Heathrow has convened the first meeting of its Heathrow Infrastructure Skills Council as it prepares the workforce for a major expansion programme, with roles expected across engineering, logistics, electrical installation, carpentry and joinery. The council brings together unions, colleges and training providers to help align training with the build.
The airport is promoting the skills plan while political support for expansion remains uncertain. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has declined to endorse the scheme, while Chancellor John Healey has emphasised its economic benefits. Heathrow says the expansion can deliver local and national growth, but it still faces a lengthy planning process.
Jobs and training commitments
Heathrow forecasts at least 17,500 local jobs at peak construction. It also expects 33,000 jobs across its nine neighbouring boroughs by 2055. The airport has pledged 5,000 youth apprenticeships, traineeships and other routes into work.
- Heathrow will play a key role in the new West London Construction Training Excellence Centre, one of 10 being established nationally by the Department for Education.
- An expanded SME Academy is intended to help smaller firms compete for supply chain work generated by the privately financed project.
- A refreshed face-to-face work experience programme for local students is due within the next year, followed by an annual careers event starting in March 2027.
The measures form part of Heathrow's new Economic Development Framework, which sets out how expansion could support growth. Lord Blunkett, co-chair of the skills council, said the programme should look to the horizon, recognise the potential of major infrastructure investment and build the education and skills pipeline needed to meet the challenge.
Political pressure over a third runway
The jobs push comes as the airport tries to maintain political momentum. Burnham has suggested that expansion should be a matter for London and Londoners. The Sunday Times also reported that he told Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander he was unconvinced by the project.
Healey took a more supportive tone on Friday, saying that the case for a third runway at Heathrow had always been a case for growth. The airport has indicated that the runway may not open until 2039, four years later than its original target, and it still needs to complete a lengthy planning process.
For now, Heathrow is pressing ahead with the skills preparations, even as the timing and political conditions for the expansion remain unresolved. The council's first meeting signals that the airport wants training providers and employers ready for construction work if the project proceeds, while the runway decision continues to sit in a contested planning and political process.