Britain needs talent
HS2 Ltd unveils its programme of skills, employment and education initiatives, to ensure the nation not only has the skills to deliver Europe’s largest construction project, but can also become a world leader in high-speed rail
HS2 Ltd unveils its long-awaited Skills, Employment & Education Strategy.
The construction of HS2 will support 15,000 jobs in the engineering, design and building sectors by 2020, rising to 30,000 just two years later. That is according to the HS2 Skills,
Employment and Education Strategy (SEES), which was published on September 13.
The document confirms that with construction on Phase 1 between Birmingham and London due to begin next year, the project is already supporting some 7,000 roles at more than 2,000 businesses which have won contracts with HS2 Ltd.
This includes 100 apprentices, a figure that’s expected to rise to 2,000 over the project’s lifetime between now and when Phase 2 is scheduled to open in 2033.
But behind these headline numbers it is important to note that labour requirements will not be evenly spread between now and 2033, with a peak of 30,000 being reached in 2022 to coincide with peak construction of Phase 1, and a second peak of 25,000 in 2032 before Phase 2 is wound down for completion.
Meeting these requirements while delivering the project on time and within budget would be a significant logistical challenge for any project, but HS2 Ltd must also contend with the further problem posed by the conflicting demands being placed on the supply chain over the next decade by other flagship infrastructure projects, such as the construction of a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point B and a third runway at Heathrow Airport.
This is exacerbated further by the wellpublicised skills gap in UK construction, with the Chartered Institute of Building reporting that the wider industry will need to find 157,000 new recruits by 2020 in order to satisfy demand.
If no action is taken then this situation will only deteriorate with around a quarter of the UK’s rail engineers aged over 55 and due to retire within the next ten years. The rail sector construction workforce is also one of the least diverse in the UK: only 8.4% of its members are female, with an even lower percentage within senior management and at board level.
Set against this backdrop, the SEES sets out how HS2 Ltd must work with its supply chain, the National College for High Speed Rail and other regional stakeholders to help the next generation develop the skills needed to design and build the £ 55.7 billion railway, and the project pipeline of other future UK infrastructure.
By linking eight of the UK’s ten largest cities, the SEES also addresses how HS2 can act as the catalyst for an estimated £ 92bn in economic benefits while also helping rebalance the national economy away from London and the South East.
Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd Mark Thurston says: “Our skills strategy shows how we will create a sustainable pipeline of jobs and skills for companies across the whole country, which boost regional economies and help Britain compete internationally.
“Our programme will tackle the skills
challenges faced by the wider transport infrastructure sector, and ensure the UK has the best skills to deliver HS2, as well as major infrastructure projects in the future.”
HS2 Minister Nusrat Ghani MP adds: “HS2 will provide the backbone of our future rail network and is already driving jobs and economic growth across the country. The ambitious programme of skills, employment and education set out will see the economic benefits of HS2 fully realised across the UK, boosting productivity and sharing prosperity across the country.”
The SEES sets out an action plan for how the following four key objectives will be met: 1) Having the skills to deliver the HS2 programme and leave a legacy for the transport infrastructure sector; 2) Creating sustainable skills, employment and education opportunities throughout the supply chain; 3) Stimulating interest in STEM subjects to encourage new entrants; and 4) Maximising the economic benefits along the line of the route and across the UK.
In support of Objectives 1 and 2, HS2 Ltd is currently developing a Future Talent Strategy to address specific skills shortages, as well as the skills and competency requirements, for HS2 Ltd as the client. Equality, diversity and inclusion will be enshrined in the strategy to ensure the workforce reflects the communities that HS2 services more fully.
The National College for High Speed Rail (NCHSR) also has a key role to play in providing an industry-led curriculum while acting as a flagship facility for training, and in attracting talent needed by the sector.
HS2 Ltd will also work with other stakeholders and industry groups, such as the Department for Transport’s Strategic Transport Apprenticeship Taskforce (STAT) and the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR) to help meet the labour challenges, and will use other tools, such as introducing contractual requirements via its procurement process, regular monitoring of its skills and labour forecasts, sharing information with partners, such as Jobcentre Plus, to develop a jobs brokerage service, and coordinating its approach with other strategic infrastructure projects via the National Infrastructure Commission and STAT.
Chief Executive of NCHSR Clair Mowbray says: “Our college sits at the heart of a growing movement to upskill the national workforce that will deliver HS2 and its associated projects. As the SEES testifies, there will be literally thousands of opportunities to work on HS2, and ultimately to benefit from its legacy.
“The state-of-the-art facilities [opened in October 2017] that we have available at our Birmingham and Doncaster campuses offer students the best possible environment to get ahead, and to gain the world-class skills they will need to deliver major national transport and infrastructure projects like HS2.”
A requirement for apprentices to account for 4% of contractors’ workforces on main construction works will be further supported by a range of initiatives. To be launched within the next 12 months, they will stimulate interest in STEM subjects (objective 3), and encourage more school-leavers to consider transport infrastructure-related careers as either apprentices or graduates.
This includes a Secondary Education Engagement Programme to help combat an annual shortfall of 20,000 engineering graduates in the UK and the low proportion of females (12.5%) in the existing engineering workforce.
As well as engaging and informing young people of the opportunities available via online resources, there is a commitment within SEES to engage with schools and further education providers to provide ‘meaningful encounters’ with employers and employees, such as worksite visits.
HS2 ambassadors will also play an important role by attending schools and events to talk about their careers and to inspire young people to follow in their footsteps.
Last but not least, objective 4 will be met by providing direct economic benefits to the UK, such as long-term employment opportunities within the construction and engineering sectors along the route of HS2 and at key station hubs, with a key focus on socioeconomic disadvantaged areas.
HS2 Ltd has also pledged to work closely with agencies engaged in delivering indirect economic growth, such as Local Enterprise Partnerships, which are well placed to use the HS2 programme as a catalyst for growth.
Examples of this include the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Regional Skills Plan and the Curzon Station masterplan, which are designed to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the arrival of HS2 to create growth for more than 52,000 jobs and £1.25bn in Gross Value Added per year. A second example is the draft Crewe HS2 masterplan, which identifies a vision to create almost 40,000 new jobs over the next 30 years and additional economic growth in Crewe, and across Staffordshire and Cheshire East.
Similar plans are being worked up to maximise opportunities for Phase 2 in Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and the East Midlands.
The SEES has already been well received by the supply chain, which has pledged its support for the fulfilment of its four key objectives.
Railway Industry Association Chief Executive Darren Caplan says: “This exciting news from HS2 shows that major infrastructure projects don’t just enhance the rail network for its customers - whether passengers or freight – but they also provide a huge boost to jobs and GVA in local economies and around the country.
“The rail supply community is already actively working on HS2 and we stand ready – working in partnership with HS2 Ltd, the Government and all rail industry members and stakeholders – to deliver even more for this transformational project in the months and years ahead.”
Ourcollegesits attheheartofa growing movement to up skill the national workforce. Clair Mowbray, Chief Executive, NCHSR