A group of apprentices today delivered a letter to Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, urging him not to scrap the “transformational” HS2 project that is “part of all our futures”.
Arguing that their “voices should be heard” in the ongoing debate around HS2’s future, the apprentices, all working for High Speed Rail Industry Leaders member companies, say that they are “immensely proud that we are helping deliver one of the most important programmes for our country – the first north-south railway in 100 years” and that the project will be “globally admired” if it is completed.
The HS2 apprentices drew attention to the 30,000 HS2 jobs that would be put at risk if the project was scrapped: “Decisions taken today will affect us the most. Much is at stake: our future, the future of high-speed rail and rail investment, the 9,000 jobs working on the HS2 programme today, the 30,000 set to work ahead as well as many more hundreds of thousands in related programmes resting on HS2.” HS2’s apprenticeship programme will create 2,000 apprenticeship opportunities over the project’s lifetime.
And they highlight the opportunities “not just [for] a wide range of young people from different backgrounds like us but also other opportunities too, for example helping the long-term unemployed into apprenticeships providing life chances that people have not had before”.
The apprentices say that their roles at HS2 show that the project represents a “significant boost to enhancing skill levels and creating pathways for high-skilled jobs across the UK” and that scrapping the project would put at risk the “skilled jobs the country needs”.
Their intervention comes as Douglas Oakervee finalises his Independent Review of HS2, which is assessing the project’s future. It also comes ahead of Monday’s Queen’s Speech. The apprentices are seeking assurances of “the Government’s continued commitment to the legislation needed to deliver HS2.”
High Speed Rail Industry Leaders Director Isabel Coman said:
“HS2 has played a huge role in creating opportunities for young people from all sorts of backgrounds, getting them into apprenticeships and providing life chances that they could never have dreamed of before. It would be such a loss for them and the skills agenda if this scheme doesn’t go ahead.
“HS2 has given these apprentices such an important start in life, just as this transformational project will give all parts of the country a new lease of life, as well as breaking the North-South divide and supporting a zero carbon future.”
The full text of the letter is below:
As apprentices for HS2 suppliers we are writing to you in an open letter to register our strong support for this vital scheme, in advance of the Oakervee review reporting its findings, and ahead of next week’s Queen’s Speech as we want to see within it the Government’s continued commitment to the legislation needed to deliver HS2.
As apprentices we feel that our voices should be heard in the discussions on the future of HS2. We are not only helping deliver the programme, but we will be users of this transformational railway for years to come. In addition, as we know, HS2 is a significant boost to enhancing skill levels and creating pathways for high-skilled jobs across the UK – we are a testament to this. Many more apprentices can join us working on the scheme, but we need HS2 to continue.
The Prime Minister and Government Ministers repeatedly say that they want to invest in Britain and that the younger generation needs a positive future. HS2 represents this. Decisions taken today will affect us the most. Much is at stake: our future, the future of high-speed rail and rail investment, the 9,000 jobs working on the HS2 programme today, the 30,000 set to work ahead as well as many more hundreds of thousands in related programmes resting on HS2. We are part of the future success of our transport system, a successful rail sector and the skilled jobs the country needs.
We are immensely proud that we are helping deliver one of the most important programmes for our country – the first north-south railway in 100 years. But, we know too it is not just a transport programme but an economic one that helps connect the country. Developing a British high speed rail network – using UK talent, engineering and manufacturing – will allow us to develop even further the national capability in high speed rail. Around the world, multiple countries from India to Australia to the USA are planning high speed rail lines; HS2 and the skills and capability it will create will allow our companies – and us – to take advantage of these new opportunities. Working together we can successfully deliver a truly globally admired project and as a result create multiple future prospects.
We are also proud of the opportunities that HS2 offers, not just to a wide range of young people from different backgrounds like us but also other opportunities too, for example helping the long-term unemployed into apprenticeships providing life chances that people have not had before. We are collectively part of the HS2 success story and HS2 is part of all our futures. We hope that this is recognised and considered as the programme is being assessed ahead.
