It's full steam ahead for George on his T Level placement at North Yorkshire Moors Railway

George, who is in the second year of his Design & Development for Manufacturing & Engineering studies at York College, has been able to learn fundamental and traditional skills at one of the most famous and popular heritage railway sites in the world.

He has also been able to enhance that knowledge with classroom tuition incorporating the modern state-of-the-art equipment and facilities on our campus. 

Last month, George even got to work at his placement providers’ much-loved Annual Steam Gala – an event that he had visited many times in the past as a young and wide-eyed visitor and one that saw him filmed this year for a future Channel 4 show.

George’s experiences on placement and at College have confirmed for him that he would like to progress on to an apprenticeship in the train industry – a possibility that the North Yorkshire Moors Railway have already broached with him. 

As National T Levels Week launched today with the daily theme of Local Opportunities, we thought it would be the perfect time to catch up with George on how the education model has placed him on the right track towards a bright future… 

When you were considering your post-16 options, what appealed to you about doing a T Level rather than another route?

I liked the opportunity of being able to do a work placement and having a real-world experience, learning what life is like in the workplace. I felt that could help me in the long run as well if I wanted to do an apprenticeship.

Why did you choose the Design & Development for Manufacturing & Engineering course?

I just enjoy making things really. I like having a design, making it and seeing it through to the end.

It’s a great feeling to have achieved something at the end of a day. 

What have you enjoyed most about the classroom tuition so far?

I like how there’s a good mix of theory and practical. Last year was a bit more theory based, but this year has become more practical.

There are still bits of theory but everything we learned last year I’ve managed to integrate into this year when we’re doing assignments and projects. 

Any particular module you really liked or found most interesting?

I really enjoyed making toy trains. That was a good way to start our second year.

What do you think to the standard of tuition?

It’s really, really good. Last year, as we were preparing for our exams, we had a really good mix of lessons and revision materials.

One of our teachers – Graeme Woodhall – is really good with AI and he used different AI models to help us with questions, including mark schemes.

What are the specialist equipment and resources like in College?

They are excellent, probably the best I’ve seen. On my placement, I get to see engineering as it used to be, which is also really helpful. At College, though, we have equipment that works with the press of a button.

What are the key skills that you’ve learned on Campus?

Problem solving and I think I’ve become a much better communicator. I’ve learned a lot about teamwork as well. We did a lot of that last year and this year we are still doing little bits and pieces together. 

How did your placement at North Yorkshire Moors Railway come about?

I was looking around and speaking to a couple of railway companies. I had told the Placement Team at College that I want to work in railways and they told me they might have an option with North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

I’d been to the railway many times as a visitor, so I was already an enthusiast and it was a case of ‘yes, please’ with no hesitation. I put my name down straight away and that led to constant emails back and forth. 

I had to go to Grosmont, just outside of Whitby where the main depot is, for a half-an-hour interview. It was quite relaxed.

They asked me all about why I loved railways and engineering and I was then given a tour, before being told they’d really like me to come on placement. 

What tasks and duties have you performed during your time there?

I’ve been involved in lots of aspects of railway work, not just engineering. In the first week, I was fitting little parts into steam engines that were broken.

I’ve also shunted steam engines up and down and built little components to ensure the train meets safety requirements. There’s a lot of maintenance involved.

A couple of weeks ago, I had to go underneath a train and find a crack, which was only about a centimetre in length, but it could have potentially caused big issues, because it was linked to the brakes so, if that went wrong, with the railway being on a hill, it wouldn’t have been good! 

My main project that I’ve been working on for the past few weeks is helping to convert a steam engine, which is run on coal currently, to be oil based instead. With that, I’ve been doing a bit of metal-cutting and grinding. 

I haven’t started welding yet but, eventually, I will move on to that and there’s been some taps and dies work with screws, too. Oil is really the future for steam engines, because it doesn’t produce sparks which anybody who saw the news about the massive fires over the North Yorkshire Moors this summer will know is important. It will also save the company money in the long run. 

I’ve got a North Yorkshire Moors Railway workers’ card now, too. They really like me and keep asking me to come down and volunteer when I’m not on placement, which I’ve really enjoyed doing.

What was it like working at the Steam Gala?

It was excellent. I met so many people, not just visitors, but other engineers.

Working on a Monday or a Thursday, I only generally meet a set number of people, but I was meeting people who had come from places like Scotland and the Isle of Wight to volunteer at the event. Some even brought steam engines with them and they taught me so much. 

It was a massive eye-opener for me to see how they did certain things differently and I was able to recognise how I could incorporate that into any future tasks. Channel 4 also came. They’re going to do a TV show on the Steam Gala and I was filmed so, hopefully, I’ll be on that.

What were your responsibilities over the weekend?

I was talking to people and showing them what different parts of the steam engine do. I was also still doing duties like ash pan cleaning, where you go underneath the train and they open the vent where the coal is and you have to wash the ash out, which can be quite a dirty job!

The placement has given me a really strong basic understanding of engineering and the staff are amazing as well. They are patient, explain everything really well to me and there’s always a decent amount of work for me to do.

How did it feel to be working at such a large and well-loved public event?

I’ve visited the event in previous years, but it was so much better being on the other side and the face of it all in a way. It was a really successful weekend.

What would you recommend about the Design & Development for Manufacturing & Engineering T Level to other people?

It’s probably the best course if you want to go on to an apprenticeship and it’s probably the best course for employers to look at you, because you’re getting your theory and learning practical skills that I know will stay with me throughout my working life.

Has the placement influenced what you’d like to do as a future career?

Yes – I know now that I definitely want to work on railways and trains. My placement providers have spoken about apprenticeships with them if it’s something that I wanted to do, so I might pursue that potentially, but I’m not sure if I want to work in heritage. To me, that’s more of a hobby. 

What are your hoping your next steps will be after completing your T Level?

Hopefully, an apprenticeship. I would love a degree apprenticeship, but they’re a bit like gold dust. 

If I see one and I can get it, I would take it straight away, but I would be happy with an apprenticeship, as long as it’s Level 4, 5 or higher, because I feel that we learn everything we need to during the T Level as Level 3 students.

To learn more about our T Level in Design & Development for Manufacturing & Engineering, please click here

For details on all of York College's T Level and vocational courses, visit here

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