How Camden Solved What Everyone Else Gets Wrong
I’ve watched countless training programs fail because they solve the wrong problem.
Britain faces a construction worker shortage.
Over 140,000 job vacancies currently stall essential housing and infrastructure projects. By 2035, over one-third of construction workers will retire.
The UK needs 251,500 additional construction workers by 2028 just to meet expected demand. That’s 50,300 new workers every year.
Most partnerships focus on announcements rather than results. I wanted to understand why Camden’s approach actually works.
Camden Council built the Euston Skills Yard directly on the HS2 construction site. For context, HS2 is Britain’s £106 billion high-speed rail project that will connect London to Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds. They placed the training facility where the actual work happens, not in a distant training center. This location choice matters more than it appears.
The model works because it solves the employer problem first
Traditional training programs send graduates to a job market with no guaranteed pathway. I’ve seen this pattern repeatedly – great training, no jobs. Camden flipped the model. Their program guarantees job interviews for residents who complete training. The courses are co-designed with HS2 supply chain employers who need these exact skills in civil engineering, groundworks, and construction operations.
The results are clear.
The Euston Skills Centre, which opened in February 2024, delivers more than 150 apprenticeships and 150 jobs annually in construction and green technologies. These are concrete results. What I found interesting is how they measure success differently than most programs.
Real people get real jobs
Steve Boyle gained new skills through a two-week scheme and secured employment with Clipfine. He started a new career in his 50s after hearing about opportunities at the Camden Jobs and Skills Fair. This shows how accessible training can create second-career opportunities when employers are already committed to hiring. But I wanted to dig deeper into potential challenges.
When I examined the partnership structure, I found something most people miss.
Camden provides community oversight and local knowledge. HS2 brings industry expertise and guaranteed job pathways. Skills People delivers training methodology. Construction employers define skill requirements and provide immediate employment.
Each partner focuses on their strengths. No overlap, no confusion about roles. The potential weakness? What happens when one partner’s priorities shift?
How other areas can replicate this
Find a major infrastructure project in your area. Identify the skills gaps in their supply chain. Build training around those specific needs. Guarantee interviews, not just certificates.
Training should happen where the work takes place. The bigger question is sustainability. Can this model work beyond major infrastructure projects?
The Euston model proves that public-private partnerships can create structured employment pathways when they focus on employer needs first, community benefits second, and political announcements last.
Other councils are watching. The question is whether they’ll copy the press release or the actual model. I suspect most will choose the easier path. The real test will be which councils commit to guaranteed job pathways, not just training certificates. Camden proved something important: when you solve the employer problem first, everything else follows.