Balfour Beatty VINCI is working in partnership with youth charity the Prince’s Trust to provide 30 Kickstart training placements on HS2 this year.
Kickstart is a Government-funded initiative aimed at creating job placements for 16 to 24-year olds who are on Universal Credit.
Placements are for six months and participants are paid a salary equivalent to the National Minimum Wage or the National Living Wage.
Balfour Beatty VINCI is HS2’s construction partner for West Midlands and Warwickshire and forecasted at least 6,000 more local jobs will be created to support its programme of construction work on HS2.
The infrastructure company said this means the prospects for 'long-term employment are high for those who perform well during their [Kickstart] placement'.
The company is offering candidates a combination of practical and theoretical learning, with placements across a range of departments, including design, engineering, consents, site support and finance and skills.
The application process is now open for the first 16 work placements, which will begin on 26th April, with the final 14 placements advertised later this year.
Young people who wish to apply should speak to their Work Coach at the Department for Work and Pensions.
HS2 minister Andrew Stephenson said: ' A Kickstart placement offers young people who are out of work a pathway into employment and the opportunity to gain vital hands-on skills.
'As well as boosting their own career, each apprentice is also playing a valuable role in delivering the vital HS2 project, building better connections between our towns and cities and helping kick-start our economic recovery from COVID-19.'
The partnership aligns with the Prince’s Trust’s aim of getting 1,000 young people enrolled onto Kickstart programmes in 2021.
The Prince’s Trust will also support the learning and development programme, providing 'employability support to help participants achieve their course accreditation and achievement award from the Industrial Cadets'.
Through its involvement with The 5% Club – a group of employers committed to providing ‘earn & learn’ roles – Balfour has already committed to ensuring that 5% of its workforce is made up of apprentices.
Shilpi Akbar, head of stakeholders and communities at Balfour Beatty VINCI said: 'The opportunity to begin building your career with Balfour Beatty VINCI, working on one of Europe’s largest infrastructure projects, really is unrivalled. I would encourage those considering a career in the construction and infrastructure industry to seize this opportunity with both hands – an opportunity that will see their work realised and enjoyed for many years.'
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