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People & Careers roundup

Stuart Westgate has been appointed programme development director (internal sponsor) for HS2. Reporting directly to CEO, Simon Kirby, he will lead development of the new north-south rail line and provide an important link between HS2 and other transport bodies. Stuart joins HS2 from KPMG where he spent four years as director of major projects advisory. Prior to joining KPMG in 2011, he spent two years as director of Crossrail Surface, responsible for the mainline elements of the cross-London rail scheme. HS2 Ltd has also appointed former Civil Aviation chair and Housing Finance Corporation chair Roger Mountford as a non executive director.  

Two new employer-led pilot projects which will open up new routes into engineering for women and increase their potential to advance in engineering careers have been announced. The projects will be run by Atkins and Hyder Consulting. The £208,000 of joint government and employer funding will create skills programmes for new and former women engineers and improve the representation of women in their UK workforces. The two companies were chosen from a competitive tender under the government’s Employer Ownership of Skills Fund. The projects receiving funding are: Atkins - to support the training of 100 women to level 3 qualifications to aid their return to engineering after a break in their careers; Hyder Consultancy - to support the training of 80 female engineers up to level 4 (degree equivalent) standards to help them advance their careers.

Osborne chief executive David Fison is retiring from the business at the endof March. The contractor’s new ceo will be executive director Andy Steel who is currentlymanaging director of the construction division. Education director John Craig, will become construction MD.  

Labour is promising to create an extra 80,000 apprenticeships but only for young people who gain level 3 qualifications – equivalent to having two A levels. The scheme as stated would mean 33,000 apprenticeships being created by HS2 on its own