High Speed 2 engineering college

Plans for a new further education college to train the next generation of world-class engineers to work on the construction of High Speed 2 (HS2) have been unveiled today (14 January 2014).

Dr Tony Whitehead from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) said: “The success of High Speed 2 will depend on the availability of world-class engineers and technicians.  The sector is experiencing a skills shortage, so we welcome the Government’s announcement to establish a dedicated training college for HS2 engineers.

“High Speed 2 is a high profile project and has the potential to play an important role in rebuilding the UK’s economy.  However, the less high-profile projects such as superfast broadband and the fight against cyber security all require engineers and technicians and we need investment in these areas to ensure we have people with the right skills. Further education colleges in some of these other areas is something the Government should also consider.

“The recently published Perkins’ Review highlighted the skills crisis and fixing this requires sustained investment across the board to ensure we attract the next generation of engineers and technicians.”

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