Signallers repairing signals
'Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) provide specialist vocational training focused on meeting the skills needs of employers and of local and national economies'

Yorkshire Rail Academy - What is a CoVE?

CoVEs were created in 2001 as part of a government desire to build a national network of high quality specialist centres in colleges. To become a CoVE, individual colleges or groups of colleges, sometimes in association with other training providers / companies, must develop expertise in working with employers to develop specialist courses and training that closely meets the needs of the industry.

Night maintenance on the railwayYork College was awarded CoVE status in Railway Engineering and Signal Engineering in 2003, in recognition of its high quality rail industry training and well established relationships with a range of rail employers. The CoVE, which is housed within the Yorkhire Rail Academy, is specifically designed to help in addressing the skills gaps in engineering that have been in existence since the privatisation of the rail industry