A New Road Map for Adam

Adam Sowerby is 38 years old. In 2025, he completed the Level 2 Diploma in Rail Engineering Track Maintenance at Hartlepool College. For the past six months he's been working as a rail operative: a complete turnaround from where he was just over a year ago.

Adam's route into the industry started almost by accident. While receiving treatment in a rehab centre, he and a friend struck up a conversation with two people on a train who introduced Adam to the opportunities available in green skills and offshore work. That conversation led them to discuss Hartlepool College and its site at Seymour Skills Academy, where a course in rail engineering track maintenance - designed for individuals to progress into careers in the rail industry - is delivered. Several of Adam's friends applied to join the course, and although he couldn't join their cohort, he knew immediately he wanted a spot on the next one. He counted down the weeks until applications opened, driven by a hunger to learn, to do better and be better.

When his turn came, he didn't just complete the 8-week course. He excelled, coming top of the class in several exams and progressing into work on track as a rail operative straight after, and transforming his life in the process.

Adam’s success comes down to his intense motivation and eagerness to prepare for the course, which helped him retain the complex information he’d need to know by heart when he eventually arrived on the training site. This period of preparation sharpened his motivation, and he found himself doing pre-reading and testing his knowledge before he'd even started. “Failure to prepare is preparing to fail,” Adam said. “Nothing on the course caught me off guard, because the right preparation helped everything to click logically for me. Realising the depth of my own drive to learn was a really important moment for me in turning things around.”

One of the highlights for Adam has been the ability to meet people from so many walks of life. “I’ll remember the people in my cohort for the rest of my life. Everyone has a background story, and often silent struggles too. I make a point of getting to know my teammates - what makes them tick, who works well together, what's going on in their lives. I’m networking every single day, and that’s been key to my success, too, because I have been able to become a good support for my team and my supervisors.” 

When asked what this course means to him, Adam replies, “Everything.” He goes on to explain that one year ago he wasn't in good shape physically, and was quite unwell. Still young at 38, he decided the moment he walked through the doors that this would be the moment he’d turn things around, and would give this opportunity everything he had. “You either do a job properly or you do it by half, and I wasn't interested in half,” he says.

That commitment was tested when Adam fell seriously ill during the course and had to take ten days off. Rather than fall behind, he stayed engaged through a WhatsApp group with his cohort, kept learning, and ultimately scored the highest in the class in his exams.

Before the course, Adam wasn't even thinking about his future or a career. Now he has a roadmap. Eight weeks of initial training led to six months in work, where he has now been promoted to a team leader position. His next goal is the assessor's course, which would let him shadow the tutor who taught him, qualify as an assessor, and eventually teach new cohorts himself, passing on what he's learned. Longer term, his sights are set on becoming an engineer and working on oil rigs. “My children have told me how proud they are compared to where I came from on this journey. I don’t look back except to see how far I’ve come, because I’m focused on moving forward, not backward.” 

Adam is open that his background has been a difficult one. “I’ve lived through some traumatic things that most people will never experience. To have come through that to where I am now is a testament to myself. This is why I’m so determined to help others, within the college and beyond.” His philosophy is simple: if you want to see positive change in the world, be that change. “Anyone has the ability to do it - it just takes one positive choice,” he explains. In a world quick to focus on the negative, Adam tries to be the opposite. “I’ll always be a shining light in the dark. I’ll always have a smile on my face and I’ll always look out for other people, because that’s who I am. And if I can do it, anybody can.” 

Finally, Adam discusses his relationship with Callum Stephenson, his tutor and supervisor. “Callum is simply amazing. He is a down-to-earth, dedicated teacher who goes above and beyond and teaches in a way that everyone can understand. He genuinely invests in people and proves that nothing stands in the way of what someone can achieve when they put their mind to it.” Adam, who says he has struggled in classroom settings his whole life, says Callum made it all easy. “If you join this course at Hartlepool College, you will be surrounded by staff who want the best for you and who are invested in inspiring the next generation”, Adam says.

Callum, for his part, describes Adam’s success as "the literal definition of why I come into work." He explains: “Adam is a man trying to reset his life, showing up day after day with great attendance and the right attitude, bringing his best. That is the whole point of why we run these courses. It's people like Adam who give meaning and purpose to everything we do. You can be just like Adam – just show up with a positive attitude.”