Careers : Training Academy

”When construction work starts in 2010, around 14,000 people will be needed to build Crossrail". Douglas Oakervee, executive chairman of Crossrail, is planning a training academy to ensure that Londoners can work on the project and that opportunities are created to equip local people with the right skills to work on the project.

"As well as providing essential transport capacity, Crossrail has an important role to play in supporting regeneration and the economy. Ensuring that jobs are made available to Londoners – and that Londoners have the skills required – is an important part of Crossrail’s approach to construction."

Douglas Oakervee has said that one of the biggest challenges to building Crossrail would be the shortage of skilled technicians. "Crossrail goes through some of the most deprived boroughs in London and I think it would be very wrong if we didn’t endeavour to give the people who live in those boroughs the opportunity to be trained to work on projects like this.”

Douglas is currently in discussions with professional institutions, training bodies and Construction Skills over the academy, which would have a series of modules in civil engineering and tunnelling in particular.