september 2012 | the rail engineer | 29
feature
Picops and Hand Back Engineers. In total, KJ Rail has a substantial workforce, with 83% sole sponsorship who work solely for the company, a proportion that is much higher than for most labour suppliers. Having tackled the training shortfall, KJ Rail’s next objective is to become a Flagship Preferred Supplier on the railway infrastructure. With a ready supply of multiskilled staff, the company is now able to tailor its services to not only match but often exceed clients’ expectations. However, management is well aware that the company’s reputation is only as good as its performance on the last shift. Therefore Paul Ellis is introducing a programme of continuous improvement and betterment as he endeavours to help staff to become “all that they can be”.
New innovations
From trainee to worker
KJ Rail has introduced a new “plant card”, looking a little like a PTS card, which is being rolled out within the business. The card will identify what additional skills or small plant certifications the individual holds. Thus any foreman or team leader can instantly recognise the skill-set of each member of his team, making the allocation of individual tasks quick, simple and safe. So that both KJ Rail management and clients know where their work teams are at any time, the fleet of 20 vehicles are all fitted with trackers. This makes it possible for main contractors such as BAM Nuttall, Babcock Rail, Balfour Beatty Rail, AmeyCOLAS and Lundy Projects to know at what time a crew arrived on site, where they are, and when they departed.
KJ Training Solutions has taken almost 200 unemployed people, trained them up and then passed them onto KJ Rail to put them out to work, to the benefit of both themselves and the company. This training programme will continue, both at Wigan and at satellite branches up and down the country, to satisfy the continuing demand for trained staff. Putting these newly qualified railway engineers together with existing experienced staff to build dynamic and flexible gangs has worked well. Local people are placed in local work wherever possible, as the reduced transport requirement will lower both the carbon footprint and reduce costs. Which all benefits today’s railway.
Nationwide N ationwide Contingent Contingent Labour Labour Providers Providers for for
Training T raining Courses Courses O Offered ffered for for
LLineside ineside C Civils ivils
Vegetation V egetation Clearance Clearance
PTS P TS
Level Level Crossing Crossing Attendants Attendants
Cable Troughing Cable T roughing
S&TR Resignalling Remodelling esignalling & R emodelling
AC A C + DC DC
Handback Handback Engineers Engineers
LLevel evel C Crossings rossings
U UTX/URX TX/URX Q Quality uality R Rail ail S Signalling ignalling
LLookout ookout
Plant Plant & Tools Tools Training Training
Testers T esters
Safe Cess Pathways S afe C ess P athways
COSS C OSS
Drainage Drainage
W et Bedding Bedding Wet
See S ee website website for for details details of of all all training training courses courses
S&C S &C
R Removal emoval T TSRs SRs
Re-railing Re-railing
Scrap Scrap Clearance Clearance
Apprentices receiving their certificates.
K.J K .J Rail, Rail, Unit Unit 1 W Warrington arrington Road Road IIndustrial ndustrial EEstate, state, S Stephens tephens Way, Way, Wigan, Wigan, WN3 WN3 6PH 6PH
KJRAIL K JRAIL 01942 0 1942 32 32 60 60 60 60 e nquries@kjrail.co.uk enquries@kjrail.co.uk www.kjrail.co.uk w ww.kjrail.co.uk