Thursday 25 Aug 2011
BIRMINGHAM GATEWAY STEAMS AHEAD WITH NEW JOBS
- Region & Route:
The redevelopment of Birmingham New Street station will not only transform passenger journeys but also brings new job opportunities to the city. This challenging project requires a strong and dynamic workforce so that the project continues to progress on time and on budget.
Network Rail is working with Birmingham City Council’s employment access team to open up job opportunities on the project to local people.
Playing a key part to help deliver the project for his home city is André Blackwood, 24 from Erdington who has recently been appointed as a trainee commissioning engineer for the redevelopment following a period of unemployment.
André said: “I was worried about my next career move after being made redundant from my last job working as an engineering assistant, but found the telecoms job online and haven’t looked back. Things have really turned around since then and I’m really enjoying working for Atkins on the Gateway project.”
Councillor Mike Whitby, leader of Birmingham City Council said: “The redevelopment of New Street station has huge advantages for the people of Birmingham and at the council we have always encouraged local employment on the project to ensure Birmingham residents are aware of the opportunities available to them and have the chance to be a part of this exciting project. The opening of the new John Lewis store in 2014 as part of the station redevelopment will bring in itself up to 1000 new jobs which we will help to source locally.”
Notes to editors
1. If you are interested in job opportunities on the Gateway project, you can contact a member of Birmingham City Council's employment access team to register your interest in working on the project and discuss your relevant skills, experience and training needs. Alternatively you can complete the expression of interest form on-line. The team is working with with Jobcentre Plus, the Skills Funding Agency and individual suppliers to the project to match local skills and resources to relevant vacancies:
Employment Access Team, Birmingham City Council
0121 464 2112 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm)
http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/eat-eoi
2. The Birmingham Gateway project is supported by Network Rail, Birmingham City Council, Centro, Advantage West Midlands and the Department for Transport.
3. Network Rail is delivering the project alongside its delivery partner, Mace.
4. Atkins is the lead consultant, helping transform Birmingham New Street Station into a bright, modern, 21st century focal point for the city. Multidisciplinary services being provided include design management, civil and structural engineering, production architecture and interior design.
5. Further employment information is available from Birmingham City Council's Employment Access Team www.birmingham.gov.uk/eat-eoi or www.networkrail.co.uk/careers
6. The redevelopment of Birmingham New Street will double passenger capacity, improve access down to the platforms and improve pedestrian links across the city. The project will deliver:
- a concourse that is three-and-a-half times bigger than at present and enclosed by a giant, light-filled atrium
- more accessible, brighter and clearer platforms, serviced by over 40 new escalators and over 15 new public lifts
- a stunning new station façade
- better links to and through the station for pedestrians, with eight new entrances
- the stimulus for the physical regeneration of the areas surrounding the station
About Atkins
Atkins (www.atkinsglobal.com) is the UK’s largest engineering and design consultancy and the world’s 11th largest design firm. We have the depth and breadth of expertise to respond to the most technically challenging and time critical infrastructure projects and the urgent transition to a low-carbon economy. Whether it’s the concept for a new skyscraper, the upgrade of a rail network, the modelling of a flood defence system or the improvement of a management process, we plan, design and enable solutions.
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We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.
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