AN ACOCKS Green teenager has started a work placement.
Yusuf Naeem is one of 30 students from Walsall, Thomas Telford in Wolverhampton, Dudley and Solihull colleges to pick up his tools at HS2’s construction company Balfour Beatty VINCI.
The 18-year-old is studying a T-level in Digital Production, Design and Development at Solihull College.
He said: “I’m really excited about this placement and the experience of working in such a big company. I’m hoping to learn lots of new skills, which I can apply to my studies too.”
The placements come following the success of Balfour Beatty’s partnership with Walsall College, which saw seven students progress straight onto degree-level apprenticeships supporting HS2’s construction.
Julie Venn-Morton, HS2’s senior legacy manager for the West Midlands said: “The success of HS2’s first T-Level industry placement scheme, which resulted in just under half of the students securing a full-time job, has increased demand from both the colleges and young people wanting to partner with us.
“The chance to start building a career on HS2 as a teenager is without doubt a once in a lifetime opportunity, and we wish this year’s cohort every success with their studies and their industry placements.”
The T-Level programme forms part of Balfour Beatty’s commitment to ensure that those who live close to the section of the railway that they are building, between Warwickshire and Staffordshire, are given every opportunity to benefit from training, employment and upskilling opportunities.
