SKILLS
(Back - L-R) Marcus King, Engagement Manager, HS2 Ltd; Antonio Pelayo; Reece Carabana; Sharmaine Carabana; Judith Rowe, Engagement Adviser, HS2 Ltd and Kim Soucy, Engagement Adviser, HS2 Ltd, (Bottom – L-R) John Isidor; Marley Wall and Joseph Hobson
Derbyshire young people get insight into railway construction
Young people in Chesterfield have been given a hands-on insight into engineering and construction on Britain’s new railway, High Speed 2 (HS2). In an interactive workshop run by HS2 Ltd, members of the Derbyshire BME Forum were tasked with taking on the role of bridge builders. The Derbyshire BME Forum
works to deliver and support activities that will increase opportunities for Black and Minority Ethnic young people (BME) and communities in Derbyshire. Fifteen youngsters participated in the HS2 Ltd session. After learning about the
complexities of constructing major infrastructure components, the young people, aged 10 to 19, were given boxes full of craft materials and challenged to build a bridge over a series of mini obstacles. Once built, the bridges were put to the test by laying track and running a model railway across them. Judith Rowe, Engagement
Adviser at HS2 Ltd, said: “At the peak of construction, over 30,000
people will play a role in delivering Britain’s new high speed railway. HS2 is investing in young people now to help address the country’s skills shortage and ensure we leave a lasting talent legacy for the future. “At events such as these we are
introducing children to a diverse range of career opportunities that HS2, and the wider construction industry, can offer. We want to encourage them to think about how they might play their own part in this once in a generation project that will bring Britain closer together.” Not only will Derbyshire benefit
from dedicated HS2 services at Chesterfield, the proposed HS2 Infrastructure Maintenance Depot at Staveley offers major opportunities for the area. It is estimated that the construction of the depot could support up to 75 roles and, once operational, the facility will provide 200 high skilled jobs. In addition, Derbyshire County Council’s masterplan includes 1,500 new homes and 800 new jobs around the site.
‘At events such as these we are introducing children to a diverse range of career opportunities that HS2, and the wider construction industry, can offer.’
12-year-old Sharmaine Carabana
from Chesterfield, said: “We do need HS2, because we have so many cars that can damage the environment and pollute the earth, but using one train that goes around everywhere is better. Working for the railway would really interest me as there’s lots of different areas you can get involved with.” At HS2 Ltd, 19% of its staff
identify as Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME). The organisation has already taken a number of positive steps towards increasing the number of BAME applicants and staff this year, including launching its own multicultural employee’s network, and working with its supply chain to attend BAME recruitment events to encourage more diverse young talent into the infrastructure sector.
HS2 Ltd is the first company in
the sector to trial ‘blind recruitment’ which, like auditions on TV’s The Voice, takes away everything other than technical ability at the very first stage of recruitment, which removes any unconscious bias. The Derbyshire BME Forum aims
to ensure BME youngsters can play an integral role in influencing decisions made about their lives in the county. Consisting of representatives aged 10 to 25, the forum meets every three months and helps young people to participate in social affairs, identify issues affecting their lives and their mental health and wellbeing, and exchange experiences, information and ideas. The forum is jointly run by Links CVS and Derbyshire County Council.
business network October 2019 87
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