Member Article

Group to see inclusion of local firms in work on new Mersey hospital

A steering group is being created in a bid to ensure that the building of the new Liverpool Royal Hospital brings employment and training opportunities for local people.

The £335m development will see 750 full time construction jobs, with 100 apprenticeship opportunities created over the lifetime of the building work. A commitment has been given to have 60% of the jobs for local people.

An employment and training group which will bring together Carillion - the main contractors, Liverpool in Work, the Hospital Trust and other stakeholders is being established. The group will aim to see that local people and businesses gain the maximum benefits from the development.

Joanne Reeves, Carillion Community Regeneration Manager, said:“Carillion fully recognises the potential of the new Royal development to make a positive, sustainable difference to the social and economic growth of the local community, resulting in benefits across the City of Liverpool and wider Liverpool City Region.

“The Local Labour and Training Agreement which forms part of our project agreement with the Trust sets out how the commitment to the people in the local area is realised.

“The overall objective is to maximise the business, employment and training opportunities for local people and local businesses generated by the development. It is proposed that the Employment and Training Steering Group will drive achievement of the objective.”

Councillor Nick Small, the city council’s cabinet member for employment, enterprise and skills, said: “The Mayor has pledged to support the creation of 20,000 new jobs in Liverpool over the next few years.

“It’s crucial that we work in a targeted way to make sure that Liverpool residents, especially young people and those not working at the moment, can get those jobs and the right skills they need.

“The Council’s in-house employment team Liverpool in Work is working flat out with Carillion to make sure that as many local people as possible get jobs building the new Royal.

“We’re doing the same thing with the new hospital at Alder Hey, the 12 new schools being built by the Mayor, in Stonebridge Cross, on the new supermarket on Great Homer Street and the new retail park on Edge Lane.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .