The Strategy sets out how local people will be provided with opportunities to work on the construction of Crossrail.
Crossrail has also announced its partnership with Jobcentre Plus (JCP) which aims to provide local people with opportunities to work on the Crossrail project.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “We want Londoners to benefit from this project in everyway and that means giving them the chance to learn the skills and benefit from the jobs created by the scheme.
“The skills strategy and various training and apprenticeship schemes will help us give young inhabitants of this great city the chance to build and benefit from Crossrail as a lasting legacy.”
Transport Minister Theresa Villiers said: “By 2026, Crossrail is expected to support the creation of around 30,000 jobs in central London, and up to 14,000 people will be employed at the height of construction.
“A new national tunnelling and underground construction academy and major apprentice scheme will help workers develop useful skills for future employment in the industry.”
Terry Morgan, Crossrail Chairman said: “Two years ago today the Crossrail Act received Royal Assent. Since then we have made enormous progress towards full construction of the railway and today is about finding the people to help us meet this challenge.
“Crossrail’s Skills and Employment Strategy will be a benchmark for the project’s commitment to providing the skills required to deliver Crossrail and future major construction projects.
“We are grateful to our Sponsors and industry partners, particularly Jobcentre Plus and the National Apprenticeship Service, for their support for the Strategy and look forward to working with them as we continue to build this great railway.”
Crossrail has committed to delivering at least 400 Apprenticeships through its supply chain over the lifetime of the project.
All main works contractors will be obliged to deliver one apprentice (or equivalent) per £3m spend.
Apprenticeships will be offered from late 2010 as contracts are awarded. Crossrail is working in partnership with the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) to support contractors employed on Crossrail in delivering apprenticeship programmes.
Crossrail’s plan to develop a specialist Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy (TUCA) is set out in the strategy.
The volume of tunnelling and underground construction work taking place in the UK over the next decade is unprecedented but the new academy will ensure that there are sufficient numbers of people with the skills to work safely in underground construction to satisfy industry demand.
£5m in funding will be provided for the Academy by the Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) via the Skills Funding Agency (SFA). The new facility – scheduled to open in summer 2011- will ensure that all people working underground on Crossrail sites achieve the Underground Safety Passport.
Crossrail also works to inspire young people to consider careers in the fields of construction and engineering through its ‘Young Crossrail’ education programme. Young Crossrail works with all schools within a one mile radius of the Crossrail route, in addition to further education colleges in London.
