On track for a collaborative approach to Network Rail training

As Network Rail’s partner for training services, Morson is not only a training provider, drawing on the expertise of our in-house team, we are also the facilitator that leverages an established supply chain of specialists.

Part of our commitment to delivering our remit in a way that benefits everyone – our client, their workforce, and the training community - is to understand what each party needs from the relationship, and how the Morson Group can add value at every touchpoint.  

We can only collaborate effectively if we bring people together, so that’s exactly what we did this week, inviting both Network Rail and training providers from their supply chain to Morson Group HQ for a session that focused on maximising benefits of the master vendor model for all. 

Introducing the team 

Morson is the first training company to be awarded a master vendor contract by Network Rail and the way we manage the arrangement will set the benchmark delivering agile, cost-effective, expert training for the organisation.  

Our goal is to build a community, which not only benefits the supply chain commercially, but, perhaps more importantly, benefits both the training and rail sectors over the long-term. As we develop a strategic approach to planning training needs, as a community, we will be able to bring new professionals into the training landscape and develop training expertise aligned to the skills and competency needs of Network Rail and other industry players. 

Part of building that community is ensuring that the master vendor model benefits everyone. As part of the Morson Group, Morson Training has access to a wide range of services and expertise that can benefit every company in the Network Rail training supply chain. The event was a great opportunity to introduce training providers to that suite of services and the experts on the Morson team that can provide support, advice and access to our wider network. From ED&I through to sustainability, quality assurance, contract delivery, talent development, and our digital studio, we brought colleagues into the event that could share their expertise and provide a window onto how Morson can help all the training partners in the Network Rail supply chain. 

Veteran Opportunity 

Alongside our own team, Andy Reid MBE, our Morson Forces Ambassador, was also present at the event, talking to delegates about his ‘bad day at work’, when, while serving in the army in Afghanistan, he was injured by an IED, becoming a triple amputee.  

Andy’s role at the event was two-fold; to explore what his experiences have taught him about the importance of leadership, seeking support, and collaboration, and to highlight the benefits of employing candidates who have left the armed forces, both in terms of their skillset and their culture of going the extra mile.  

As well as inspiring our delegates, Andy gave an insight into yet another facet of the Morson business and how our extensive resources and experience can benefit our supply chain partners. 

Working together 

It was great to share our expertise and resources, but our goal was not showcase Morson’s best practice, but to reiterate the potential for us to all learn from each other and contribute to the success of skills development for the rail industry. 

With this in mind, I led a question and answer session to close the event, considering topics as diverse as learning from feedback, planning future resource, quality assurance best practice, and gaining access to Morson’s array of services. 

With plenty to mull over and briefing documents to follow, we closed the event with a very positive outlook. We had literally got our supply chain partners and our client around the table to talk about how we can add value and the benefits of working together. In the digital age of emails and video calls, sometimes sharing breakfast and ideas face to face makes a welcome and productive change.