Following the success of Wednesday’s test event, which raised more £15,000 for City in the Community’s powerchair football programme, the group of apprentices and trainees who’ve been learning their craft on the Etihad Stadium’s expansion project were on hand for the iconic moment to instruct the developing players on the perfect seat fitting technique.
Local residents were also invited for an exclusive tour the new stadium which has seen a new third tier added to the South Stand of the ground as well as a three rows pitch side, taking the capacity to more than 55,000.
Pete Bradshaw, Head of CSR and Infrastructure Development for Manchester City Football Club said: “It has been a privilege to see the apprentices and trainees grow throughout the stadium expansion project.
“They are having such a positive impact on all aspects of the business but they are also developing their own skills and building a career for themselves in Manchester.”
Cllr Bernard Priest, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “The Etihad Stadium has been at the heart of east Manchester’s transformation since the 2002 Commonwealth Games – and it’s been fantastic to see the continued regeneration in the years since. This expansion will create one of the largest capacity stadiums in the UK, which is fantastic for the club – but importantly, local people have been given the opportunity to gain invaluable employment and training opportunities during the development, and gain skills that will help to support them in to future employment.”
Since March 2014, Josh Shaw, 21 from Collyhurst has been working on the project as a trainee Quantity Surveyor with principle contractor Laing O’Rourke and took a leading role in today’s activity having played a part in managing the delivery of the new seats: “The traineeship has allowed me to develop my skills on one of the biggest stadium expansion in the UK. Every day, I’ve learnt something new and little by little I’ve been given bigger responsibilities, which I’ve loved.”
Josh recently completed his Level 3 Higher National Certificate qualification, which he studied at The Manchester College in Openshaw. This practical qualification is equivalent to the first two years of a degree course, meaning Josh will now go on to complete his training by doing the final year of a Quantity Surveyor degree at Salford University.
Manchester City has an unwavering commitment to the regeneration of the local area in both economic and environmental terms. Key highlights from the stadium expansion project are:
o 45% of employees were from Greater Manchester
o 39 apprenticeships and trainees hosted at the project
o 21 work experience placements
o 4,600 hours of training delivered on site
o 21 trainees have achieved full time employment as a result of the project
o 1,400 local students have engaged in the project
o 48 days of volunteering time have been donated by project employees to local causes
For more information on the landmark Stadium Expansion project, visit mcfc.co.uk/the-club/stadium-expansion
Don’t forget to get down early ahead of kick off against Chelsea and help make the unveiling of the new stand a moment to remember! Full details here.
