New runway will transform British construction industry

New careers across the British construction industry will be created by a UK government commitment to a new runway, the CBI’s President will say in a speech today.

Speaking at the Airport Operators’ Association Conference, Paul Drechsler CBE, will highlight what a new runway would do for jobs and growth in all the country’s regions:

“It’s estimated that a new runway in the South East would support up to 5,000 additional apprenticeships. That’s 1,500 in the lead-up to construction. A further 1,500 during construction. And then another 2,500 during operation.

“In building a new runway, we wouldn’t just be laying asphalt. We’d be laying the foundations for the skilled workforce of the future, training tomorrow’s electricians, engineers and mechanics the country will need in the long-term.”

“Building a new runway today can help transform the next decade of British construction. Wherever it is built, the benefits would be felt right across the UK through supply chains, creating jobs in, and opportunity for, businesses small, medium and large.

“Look at the construction of Heathrow’s recently completed Terminal 2. The structural steelwork for the roof was made by firms in both Lancashire and Yorkshire. Over 5,000 direction signs were made by a company in Exeter.

“The Airports Commission estimate that a new runway in the South East could create up to 94,900 manufacturing jobs. This has the real potential to leave a legacy of British construction excellence that can then be exported right across the globe.”

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