Transport Minister Stephen Hammond is visiting Crossrail's purpose-built training facility today to meet apprentices destined to become the next generation of tunnelling experts.

The Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy (TUCA), based in east London, is Europe’s only specialised education facility focusing entirely on this field and was established in 2011 by Crossrail Ltd to address a shortage of people with the necessary skills to work underground on the transport scheme and on other planned infrastructure projects.

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The minister and Mayor of London Boris Johnson will visit the site on Monday, March 11, the beginning of National Apprenticeship Week.

Stephen Hammond said: "Apprenticeships are at the heart of our drive to keep Britain at the forefront of civil engineering by training the next generation of experts and ensuring our workforce has the skills employers need. This is why, this year alone, government is planning to invest £1.5 billion in apprenticeships. Our increased investment in this area is already bearing fruit and we have seen the number of people starting apprenticeships increasing at a record rate under this government.

"This academy is a shining example of how high quality apprenticeships are being delivered and it is playing a vital role in providing the skilled workers needed to deliver Crossrail and other major transport projects in the UK and beyond."

(CD)