The training operator for the Europe’s first tunnelling academy of its kind, the Tunnelling and Underground Consruction Academy (TUCA) in Ilford, has urged contractors to start training apprentices now to cope with the unprecedented specialist workload over the next decade.
Nigel Donohue, business development manager at CITB-ConstructionSkills said: “We are running out of sufficiently qualified people – and that extends into nuclear as well. We’ve never encountered such a concentration of tunnelling activity as we have coming up in London, nationally and across Europe.”
Up to 14,000 people will be employed by Crossrail contractors at the peak of construction in 2013/2015 with around 60,000 over the term of the project. Other major new infrastructure projects as well as upgrades of existing transport and utility infrastructure include: the Thames Tideway Tunnel; National Grid replacement cable tunnels; EDF/ UK Power Network electricity cable tunnels; Bakerloo line tunnel extension; Chelsea-Hackney line; High Speed 2; Crossrail 2; Nuclear programme – which, as well as tunnelling, requires extensive concrete spraying work which is also being taught at TUCA.
Register for free and continue reading
This is not a paywall. Registration allows us to enhance your experience across Construction Management and ensure we deliver you quality editorial content.
Registering also means you can manage your own CPDs, comments, newsletter sign-ups and privacy settings.
