When Steve Paskins talks about construction, he talks first about people.
After more than two decades with Laing O’Rourke, Steve has worked on some of the UK’s biggest infrastructure projects. He knows major schemes are built by individuals, including people who may simply need the right chance to get started.
That belief sits behind early work linked to National Grid’s proposed Grimsby to Walpole project, one of the projects within the Great Grid Upgrade. Through its Great Grid Partnership, National Grid is working with delivery partners including Laing O’Rourke to help build the skills and local supply chain needed for projects like this, subject to planning consent.
Steve Paskins of Laing O’Rourke
The approach is already making a difference. Five people from the Grimsby area are now beginning roles with Laing O’Rourke, giving them a practical first step into the construction and infrastructure sector.
Steve says the aim is to make the opportunities easier to understand and easier to access.
“Major infrastructure projects should create opportunities for local people, not just bring work into an area. What we are doing here is giving people in Lincolnshire practical support to take their first step into major infrastructure employment and build a future in the energy industry.”
National Grid needs to upgrade the electricity network so it can carry more clean, home-grown power to homes and businesses as demand grows. We are all using more electricity, from cars and heating to the everyday technology we rely on, so the network needs to grow too. In Lincolnshire, projects like Grimsby to Walpole would help strengthen the network so people can access cleaner, more secure and more affordable electricity when they need it.
Skills and employment support can begin ahead of a planning decision because people need time to build confidence, gain experience and understand the roles major infrastructure projects can create. Starting now means local people will be better prepared for future roles across construction, energy and major infrastructure.
That work is already under way in Grimsby. Through sessions at Grimsby Jobcentre, supported by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), candidates can meet members of the project team, hear about the types of roles that could be available and ask questions in a more informal setting.
Among them are Jacob, Kyle, Jack, Adam and Maclen, who are now gaining hands-on experience in construction, energy and major infrastructure.
Because the programme is being delivered with support from the Department for Work and Pensions, Employment Minister Andrew Western welcomed the partnership:
“This is a fantastic partnership bringing jobs into local communities to help deliver the infrastructure needed to power homes and businesses for the future.
“Through programmes like this in our jobcentres we’re making sure that local people are first in line for those opportunities, with the training and support to succeed.
“We’re opening doors for people across the country, ensuring they have a clear path to employment no matter where they live.”
The new face at Laing O’Rourke
For some, it is a route back into work. For others, it is a chance to try something new, gain practical experience or rebuild confidence after time outside the labour market.
Maclen, who was born and raised in Grimsby, heard about the opportunity through the Jobcentre after working in a range of different jobs, including industrial panelling and care work, with gaps in between. He says the role has already given him a sense of belonging, pride and the security of steady work.
“My dad often says, ‘I built that, I worked on that project,’ and I’m looking forward to being able to say the same.”
Like the other new recruits, Maclen has already completed his CSCS card, a recognised construction site safety qualification, and taken part in several training sessions during his first two weeks.
That partnership approach is also part of the DWP sector-based skills pilot, which Energy & Utility Skills helped shape, bringing employers closer to people looking for work and creates clearer pathways into sectors where demand is growing.
For Laing O’Rourke, the ambition is to build on the early progress. Further roles are being explored across site support, facilities and administration. If Grimsby to Walpole is granted planning consent, the company would be expected to support construction delivery on parts of the project. Until then, the focus is on preparing people for roles through practical support and training.
The approach is now being shared with other parts of the Great Grid Upgrade programme, with similar ‘Meet and Greet’ Jobcentre sessions being considered in areas including Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
For Lincolnshire, the work is a reminder that the energy transition is not only about new infrastructure. It is also about jobs, skills and the confidence that can come when someone is given a real opportunity.
Steve says: “For me, success would be seeing people who started through this route still working in construction or energy in years to come and then supporting others to take their first step too. That kind of lasting skills and career development would be a real benefit for Lincolnshire.”
To find out more about the Chesterfield to Willington proposals, click here