More courses added to HS2’s fast track job training programme

HS2’s construction partner, Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV), is expanding its fast track job training programme to help local people start a new career in information management.

BBV has already helped over 30 people to secure a job on HS2 through training programmes delivered at its Skills Academy in Birmingham. To date, training has focused on supporting people to develop the skills and accreditation they need to progress into jobs working on site supporting HS2’s construction.

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From June onwards, BBV will expand its course programme and begin providing training in business administration, digital skills and coding to enable candidates to progress into a career in information management or document control. In just 6-8 weeks, trainees will secure the accreditation they need to transition onto a paid work trial with BBV. Candidates who successfully complete the trial will then progress into permanent jobs.

Julie Venn Morton, HS2’s Skills Manager for the West Midlands said: “Expanding the courses on offer at the Skills Academy will allow us to reach out to an even more diverse range of job seekers who are looking for a new career and the opportunity to work on HS2.

“The chance to retrain, gain new skills and start earning a wage in just 6-8 weeks is a fantastic opportunity, and we hope this will be a stepping stone to help more people in the West Midlands launch their career on HS2.”

Training will be delivered on a rolling programme, with the first session scheduled to start on Wednesday, 8 June at BBV’s Skills Academy at South and City College’s Bordesley Green campus. 

BBV is encouraging local people who are out of work or looking for a new opportunity to register their interest by contacting their Skills and Employment team at bbvskills@sccb.ac.uk

Shilpi Akbar, Head of Stakeholders and Communities at Balfour Beatty VINCI said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming more local job seekers to our BBV Skills Academy in Birmingham, which now offers an expanded training programme including business administration, digital skills and coding.

“These skills are pivotal in the delivery of our HS2 programme, as we continue to equip local people with the right training, so they can pursue a rewarding and varied career in construction.”

Mike Hopkins, Principal, South and City College Birmingham said: “The development of the BBV Skills Academy at our Bordesley Green campus is now beginning to really help local unemployed people move rapidly into well paid jobs with BBV on HS2. This is a fantastic collaborative arrangement and we are supporting it with our local community-based workers to help local people find out about the opportunities.”

For more information about the Balfour Beatty VINCI Skills Academy and the training programmes it offers, visit sccb.ac.uk

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