The Rail Academy acquires majority stake in Rail Recruiter to address UK rail workforce gap

Credit: The Rail Academy

In a strategic move to strengthen recruitment and training within the UK’s rail sector, The Rail Academy has acquired an 80% controlling stake in Rail Recruiter from Business Daily Group. This acquisition marks the first step in creating a comprehensive solution for sourcing, selection, and testing of candidates for the rail industry, offering a one-stop-shop for recruitment and training needs.

Details on The Rail Academy acquiring stakes in Rail Recruiter

Cath Bellamy, Managing Director of The Rail Academy, highlighted the importance of this development, particularly in light of the demographic changes in the industry. “With more than 30% of the UK rail workforce, including train drivers, expected to retire within the next five to ten years, the industry is on the cusp of a substantial skills gap.” She added, “By integrating and developing the Rail Recruiter platform, we aim to offer a unique sourcing, shortlisting, and testing service for rail employers.”

The National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR) reports that a third of the workforce is aged 50 and over, with up to 90,000 employees expected to retire by 2030, creating a critical loss of experience.

David McLoughlin, Chairman of Business Daily Group, expressed confidence in the synergy between the two organisations. “Transferring majority ownership to Rail Academy presents an opportunity to scale our innovative platform, creating a value proposition that surpasses what either entity could achieve independently.”

The partnership aims to deliver significant benefits to the rail sector by streamlining workforce planning and management. Through the new Rail Recruiter platform, The Rail Academy plans to provide rail organisations with a more efficient pipeline of trained professionals.

In summary, Cath stated: “We are committed to building something truly exceptional, and we will have more exciting announcements to share in the coming months.” The partnership takes effect on 01 April 2025.