A new council has been established to explore how major infrastructure projects can create more employment and training opportunities for young people, amid concerns over the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).
The Heathrow Infrastructure Skills Council will be co-chaired by former education secretary Lord Blunkett and Robert Halfon, former skills and apprenticeships minister and now executive director at Make UK.
The council brings together businesses, trade unions, colleges and training providers to examine how projects such as the proposed Heathrow expansion can create clearer routes into skilled careers.
Heathrow has pledged to develop a youth employment and skills plan as part of its expansion proposals, setting out how it could deliver 5,000 apprenticeships, traineeships and other entry-level opportunities for young people. The wider expansion is expected to support 108,000 jobs across engineering, construction, logistics, sustainability and the supply chain.
Regional meetings
The council will hold four meetings in regions across the UK, hearing from employers, colleges, training providers and young people about the skills needed to support future infrastructure projects. Regional mayors will also be invited to participate.
It will produce a report with recommendations for Heathrow, the wider infrastructure sector and government.
Lord Blunkett said major infrastructure projects could provide “apprenticeships, training opportunities and pathways into skilled, rewarding jobs for the next generation”.
Alan Milburn, who is leading the government’s independent review into young people and work, has also endorsed the council’s ambition. “Major projects like Heathrow expansion have the potential to make a real difference by connecting young people who need jobs to opportunities, skills and experience,” he said.
The council includes the TUC, with its director of organising and skills, Sian Elliott CBE, stressing the importance of ensuring major projects deliver high-quality training and good jobs for local communities.
