People from north Liverpool are securing jobs and starting on new careers thanks to the £500m construction of Everton FC’s new stadium. Tony McDonough reports
Almost 150 new jobs have been created due to the construction of Everton’s FC’s new stadium in Bramley-Moore Dock.
Costing £500m, the project in Liverpool Waters is being overseen by main contractor Laing O’Rourke. Almost 150 new jobs have been created with 67% of the workforce on the scheme being drawn from north Liverpool.
A total of 55 apprentices are now working on, or contributing to the project. And, more than 200 students have learned about the project and career opportunities within construction through a series of ongoing site activities and educational site visits.
An ongoing knowledge transfer partnership is also in place with Liverpool John Moores University, to enable more students to become actively engaged on the project.
Work on the 55,888-capacity arena started in summer 2021. Everton hopes it will be ready for the start of the 2024/25 Premier League season. They will leave behind a legacy project around their current home at Goodison Park in Walton.
Further employment opportunities are being made available through the supply chain partners, whose products and services will aid the construction of the new stadium. Laing O’Rourke has also partnered with leading training providers. They include The Learning Foundry and The Skills Centre.
As part of pre-apprenticeship courses through The Learning Foundry, participants will be taught the basic formwork carpentry or steel fixer skills. They will also learn about health and safety requirements of the industry, and gain their Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card, allowing them to work across the UK.
Ten new apprentices, who successfully passed through the scheme, have already started working alongside some of the most experienced tradespeople and technicians in the industry.
Video: Everton stadium is finished – virtually
Work placements have also been offered to local unemployed residents through a partnership with Liverpool in Work. And the health and wellbeing of the workforce continues to be a priority, with a mental health upskilling programme in place for all staff and workers on site.
Laing O’Rourke has also started a site collection for the Food Pantry at the Blue Base, run by Everton in the Community and the Fans Supporting Foodbanks. And more than 100 Laing O’Rourke staff have offered their services to volunteer on community projects in the area.