Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership brought together rail industry partners to inspire the next generation of railway professionals at this year’s Destination STEM Hopetown event.
Working in collaboration with Northern, CAF and Colas Rail, the Partnership hosted the event’s first-ever Rail Zone, creating an exciting space where young people could meet industry experts, discover the wide variety of careers available across the railway and gain first-hand insight into what it is like to work in the sector.
As well as exploring future career opportunities, students were encouraged to think about railway safety and planning their journey to school with the Darlington Borough Council Travel Advisors. Through interactive activities, they tested their rail safety knowledge, explored sustainable transport options, and added their names to a giant pledge board, committing to helping keep themselves, their friends and their communities safe around the railway.
Held over two days on 13 and 14 October, Destination STEM Hopetown welcomed around 2,000 young people aged 10 to 13 from across the region. The event is designed to spark curiosity, raise aspirations and showcase the exciting opportunities available within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
More than 50 exhibitors came together to provide hands-on activities, demonstrations and inspiring conversations, helping students connect classroom learning with future careers. The collaborative approach demonstrated the power of partnership working in opening doors for young people and tackling future skills challenges.
Destination STEM Hopetown was made possible thanks to the support of Cummins, Husqvarna, Darlington College, Darlington Building Society, Willmott Dixon, North East STEM Foundation, Amazon, Cityheart, Northern, Community Rail Network and Furbd.
Through collaboration between education, industry and community partners, the event demonstrated how working together today can help build the skilled, diverse workforce needed for the future, while inspiring thousands of young people to imagine where a career in rail and STEM could take them.
