Crossrail held three consultation sessions in November 2009 concerning the setting up of a Tunnelling Academy on the border of Newham and Ilford, at Aldersbrook Sidings, off Romford Road. .
The proposals were on display and Crossrail staff on hand to discuss them with people. Click here to view the information panels on display at each session.
What is the Academy?
The Tunnelling Academy is expected to train some 3,000 people between now and 2015, providing the skills necessary for work in a variety of tunnelling roles.
Whilst the UK has tunnelling expertise and knowledge there is not a purpose-built training facility in the UK that is a focal point for the industry.
By working with industry, professional bodies and other organisations that carry out tunnelling work, Crossrail will be contributing to the development of new qualifications and the improvement of health and safety standards across the industry.
Academy location
The site identified for the Tunnelling Academy is the Aldersbrook Sidings, Newham, which is situated on railway land located to the west of Ilford Station. The Academy will address the shortage of people with the necessary skills to work on the project and will be a purpose-built facility providing training on the key skills required to work in and around a tunnel excavation environment.
It will also ensure that all personnel working underground on the project achieve the Underground Safety Passport before working on any Crossrail site, in line with Crossrail's strict standards on safety. Crossrail is working closely with ConstructionSkills and TunnelSkills (the relevant Sector Skills Councils), industry bodies such as the British Tunnelling Society and other key organisations such as London Underground, Thames Water, National Grid and EDF. Through these partnerships, we will ensure that industry gains the maximum benefit from the Academy and its legacy continues beyond the life of the Crossrail project.
Crossrail is intending to seek planning permission from the London Boroughs of Newham and Redbridge to build the academy on the site.
The employment of the right people with the right skills to deliver the project is key to ensuring Crossrail remains on time and within budget. Crossrail's programme of work will reach its peak by 2015 at which point up to 14,000 people will be working on the project. Crossrail is engaging with industry and academic representatives on the design of the Academy and its curriculum
Supporters of the Academy
Those pledging support for the Academy's development and the principles on which it is based include:
- The British Tunnelling Society
- Shanghai Tunnelling Engineering Corporate
- J Murphy & Sons
- Jacobs
- 4D (a joint venture between United Utilities, Costain and MWH)
- Barhale Construction plc
- Dragados
- Sisk Joint Venture
- Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Ltd
- BAM Ferrovial Kier JV
- Beton- und Monierbau
- Costain Skanska Bilfinger Berger JV
- IPS Group
- Sisk
- VINCI Construction UK Ltd
- Volker Fitzpatrick
Through ConstructionSkills and TunnelSkills, who are developing the Academy curriculum in collaboration with Crossrail, and the British Tunnelling Society, who represent the tunnelling industry and its contractors, there has been significant industry engagement to date.
University interest
A number of universities have expressed interest in using the Academy's facilities to support their own academic teaching (Foundation, Bachelor and Master Degrees in Civil Engineering with modules supporting tunnelling and research) and to contribute to appropriate teaching at the Academy.
Click here for a leaflet giving more in formation.
