18 October 2022
Anti-Slavery Day 2022
Today is Anti-Slavery day, marked on 18 October every year, which is an opportunity to raise awareness of modern slavery, and encourage organisations, business and individuals to take action to address the issue. VGC actively take action to prevent modern slavery within the business, as well as continuing to educate ourselves through external events, and
5 October 2022
VGC continue to demonstrate highest standards in ethical employment
We have successfully passed the Ethical Employment Audit and received the Ethical Employment Certification from Achilles. This is a new accreditation for VGC and the audit focused on our processes of engagement and employment for both direct and indirectly employed workers. It looked at VGC’s documentation, and reviewed the practical application of these policies
26 September 2022
VGC welcomes new apprentice cohort
Today, labour manager Jana Romanova and Natalia Lagos went to the Skills Centre to meet our eight apprentices commencing their apprenticeship on HS2 Skanska Costain Strabag Joint Venture project. In collaboration with Danny Sullivan Group and McGinley Support Services, we will be supporting the apprentices through their groundworks apprenticeships, with a mixture of on site
30 August 2022
Kier confirmed as new contractor for Penzance creative business hub
The leading UK construction group Kier has been confirmed as the new contractor for the Penzance Creative Cluster, an innovative new business hub in Cornwall. Work on the three-storey building was halted after the original contractor Midas entered administration earlier in the year. The company reportedly owed £22 million to its creditors when it
30 August 2022
HS2 joins West Midlands Jobs and Skills Showcase for Commonwealth Games workers
HS2’s lead construction partner Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) has joined the West Midlands Jobs and Skills Showcase, an event aimed at finding new careers for those involved in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Temporary staff and volunteers who played a key part in the hugely successful sporting event are being encouraged to join HS2. To
4 August 2022
Apprentice Natalia Lagos achieves distinction
Natalia joined VGC in April 2021 as an apprentice Administrator on SCS. Last week, she achieved a distinction in her NVQ level 3 diploma in Business Administration. Natalia had chosen A-Levels in psychology, history, and sociology, but realised that she would prefer a course of study that had a practical application. In April 2021,
1 August 2022
How HS2 is “upskilling the next generation” of female engineers
Three phases of HS2 are now officially underway, with 170 miles of new high-speed railway under construction between London and Crewe. Europe’s biggest infrastructure project has so far supported an enormous 25,000 jobs, but it’s also opened up a world of opportunities for those hoping to break into the industry. According to the HS2
6 July 2022
VGC wins at HS2 Awards
On 4 July 2022, Sean Fitzpatrick, Ciara Pryce, Chris Ryan and Kimberley McGinty were presented with the HS2 Inspiration Award for modern slavery prevention at the House of Commons. The People Legacy Inspiration Awards celebrates the work that the supply chain is doing in equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), skill employment, and education (SEE),
5 July 2022
Civil engineering sector on the up – experts identify positive signs of growth
The last few years have proved enormously challenging for many UK sectors, in the wake of Covid-19 and its hard-hitting economic impact. Civil engineering faced its fair share of setbacks, including the suspension of engineering sites across the country during multiple pandemic lockdowns. This inevitably affected growth, which dropped by a worrying 15% during 2020.
5 July 2022
Work starts on Northamptonshire green landscaping tunnel for HS2
Construction has officially started in Northamptonshire on a green tunnel to minimise HS2’s impact on the surrounding landscape. The ambitious project is the very first of its kind in the UK, with construction works expected to last around three years. During this time, the project is expected to generate and support a number of UK
22 June 2022
SCS Supply Chain Enterprise Academy
On 15 June, VGC hosted the SCS Supply Chain Enterprise Academy at Hazelwood Community Centre for SCS. We welcomed over 50 people from SME’s in the SCS supply chain, delivering sessions on SEE, EDI, leadership and collaboration, our CSR programme, and modern slavery. Andrew Spencer, Head of Procurement & Supply Chain for Skanska, began the
1 June 2022
Thames Tideway Tunnel celebrates engineering feat with special live performance
To mark the completion of tunnelling work on London’s huge new ‘Super Sewer’, the Thames Tideway Tunnel project has hosted a special live music performance over 70 metres underground. The Thames Tideway Tunnel aims to build a major new 25km sewer underneath the river Thames. The capital currently relies on a sewer system that is over
