WATCH: Fly-through flash new HS2 engineering college
Construction of a new college to train engineers for HS2 has started in the West Midlands.
The National College for High Speed Rail is underway in Birmingham's Learning Quarter and at Doncaster's Lakeside.
The college is set to open its doors to students in September 2017.
Minister of State for Transport Robert Goodwill said: "This landmark moment means we are one step closer to seeing students walk through the doors of the College in 2017, learning the cutting-edge skills we need to deliver HS2 and world-beating rail infrastructure.
"This shows the transformational effect that HS2 is already having on our country – boosting skills, generating jobs and supporting economic growth – before spades are in the ground next year."
The college will train thousands of students with technical engineering skills required to build, operate and maintain a railway.
There will be a sister college in Doncaster.
HS2 will link London to Birmingham and then Manchester and Sheffield and cost £55.7bn.
The line will slice through 45 miles of Staffordshire countryside.
Birmingham City Council and Doncaster Council have carried out significant work in partnership with HS2 Ltd to help set up the structure of the College and develop the curriculum.
Councillor John Clancy, leader of Birmingham City Council said: "Birmingham will become the city of a thousand and one trades when we begin training an elite generation of high speed rail engineers."
Beth West, HS2 Ltd commercial director, said: "The National College for High Speed Rail will help re-define what it means to be employed by the rail industry by attracting new people and providing the opportunity to create the diverse workforce that the industry aspires to.
"It is vital that we act now to ensure we have enough skilled people to build HS2 and the College will provide specialist vocational training for the next generation of engineers and apprentices."
