Birmingham shortlisted for HS2 college base
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has today announced that Birmingham is one of four short-listed locations to be the home of the College of High Speed Rail. The new College 'hub' and a number of 'spokes' based across the country will provide training to the next generation of engineers working on the HS2 project and beyond.
Responding to the news, Birmingham City Council leader Sir Albert Bore said:”Birmingham is at the centre of the high-speed network and has strong academic credentials, including a world-class university, and would be the perfect home for a specialist engineering college.
“We are already working with HS2, the GBSLEP and colleges and universities to make sure the city and wider region benefits from the high speed line with job and training opportunities. This means having the right workforce with the right skills at the right time and ensuring we create opportunities for local companies and people, particularly from areas of the city with the highest levels of unemployment.”
GBSLEP deputy chair Steve Hollis added: “It is excellent news that our submissions to host the High Speed Rail College in Birmingham have been well received and we have been shortlisted by Government.
“We said at the time that we believe the case we presented for Birmingham in terms of sites, central location, networks to colleges and employers was a compelling one.
“The private sector-led partnership with the nine Greater Birmingham FE Colleges, the University of Birmingham and Birmingham City Council has, we believe, everything the Government requires to make this project work. Preparing for the arrival of HS2 is an important part of our Strategic Economic Plan and the college is a component of this. We look forward to working with Government on the next stage of the bid.”
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