Contractor VolkerFitzpatrick began work on site last month.
The Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy is being developed by Crossrail, aided by £5m funding from the Learning and Skills Council
It will provide training on the key skills required to work in tunnel excavation and underground construction and aims to address the shortage of people with the necessary skills to work on Crossrail and other tunnelling projects across the UK. The Academy will offer training to at least 3,500 people in underground construction alone over the lifetime of the project.
Currently the nearest tunnelling training centre is in Switzerland. The Academy will start to offer training in spring 2011 and the building will be fully open by summer 2011.
Crossrail has formed a partnership with Jobcentre Plus which aims to provide local people with opportunities to work on the Crossrail project. Jobcentre Plus works with a network of local job brokerage and outreach agencies to match vacancies to suitable candidates and arrange interviews for short-listed applicants.
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
