Willmott Dixon is continuing work to construct the £25 million National College of High Speed Rail in Birmingham.

The roof structure on the building has been finalised and the facility is on schedule to open in September 2017.

The College is being developed in Birmingham's university district and will offer specialist training, skills and qualifications required to build HS2 and future rail infrastructure projects.

It is estimated around 87,000 graduate level engineers will be needed for British businesses every year over the next decade, while 30% of the current workforce will need further training to deliver the demands of the High Speed Rail industry.

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In addition, HS2 Ltd has appointed Clair Mowbray as the new Chief Executive of the National College for High Speed Rail.

Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, said: "Work on the new College sites shows the transformational effect that HS2 is already having, creating jobs and supporting economic growth. Around 25,000 jobs and 2,000 apprenticeships will be generated during construction of HS2, which is due to begin next year."

Terry Morgan, Chair of the National College for High Speed Rail, added: "I'm extremely pleased to appoint Clair as the new Chief Executive of the National College for High Speed Rail. Her commitment and passion for education and strategic development will be vital as we move closer to opening the College in September 2017.

"We are passionate about creating a state-of-the-art, employer-led college which will provide students with the skills they need to enjoy an exciting and well-paid career while providing employers with the highly-skilled workforce they need to deliver High Speed Rail in the UK and other major infrastructure projects."

(LM/JP)