Jobs joy for first locals to land jobs working on £1bn airport transformation
  • First wave of out-of-work local people set to start on construction site after graduation
  • Manchester Airport’s onsite education academy launched tailored course to help unemployed people get jobs on its £1bn transformation programme
  • A dozen students took part in the inaugural course
  • Bespoke course covers health and safety, manual handling and working at height
An 18 year old construction pro, a sports-mad plasterer and an aviation studies student are among the first people to land a job working on the transformation of Manchester Airport.

Work started on the £1bn project - the largest infrastructure scheme in the North - earlier this year, with 1,500 new jobs set to be created.

The Airport’s on-site academy joined forces with main contractor Laing O’Rourke to deliver a specially-tailored course for those wanting to work on the scheme.

Now, the first cohort of students, who range in age, background and experience, have secured roles working on the transformation and will start on site in the New Year. All live locally and were out of full-time work before being given the opportunity.

Overseeing the graduation was Manchester Airport’s CEO Andrew Cowan, who said: “Our investment in Manchester Airport will give the North the world class international gateway it deserves.

“But it will also do a huge amount to boost the regional economy by creating jobs, tackling local unemployment and driving up skill levels, ensuring the transformation leaves a lasting legacy.

“That is why it is pleasing to see the first wave of people fill newly-created roles on the project and I congratulate them on passing their course and securing a job with Laing O’Rourke.

“This is just one example of the many initiatives we have on site for people to gain access to employment across the entire airport campus.

“With construction progressing rapidly, there will be many more opportunities for people to train in the skills they need to play a part in creating a bigger and better Manchester Airport.”

The Rt Hon Mike Kane MP said: “It is great to see the investment Manchester Airport is making is bringing real benefits to the area by creating jobs for local people, especially those who have been out of work for whatever reason.

“Many people in my constituency grow up aspiring to work at the airport and it is hugely positive to see schemes like this making that a reality for them.

“I wish all the graduates well with their careers and look forward to seeing the Manchester Airport Transformation Programme progress in the weeks and months ahead.”

Bryan Glass, Project Director from Laing O’Rourke said: “I congratulate the graduates on completing their course.

“The projects that we deliver have an impact on the local economy that goes beyond physical construction. By working with the Airport Academy, we are able to support local people back into work that lead to sustainable and fulfilling careers while also creating a pool of talent to complete the Transformation Programme.”

A dozen students started the inaugural three-week course, which covers a range of modules designed to help in the construction industry. These include: health and safety, team building, time management, manual handling, working at height and dust awareness to name a few.

The students are from all walks of life, aging from 18-50 and coming from places including Wythenshawe, Northenden, Cheadle and Baguley (see case studies below). A pre-requisite to take part includes passing literacy and numeracy at Entry Level Three. Plus, applicants need to be at least 18, in receipt of an active benefit e.g. Job Seekers Allowance and a resident in the EU for at least three years.

Those graduates successful in securing a role will be introduced to general construction, giving them a chance to better familiarise themselves with the opportunities available throughout the industry.

Minstrell Recruitment has been involved alongside the Airport Academy and Laing O’Rourke. Any graduates who are unsuccessful at interview stage with Laing O’Rourke will immediately be registered and offered temporary work with one of its ‘Recruitment Arm’ clients. They are able to provide an integrated service offer from screening, selection and training through to the placement of candidates onto other local construction/infrastructure projects.

Launched by The Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP work officially started this summer on Manchester Airport’s Transformation Programme (MANTP).

This project, the largest private investment in the region, will reinforce Manchester Airport’s standing as the UK’s global hub in the North of England, enabling better and more international connections and supporting economic growth across the North.

MANTP will provide millions of passengers and airlines with facilities that combine state of the art services with excellent customer service. With the new development complete, the airport will be able to grow alongside a thriving northern economy to handle 45 million passengers a year, an increase of almost 20 million compared to today.

Manchester Airport is already amongst the world’s top 15 best connected airports by destinations served and this investment will facilitate ever greater levels of trade and investment into the UK that will drive a rebalancing of economic growth across the country.

In recent years, the airport has become the only airport outside London to offer many direct routes to long haul destinations like Seattle, Beijing, San Francisco, Houston and Muscat.

MANTP will enable the airport to further improve the North’s international connectivity and the airport is currently targeting expanding its route network into North America, the Gulf, Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Manchester Airport estimates that MANTP will create more than 1500 jobs in the construction phase alone, nearly 200 of which will be apprentices. Manchester Airport already plays a key role in the Northern Powerhouse, generating £5 billion every year in economic activity in the local and regional economy, employing 20,000 people on site and supporting a further 25,000 jobs indirectly.

The Airport Academy aims to help unemployed people to get jobs in the travel trade, with training provided by tutors from Stockport College designed around skills needed for roles within an airport environment. One of the first projects of its kind in the world, the initiative has helped 1,200 out-of-work people in Greater Manchester into employment since it was launched by Manchester Airport in 2012.
 
"The Galliford Try team will install more than 79,000m3 of pavement quality concrete for new taxiways and aircraft stands. It will also dual a mile-long, 400,000m2 stretch of taxiway so that aircraft can be manoeuvred more efficiently.

In addition, more than six miles of ducting and lighting will be installed and the existing boundary fence moved to accommodate the changes"


http://www.theconstructionindex.co....ps-galliford-try-for-stage-two-pavement-works
 
I’m also slightly confused as to what this work entails, because we have this bit:

Galliford Try won a £38m contract last August to extend the airfield’s west apron with new taxiways and aircraft stands around piers and terminal buildings.

Which to me says that this is the extension over the old staff west etc, but now we have this:


This £54m second phase project will increase aircraft stand capacity and other aircraft parking to cope with the 2024 traffic projections.

So if the known extension over the old staff west is covered in the first quote, as well as the apron around T2, then where is this ‘expansion’?
 
That is a very good question and I was thinking along the same lines.

Maybe MAG have decided to give us a Christmas present of further expansion, although I'm uncertain as to where it might be!!
 
What’s also intriguing is the ‘2024 traffic projections’.

Now, we know that the T2 rebuild doesn’t actually increase the stand count, but just gave more contact parking.

We have often wondered what will happen on the T1 site, so, maybe it is more aircraft parking?
 
There were rumours at parking on the current AVP site, but they were just rumours.
 
I'm sure I saw a question by a poster fairly recently (dried fruit forum?) as to what percentage of the TP was terminal cost and how much airfield. Can't find it now but my vague recollection was that the answer given was approx. 9:1 on terminals.

If that is about right, it would imply c. £100m on airfield including contingency. Are there any other contractors for airfield works apart from Galliford Try?
 
One aspect that comes to mind is the mods to the fuel supply system but I've no idea what sort of costs would be involved in that.
 
If that is about right, it would imply c. £100m on airfield including contingency. Are there any other contractors for airfield works apart from Galliford Try?

There have been other contractors, as they posted on social media about the work, but I genuinely don’t remember the names of those companies.
 
Yes, I was just trying to assess whether the second phase of £54m to £92m for Galliford Try in total was additional work or part of the original budget in the £1bn.
 
I knew about the taxiway work outside the AVP, that wasn’t a question mark for me.

The question mark lies purely over these extra stands. As said, the new stands over the old staff west were covered in the initial package, and they, to my knowledge, were the only ‘new’ stands being put in.

This second package is almost 2/3 larger than the original, to which I expect that doubling the taxiways will account for a decent chunk of that, and all the associated ground works, but as for the new stands, I don’t even know where they would be.
 
Unless it's for the new/replacement apron and stands between piers 1-2, 2-3, 3-4 and 4-T1?
 
No, that was covered in the initial contract, as it says ‘stands around the piers’.
 
The only place I can think off is between the TCX hanger and the Freight sheds. No more than three.

If you look at the fly through there are three new stands which are set back from the taxiway and will probably go over Pinfold Lane. Thats all I can think of.
 
Unfortunately I can't work out quite how the the taxiway extension is going to look or help. Can someone enlighten me.
 
Working from an early copy of the MANTP programme that I have in my possession it would seem that the work is currently at least 6 months behind the timetable set in 2015.

Based on this I would expect work on the new West Apron (the part behind the new pier) and the dualling of taxiway November Alpha to be completed for winter 2018/2019. This would also see Pier 1 being opened.

Next would be the dualling on taxiways November/Delta from the old "East Link".

This is part supposition and part reading of available documentation. Hopefully User001 may be able to give us an update.
 

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All checked in for my flight to Sydney from Manchester via Heathrow. Been waiting for this trip for nearly a year and now tomorrow I'll finally head to Australia and New Zealand!
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survived a redundancy scenario where I work for the 3rd time. Now it looks likely I will get to cover work for 2 other teams.. Pretty please for a payrise? That would be a no and so stay on the min wage.
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