Balfour Beatty VINCI is offering young people who are out of work the opportunity to kickstart their career at HS2, providing 30 placements this year
The partnership also aligns with the Prince’s Trust’s aim of getting 1,000 young people enrolled onto Kickstart programmes in 2021.
Kickstart is a Government-funded initiative aimed at creating job placements for 16- to 24-year-olds who are on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment.
It forms part of the Government’s Plan for Jobs campaign and is designed to support those who have been adversely affected by the pandemic.
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’s six-month programme will provide candidates with a combination of practical and theoretical learning.
Placements will be based within a range of different departments, including design, engineering, consents, site support, finance and skills, employment and education, allowing candidates to choose opportunities that align to their future career aspirations and interests.
The 5% Club
In line with targets set by HS2, which are designed to create thousands of jobs and opportunities for local people along the route of the railway and through its involvement with The 5% Club – a dynamic movement of employers committed to ‘earn & learn’ roles as part of ensuring Britain’s social mobility and shared prosperity, Balfour Beatty VINCI has already committed to ensuring that 5% of its workforce is made up of apprentices.
With Balfour Beatty VINCI forecasting the creation of at least 6,000 more local jobs to support its programme of construction work on HS2, the prospects for long-term employment are high for those who perform well during their placement.
The first 16 work placements with Balfour Beatty VINCI will begin on 26 April 2021 and the application process is now open.
The final 14 placements will be advertised later this year.
Meaningful upskilling opportunities
Julie Venn-Morton, HS2 Ltd’s skills manager for the West Midlands, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for those young people who are finding it difficult to secure a job or meaningful upskilling opportunities that will prepare them for the world of work.
“The combination of support provided by the Prince’s Trust and the ability to work side by side with Balfour Beatty VINCI’s team of experts, who are constructing the railway, really makes this opportunity unique.”
