Balfour Beatty VINCI, the long-established joint venture between two global infrastructure leaders, today pledges their support to securing the future of the construction industry by joining The 5% Club.
The joint venture, which has been shortlisted as a successful bidder for four tender lots for work on HS2, is the first shortlisted bidder to announce their support to The 5% Club having agreed to have 5% of their workforce consist of Apprentices, Graduates and Sponsored Students within five years.
The pledge further demonstrates Balfour Beatty VINCI’s commitment to addressing youth unemployment and the skills shortage, with the joint venture already having committed to enlist community relations apprentices from local communities, actively linking apprenticeships to training initiatives at local colleges. The joint venture has also committed to create at least 10 STEMNET Ambassadors to support STEM skills in the classroom and encourage STEM projects such as the Big Bang and share career pathways. Balfour Beatty VINCI will also continue to work closely with the National Skills Academy and the National College for High Speed Rail, having supported the development of the facilities and curriculum for the new college over the last two years.
The 5% Club is a UK industry-led initiative focussed on creating momentum behind the recruitment of apprentices and graduates into the workforce thereby transforming the fortunes of young, talented people in the UK.
Peter Anderson, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty VINCI HS2 joint venture, said of the membership, “I am delighted to formally announce Balfour Beatty VINCI’s membership to The 5% Club. The commitment we are making through this pledge is another example of how we will create numerous opportunities for young adults through our involvement with the HS2 project. This will help not only with the youth unemployment rate currently seen within the UK but also in addressing the skills gap within the construction industry. We are committed to playing our part in the solution to these important issues and ensuring a lasting legacy for the future”.
ENDS
Media enquiries to:
Antonia Walton
Balfour Beatty VINCI
t: +44 (0)207 963 2267
m: +44 (0)7966 929 633
e: Antonia.walton@balfourbeatty.com
www.balfourbeattyVINCI.com
Notes to editors:
Balfour Beatty VINCI represents a powerhouse for critical infrastructure across Rail, transport and other iconic projects in the UK and beyond. Balfour Beatty VINCI’s involvement in groundbreaking Design Build Finance and Operation (DBFO) projects offers a unique end-to-end asset knowledge that is crucial in developing the best solutions to the infrastructure needs of the UK. Balfour Beatty and VINCI started working together over 30 years ago when both were members of the TransManche Link consortium which delivered the Channel Tunnel. Balfour Beatty VINCI has successfully bid and delivered a number of key projects on Crossrail and have recently been awarded a Smart Motorways Programme, starting with an 18km stretch of the M5. As leading infrastructure groups, both Balfour Beatty and VINCI Construction offer opportunities for trainees, apprentices, placement students and graduates as well as sponsored degree opportunities
The work packages include Lot C1, the Chiltern Tunnels and Colne Valley Viaduct; Lot C2, the North Portal Chiltern Tunnels to Brackley; Lot N1, the Long Itchington Wood Green Tunnel to Delta Junction/Birmingham Spur; and Lot N2 the Delta Junction to West Coast Main Line Tie-in. In December last year, Balfour Beatty VINCI, a long established joint venture between two global infrastructure leaders recognised for their portfolio of large scale projects, was shortlisted as one of the enabling works contractors in the running to win a share of HS2’s £900m preparatory works. The successful contractors are due to be announced later this year with the enabling work expected to commence in 2017 ahead of the start of major civil engineering works on the first stage of the project between London and the West Midlands.
Balfour Beatty (www.balfourbeatty.com) is a leading international infrastructure group. With 36,000 employees, we provide innovative and efficient infrastructure that underpins our daily lives, supports communities and enables economic growth. We finance, develop, build and maintain complex infrastructure such as transportation, power and utility systems, social and commercial buildings.
Our main geographies are the UK, US, Middle East and South East Asia. Over the last 100 years we have created iconic buildings and infrastructure all over the world including the London Olympics’ Aquatic Centre, Hong Kong’s first Zero Carbon building, the world’s biggest shopping mall in Dubai, the National Museum of the Marine Corps in the US and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.
VINCI is a global player in concessions and construction, employing more than 185,000 people in some 100 countries. We design, finance, build and operate infrastructure and facilities that help improve daily life and mobility for all. Because we believe in all-round performance, above and beyond economic and financial results, we are committed to operating in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. And because our projects are in the public interest, we consider that reaching out to all our stakeholders and engaging in dialogue with them is essential in the conduct of our business activities. www.VINCI.com
