b'6 Partner News Winter 2022IET updatesCollaborating with our Corporate PartnersNetwork Rail began partnering with the IETAfter its success with the IET Faraday as part of its delivery of early engagementChallenge Days season, Network Rail then outreach programmes, which feeds into theWe talked to several industrypartnered with the IET on the FIRST LEGO strategic workforce planning. This involvesLeague. This was specifically chosen as a way identifying and responding to future skillspartners who all spoke veryfor the organisation to reach out to primary gaps that could impact the organisation highly of the IET and its schools; but the whole competition really one of which is engineering.programmes, which reallyticked a lot of boxes for us, Amit notes. We know theres a huge skills gap inencouraged us to partnerWhy industry partnerships are so engineering, one that unless we doimportant to the IET Futures Fund something now, is likely to grow in the futurewith them. Industry partnerships and funding are hugely along with the demand for engineers andimportant to the IET Futures Fund. This is technologists, says Amit Kotecha, Seniorbecause, as Amit points out, a lot of work Campaigns Manager within Network Railsgoes into these national STEM programmes.central HR team. Theres a huge cost behind delivering these Part of my role is to recruit for our futureprogrammes and producing the related talent pipeline by inspiring young peopleresources. Without industry support the IET to take up STEM through engagementassist Network Rail in managing an aspect ofwouldnt be able to do what it does right programmes, and engineering is a key streamincreased passenger use on its stations.now. within this programme of work. Over the period of a day, teams of pupils hadThats why its so important for organisations Funding IET programmes and eventsto demonstrate they had the engineeringlike ours to partner with the IET and we will Amit was drawn to the IET when he beganskills required to engineer and construct adefinitely continue to do so. If your business looking for delivery partners with well- working prototype of their design and pitchis looking to inspire the next generation established engagement programmes.their products to the judges. and promote your industry then the IET has got fantastic platforms for industry to get We talked to several industry partnersHaving delivered one programme with theinvolved in and support. who all spoke very highly of the IET and itsIET we saw how successful it was and the programmes, which really encouraged us tobenefits of funding such events, Amit says.Just think of the impact the organisation partner with them, he says. It enabled us to actually get into the schoolscould have if it was able to really scale themselvessomething we couldnt doup thanks to more support from industry Since then, the railway company haswithout an education delivery partner.partners!partnered with the IET by funding and engaging in IET Faraday Challenge Days andImproving visibility, reach and impactthe FIRST LEGO League. What this means for Network Rail is that our role models can take part in these One of the big things for us is reach andprogrammes, enabling us to make a real impact, and the IET works really well for usimpact by gaining that visibility with young as it has great programmes, and connectionspeople. They get to talk to them about and relationships with schools all across thethe different careers at Network Rail and country. the variety of projects that we work on, something thats really important for us.Amit first worked with the IET on the 2020/21 season of IET Faraday ChallengeThis kind of outreach work is also about Days. As theme partner for the season,changing perceptions: getting kids to see the company created a bespoke challengethat Network Rail is about so much more for participants, which in this case was tothan driving trains and fixing tracks.'