Relational database software FileMaker is now helping students train for highly technical jobs. Network Rail, the company that operates most of Great Britain's railroad system, has partnered with FileMaker to develop specific design and management skills at UTC Reading in Southern England.
The school is one of 30 members of the University Technical College network, where students aged 14 to 18 receive technical preparation instead of a traditional high school education. Experts from FileMaker and Network Rail will implement a 14-week course to teach students coding, design, drawing and financial and project management.
The students will use FileMaker to design and operate a theoretical railroad crossing, creating databases to gather information on variables such as geography, terrain and traffic flow. This will allow them to decide on an optimal design and location for the crossing. They will create a model with a 3D printer and the best projects will be presented to Network Rail.
"We're seeing students from the ages of 14 to 18 taking on and providing the solutions to everyday problems we face in our business, managing projects and teams of people of varying age and ability," said FileMaker director for Northern Europe Tony Speakman to Computer Weekly. "The skills we are working with them on, such as report writing, are things that they won't learn from an undergraduate course."
FileMaker training has applications across many industries. With this software, companies can easily gather and keep track of essential business information. It is highly flexible and customizable, so that with proper training employees can learn to update it as needed and adapt it to their specific needs.
