22.07.13
West Midlands skills centre proposed for HS2
A High Speed Rail Centre of Excellence could boost jobs and skills in the West Midlands, leaders have urged.
Such a centre could help to develop construction and engineering skills necessary for the huge project. At a HS2 Ltd meeting, Sir Albert Bore, Leader of Birmingham City Council, Ken Meeson, Leader of Solihull Council, Geoff Inskip, chief executive of Centro and Birmingham Chamber’s chief executive Jerry Blackett called for the centre to be built.
HS2 Ltd has pledged to work with schools and universities across the area to ensure the right skills are in place for the project.
Sir Albert Bore, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “We’ve listened to businesses and we’ll be working with HS2 Ltd to make sure our school leavers and graduates are equipped for the workplace.
“We have a tremendous opportunity here to develop skills and deliver jobs right across our region. Birmingham and the West Midlands are at the heart of HS2. We must be ambitious and build on the knowledge and skills we already possess as a region to become world-class.”
Centro chief executive, Geoff Inskip, said: “We must take advantage of our location on the high speed rail network and build a Centre of Excellence for generations to come right here in the West Midlands.”
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Image c. HS2 Ltd