Transport and education experts to advise DfT on how to inspire young people

Transport experts are to join leaders from the further and higher education fields in new advisory group, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced. The Education Advisory Group will discuss best practice in promoting transport through education.

Skills minister John Hayes, who is leading the government’s work to develop infrastructure skills, said he believes that more needs to be done to work effectively with the higher and further education sectors.

“I have been a champion of vocational skills for many years and so I know the importance of engaging young people as early as possible so they can seize every opportunity to craft a career in transport,” said Hayes.  We need to look at the role of schools, further education and higher education institutions in inspiring the next generation, and my new Education Advisory Group will, over the coming months, chart how we can work more effectively together.”

The group will advise on best practice in promoting transport through education, working closely with the Strategic Transport Apprenticeship Taskforce (STAT), which aims to get more talented young people into transport apprenticeships. STAT is chaired by Mike Brown, commissioner of Transport for London.

The Education Advisory Group members

• Prof Mohammed Abdel-Haq, Bolton University
• Yvonne Baker, chief executive of STEM Learning,
• Nick Chambers, chief executive, Education and Employment/Inspiring the Future
• Deirdre Hughes, Research Fellow at Warwick University
• Prof John Perkins, author of The Perkins Review of Engineering
• Valerie Todd, talent and resources director, Crossrail

Education Advisory Group member Valerie Todd of Crossrail is also a member of STAT. She said: “With the ever increasing number of passengers using our railways and roads, and the unprecedented number of infrastructure projects on the horizon, there are more career opportunities for young people in the transport sector than ever before. By bringing together the transport industry and the education sector we can help the next generation build exciting, meaningful and rewarding careers in transport.”

The DfT said that young people will also be at the centre of the Year of Engineering 2018, a cross-government campaign that aims to raise the profile of engineering amongst 7 to 16 year-olds.