The NSAR Annual Report 2023 was introduced at our AGM and Skills Symposium on 17 November.
Despite being a small organisation, NSAR makes a big impact in the rail industry and wider sectors due to our expertise in workforce planning and development, ensuring the quality of training programmes, delivering apprenticeship support and providing membership services.
Here are a few achievement highlights from 2023:
- Launched a new service – Skills Match – and were successful in our application to become a flexi-job apprenticeship agency, increasing NSAR support for the rail industry in its efforts to address skills shortages and increase social value through apprenticeships.
- Provided quality analytical support to the Department for Transport and the Great British Railways Transition Team to assess future skills needs in the industry and where challenges exist.
- Updated our Skills Intelligence Model using data from our comprehensive annual survey of the rail industry workforce to include information on 95% of the 2023 industry workforce.
- Used our data analysis and workforce planning expertise to collaborate on 40 reports and data reviews, informing the industry about skills shortages, social value and the importance of workforce planning.
- Continued to assure the quality of rail training – as evidenced by 86 assurance visits, 94 additional visits (such as advisory visits, practical site approvals and trainer observations) and 11 new investigations.
- Offered 18 training provider update sessions and 1 programme to develop and upskill training providers, further contributing to increase the quality of training in rail and keep the industry safe.
- Once again received full marks in a BSI audit of our Quality Assurance delivery, processes and documentation.
- Expanded our membership offerings to better support members’ goals and industry priorities.
- Exported our workforce planning and training expertise to Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Georgia and the Philippines.
- Welcomed new clients and rolled out enhancements to our competency management system, Skills ID.
- Continued to lead the Routes into Rail initiative on behalf of the rail industry by promoting rail careers and opportunities to various audiences, including 450,000+ students.
- Received more than 1,400 average monthly visits to our website, which was continually enhanced to ensure fit-for-purpose and a great user experience.
Access the Annual Report 2023 here.