Steaming back to January 2018 and The Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways were successful in securing a significant National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £454,500.

The grant was to support an ambitious training programme to introduce heritage skills to a more diverse audience. Part of the ‘Skills for the Future’ scheme, this programme has successfully recruited twenty trainees over a two-year period.

The aim of the project is to attract trainees and to share the heritage skills of the railway’s
talented workforce. Ultimately we aim to encourage people to take up careers in the heritage sector, in order to build a more sustainable workforce for the future.

The first intake of apprentices that joined the railway back in September 2018 have now completed their traineeships in one of five different skills areas, including Mechanical Engineering and Heritage Joinery.

The trainees have also completed a nationally recognised NVQ qualification whilst training with the FFWHR and worked alongside staff at other heritage organisations during their one week placements.

Three of the trainees have been offered full time positions with the F&WHR, and two others have been offered places with other organisations such as the Vale of Rheidol Railway and the A1 Locomotive Trust.

What did the officials say?

The Heritage Training Programme Manager said she is;

Absolutely amazed by the success of the training programme and the incredible impact that the trainees have had upon our organisation.

They have brought the place alive and created a lasting legacy of skills for the future’. We are indebted to them for their contributions and also to staff and our placement partner
organisations for their time and support.

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