Day trip is a new line in career possibilities

AVANTI West Coast has launched a new school trip programme to educate young people about the railway and the career opportunities within the rail industry.

- BY MICHAEL GREEN

Feel Good Futures will provide local school students aged between 14 and 18 with learning opportunities that may otherwise be inaccessible to them.

Each trip is focused on highlighting the role of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) in rail, as well as showcasing the diverse career opportunities available in the sector.

Set to run for a year, the initiative builds on Avanti West Coast's award-winning Feel Good Field Trips. This scheme saw more than 5,000 school children, aged between four and 18, taken on immersive and enriching learning opportunities.

These field trips were organised and run by Community Rail Lancashire’s Rail Officer David Savage, who is now leading the Feel Good Futures initiative.

The programme also coincides with the industry's Railway 200 celebrations, marking two centuries of the modern railway by educating future generations about how it shaped the UK.

For the first trip, Year 10 pupils from The Heath School in Runcorn joined David with colleagues from Avanti West Coast and maintenance provider Alstom for a visit to Liverpool Traincare Centre in Edge Hill.