The approval of plans for the West Midlands Interchange has been labelled as a ‘great opportunity’ to upskill workers and boost employment in the region by a leading labour supply company.

The Interchange is expected to create more than 8,500 jobs, bring £427m to the local economy and an extra £912m nationally.

Sat Nijjer, Fortel CEO, A company that provides more than 2,000 workers at over 130 locations throughout the country, has encouraged people across the Black Country to get themselves ready to fill the variety of positions set to be made available throughout the construction process and beyond.

He said: “The approval of the West Midlands Interchange plans points towards the West Midlands’ growing reputation as the most progressive region in the UK in terms of infrastructure.

“The people of the West Midlands who are without work or are looking for a change should be looking at what skills are going to be required for this unique project and putting themselves firmly in the frame to fill the thousands of spaces that are going to be created.

“It is a great opportunity for the region to show what it can do and there are opportunities out there for people to learn these new skills through our colleges and training academies.

“There are grants out there to help support people through that process so I would recommend that people start looking ahead now, as this is a project that should gather speed now it has been approved.”

The creation of the Interchange will take place on 700 acres of land close to the A5, A449 and M6 at Gailey, Four Ashes and Calf Heath, with the completed site set to feature rail links to the West Coast Main Line as well as dozens of warehouses.

Under plans signed off by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, construction of the rail interchange will be brought forward and built when the site is filled to 25 percent of its capacity.

Fortel, which is currently going through a period of growth, is continuing with work to build a new headquarters at Junction 10 of the M6, which will include a training academy to help upskill workers in the West Midlands.