The Department for Education is promoting “Skills Bootcamps” in the UK using an image of railway workers in China.
The image used in the DfE video campaign is believed to be sourced from the Chinese tech firm, Huawei, and depict a rail engineering project in the People’s Republic.
British rail industry insiders have deplored the fact that it shows a worker on a railway without standard UK personal protective equipment (PPE).
In a social media campaign, a short film headed “New skills can lead to a better job at every stage of your life”, is illustrated with a picture of someone who appears to be a rail worker or engineer.
She is smiling to the camera and carrying a clipboard as she walks along what appears to be a newly laid stretch of railway line.
The campaign text continues: “From essential to specialist skills, free courses and qualifications for you with #SkillsForLife.”
Reactions on social media were swift. @Peely1973 tweeted: “If that photo’s on a UK railway, then they’re breaking a few rules … all orange PPE, ie head to toe and safety helmets??? If you’re going to educate, educate properly!”
The leading rail writer, Philip Haigh, commented on Twitter: “I’ll take a guess that this HMG advert is using a file pic of a railway somewhere abroad.”
Standard kit for Network Rail engineering staff is head-to-toe fluorescent orange personal protective equipment with reflective stripes, as well as safety helmets.
Research by The Independent could not reveal the source of the exact original image. But a similar picture is used by Huawei to promote its GSM-R digital wireless technology developed for railways.
The Rail Safety and Standards Board says: “High-visibility clothing is an essential part of personal protective equipment.
“It makes people working within the railway boundary easily visible to drivers of approaching trains, and helps staff in charge of work groups to account quickly for those working under their supervision.”
On Twitter, Rail Picture Library wrote: “@educationgovuk should have come to us. Rail Picture Library has plenty of rail staff pics it could licence! We’ve already supplied government departments wth many pics over the years.”
The Independent has asked the Department for Education to comment on its choice of image.
