Heathrow has joined forces with industry, trade unions and former government figures to launch a new Infrastructure Skills Council focused on connecting major UK infrastructure projects with employment and training opportunities for young people.
The initiative comes as Heathrow continues to develop its expansion plans, including a proposed third runway. As part of those plans, the airport has pledged to develop a youth employment and skills programme designed to deliver 5,000 apprenticeships, traineeships and other entry-level training opportunities.
According to Heathrow, expansion could support or unlock around 108,000 jobs across the UK, covering sectors including engineering, construction, logistics, sustainability and the wider supply chain.
New council to focus on infrastructure and skills
The Heathrow Infrastructure Skills Council will bring together businesses, trade unions, colleges and training providers from across the UK.
Its objective is to examine how large infrastructure investments can create clearer routes into skilled employment, particularly for younger people who are currently outside education, employment or training.
The council will be co-chaired by former Education Secretary and Home Secretary Lord Blunkett and Robert Halfon, former Skills and Apprenticeships Minister and currently Executive Director at Make UK.
The initiative has also received the backing of Alan Milburn, who is leading the government’s independent review into young people and work.
Nearly one million young people in Britain are currently not in education, employment or training, according to figures cited in the announcement.
“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 that can change the course of their lives,” Milburn said.
Four regional meetings planned across the UK
The Infrastructure Skills Council is expected to meet four times in different regions of the UK, consulting local employers, colleges, training providers and young people.
Regional mayors will also be invited to participate, reflecting the growing role of local authorities in connecting training programmes with employment generated by infrastructure investment.
The council will ultimately publish a report containing recommendations for Heathrow, the wider infrastructure sector and the UK Government.
The focus will be on practical measures that could help major projects identify workforce requirements earlier and create training pathways that lead directly into available jobs.
Robert Halfon said major infrastructure projects can provide significant opportunities for younger workers, but stressed that those opportunities need to be supported by apprenticeships and technical training connected to actual employment demand.
“We need young people moving from school into structured training that actually connects to these projects, with clear progression and decent careers,” Halfon said.
Heathrow expansion positioned as a long-term skills opportunity
Heathrow is presenting workforce development as one of the potential long-term benefits of its expansion programme.
The airport says its planned youth employment and skills programme would aim to ensure that opportunities generated by construction and subsequent operations extend beyond communities immediately surrounding Heathrow.
Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye said the airport wants young people across the UK’s regions and nations to benefit from the project.
“We want young people in every region and nation to share in the benefits of expansion, gaining the training, experience and pathways into rewarding careers that major projects can provide,” Woldbye said.
The creation of the Infrastructure Skills Council adds a workforce and training component to the wider debate around Heathrow’s proposed third runway, with the group expected to explore how skills programmes could be integrated into the planning and delivery of major infrastructure projects.
