures. Yet young people are underrepresented at only 6.8% of the rail workforce, compared to 12% of the general population.
NSAR’s 2023 Rail Workforce Survey shows that one‑third of the rail workforce is over 50, with more than 75,000 employees expected to retire by 2030, creating substantial replacement demand.
Skills shortages are most pronounced in electrification, digital systems, project management, and engineering disciplines, and only 13.5% of the workforce is under 30—the lowest proportion since NSAR began tracking this data.
Bringing young people into the rail industry is vital for long‑term sustainability: they help fill emerging skills gaps and bring fresh thinking, digital fluency, and new perspectives that drive innovation.
Young talent often accelerates adoption of new technology, improves adaptability, and contributes to a more diverse, future‑ready workforce.
These trends highlight the urgent need to broaden and modernise the industry’s talent pipeline, ensuring rail remains resilient, diverse, and future‑focused.
The Government have announced changes to its Youth Guarantee to create a more integrated offer of support for young people and asking employers to play a vital role in making this happen. This includes the expansion of Youth Employment Hubs to encourage greater engagement with young people; a new national gateway offer for all young people on Universal Credit offering employment support programmes with employers; and additional localised support programmes for the Jobs Guarantee.
Alongside this are reforms to the apprenticeship system aimed at prioritising apprenticeships for young people. It includes the introduction of apprenticeship units on new skills such as AI, and defunds a number of courses currently funded through the Growth and Skills levy including leadership and management programmes. This will require many companies in rail to change their focus for apprenticeships moving forward.
What is the Rail Youth Promise?
The Rail Youth Promise will act as a sector wide charter that focuses on five pillars, providing a framework for employers.
Inspire: Promote rail careers and engage young people in educational establishments.
Hire: Create transparent, fair, and inclusive recruitment pathways.
Learn: Provide high‑quality learning and training opportunities.
Grow: Support progression through mentoring and skills development.
Connect: Connect young people to wider opportunities by reducing travel barriers that limit access to education, training, interviews and early employment.
We want to double the number of young people working in rail to 12% by 2030 to be representative of the national population (noting that by 2034 there will be over 800k more 16-24 year olds than in 2032). Achieving this requires 30% of all new hires to be aged 16-24. We can only achieve this if we work together as an industry to make a step change in the way the industry interacts with young people.
What will be required by joining the Rail Youth Promise?
TOCs, FOCs, RDG, Network Rail, and DfT are invited to become signatories to the Rail Youth Promise. Participation strengthens the future skills pipeline, supports diversity and inclusion, aligns with Youth Guarantee objectives, and ensures rail remains a sector that invests in young people and long‑term workforce sustainability.
Rail employers who sign up to the Rail Youth Promise will be asked to make commitments to achieve the 12% target, and to work towards the five pillars. In return, they will be able to engage with others seeking to do the same in rail, and will have access to evidence based employer best practice from across the sector and from Youth Futures Foundation – the What Works Centre for youth unemployment.
Governance and Accountability
A cross‑industry Steering Group including representatives from DfTO (Rail Unites for Inclusion), Network Rail, train operators, RDG, NSAR, Young Rail Professionals*, was setup and chaired by Ruth Busby to develop, launch and implement the Rail Youth promise. Ruth Busby (People Director at GTR) and Rob Mullen (MD of c2c and founder of Young Rail Professionals) have volunteered to act as Executive Sponsors for the Youth promise.
Express your interest here to be involved in the Rail Youth Promise
*We are continuing to expand members of the steering group to ensure that it is fully representative to include supply chain companies, FOCs, and other operators.