Network Rail
NEET Films
As part of a major rail industry leadership initiative, Floating Harbour was commissioned to produce a series of documentary-style films aimed at improving the employment prospects of individuals from NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training) backgrounds. The project’s mission was to challenge industry stigmas and demonstrate the immense professional value that individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds bring to the rail sector.
Hitting the 'Heart and Head' of the Industry
Our production focused on a "heart and head" strategy to persuade senior executives from across Network Rail, GBR, and Siemens. By "hero-ing" colleagues who transitioned from NEET backgrounds into successful railway careers via the King’s Trust, we captured powerful, first-person narratives that illustrate the personal and professional journey from uncertainty to industry leadership.These films go beyond individual success stories; they address the strategic "head" of the argument by highlighting social value, the importance of diverse perspectives, and the necessity of building a workforce that truly represents the passengers and freight users the industry serves.
This film is part of our training and learning film and corporate film work. See all the films we make.
Read the transcripts
NR-NEETS-EDIT-Video1-181125_SUBS
To try and solve the vacancy gap in the railway industry. We've embarked on a programme with the King's Trust, aimed at outreach to young individuals, young people who were previously not in employment educational training. I was working in a juice factory and I just kind of had to get out of there. I got an offer from a BMW dealership down London.
So I moved down London around September time last year for the role that I got. But it fell through. I just started working random agency jobs. I did a degree in civil engineering at the University of Sheffield from 2022.
I graduated last year. I spent quite a few months looking, searching and applying for many jobs. I think I applied to around a hundred jobs, but it wasn't as easy as I was hoping it would be. It was demoralizing.
One of my mates, he went to the King's Trust and he applied for a job and I saw he was doing pretty well in it. So I thought why not try it myself? I saw they had a programme with Network Rail coming up and I literally applied, went through the whole process and found myself in the role that I'm in right now. I never really heard much about Network Rail or the railway industry.
The electrical side of things is what I really was keen on. Prior to my employment, I was just applying for jobs, doing courses, but I never really had any structure. But now this job has given me that structure, that consistency. I'm really happy with it and I'm really happy I took the programme.
My self-esteem is a lot better. Confidence is a lot better. Assuming I get the permanent role, I have the choice to apply to an off-track role, I have the choice to apply for an S&T role and then I can progress from there. It has been a fantastic programme, but if there's one thing that could have been done better, I think it would be getting us permanent contracts.
Having that job security would give us peace of mind. I'd say that we've done something new here and it's been a really exciting, rewarding experience, but we now need to take it to the next level. Network Rail should do more programmes with charities like the King's Trust because you will find people like myself who are young, hungry, driven, and probably just need a little bit of a push in the right direction to get a career in the railway industry.
NR-NEETS-EDIT-Video2-181125_SUBS
My name is Jonathan Samuel. I'm in Off Track and I do vegetation management on a day-to-day basis. Coming out of my B Tech, I was just applying for numerous roles. It just made me want to give up, just applying because I just felt like it gets to the point where I've applied for every single possible job in the country.
When I found the King's Trust through research online, I saw Network Rail and I thought it would be a good opportunity to work in the railway. King's Trust gave me the opportunity to compete against people the same age as me. Jonathan is a young member of the King's Trust programme. He came unaware of what he was getting himself into off track, but he's really come a long way.
He's built up his confidence. He's not the shy young gentleman he was when he started. I love off track because when you go to an access point, you see the impact of the work you've done. It's important to control the vegetation because if it's overgrown, the train drivers won't be able to see signals.
It would be good to have a framework that we could all use, working with HR and the apprentice schemes so that we can give the candidates the best opportunity to get the training and the experience they need for their railway career. Eventually I could see myself becoming a team leader.
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