London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Mar 12, 2026

Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Talks with Army as 5,000 jobs vacant

Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Talks with Army as 5,000 jobs vacant

Five thousand short-term jobs still need to be filled ahead of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, with the Army on standby to help out.

There are 50 days before the start of the event, which runs from 28 July to 8 August across the city and wider West Midlands.

Chief Executive Ian Reid said they had spoken to the military to take steps if necessary.

Leaflets have been put through doors as part of a recruitment drive.

Organisers say they want to give people opportunities to get skills that will help in finding work after the Games.

Jobs in security, catering and cleaning still need to be filled.

The games start in 50 days as shown by the countdown clock in Centenary Square

The volunteer outfits, designed by students from across Birmingham, were unveiled recently


Mr Reid said: "Up to 5,000 roles are still to be put in place. We're seeing a huge uptick of the back off the marketing campaign but there is still a lot of recruitment to be done over the next few weeks."

Speaking from the Sandwell Aquatics Centre earlier, he said they had a plan A and B in place, the latter being bringing in the Army, and they were monitoring the situation closely.

In 2012, up to 13,500 military personnel helped to provide security at the London Olympic Games.


Analysis: Phil Mackie, BBC News Midlands correspondent


So far the preparations for the Games have gone smoothly.

The major venues - the Alexander stadium in Birmingham and the Sandwell Aquatic centre - are finished but, like many large employers at the moment, they are facing recruitment problems.

Chief Executive of the Organising Committee Ian Reid said lessons had been learned from London 2012, when the Army had to help at venues because of shortages of security staff.

Mr Reid said that unlike London they were working with a number of different security providers, instead of a single organisation, to spread the risk.

Chief executive Ian Reid, visiting Sandwell Aquatic Centre, said the situation is being monitored closely


Richard Smith, from the Department of Work and Pensions, who was at a jobs fair at Villa Park, said people were still needed to fill roles in security, hospitality, stewardship and cleaning, which, he added, were also needed in the "wider economy" beyond this summer's international sports event.

Thomas Phipps, assistant branch manager at Verve People Birmingham, which is aiding recruitment, said the operation was "huge" for his agency.

"The demand is going to be there because thousands of people are going to be coming into Birmingham to watch the [Games]."

Posts range from three weeks to three months and people can fill in an expression of interest form online.

Tom Overton said he wanted to help local people increase their skills


Tom Overton, resourcing team leader for the summer jobs campaign at Birmingham 2022, said he wanted to use the opportunities to "upskill" local people who may not have formal qualifications but wanted to get into work.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Release of Mandelson Files Raises Tensions as UK Seeks Stable Relations With Donald Trump
UK Documents Reveal Starmer Was Warned About Mandelson’s Epstein Links Before Ambassador Appointment
Nearly Five Hundred UK Mortgage Deals Withdrawn in Two Days as Market Volatility Forces Lenders to Reprice
Three Cargo Ships Hit Near Iran as Attacks Spread to Strategic Strait of Hormuz
Why British Police Repeatedly Declined to Investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s UK Links
UK Parliament Ends Hereditary Seats in House of Lords, Closing Chapter on Centuries of Aristocratic Lawmaking
EU and UK Urge Israel to Act Against Rising West Bank Settler Violence Amid Regional Tensions
US Senator John Kennedy Says Keir Starmer Should Not Be Trusted for Military Advice Amid Iran War Debate
UK High Court Rejects Attempt to Revive Terrorism Charge Against Kneecap Rapper
Revolut Secures Full UK Banking Licence After Multi-Year Regulatory Wait
Kentucky’s Bench Boost Powers Wildcats Past LSU in SEC Tournament Opener
British Couple Die After Being Pulled From Water at Australian Beach During Family Visit
Global Energy Agency Announces Record Release of 400 Million Barrels to Stabilize Oil Markets Amid Hormuz Disruption
British Airways Suspends UK Repatriation Flights as Middle East Travel Disruption Deepens
US Forces Prepare Ordnance at RAF Fairford as Strategic Bombers Deploy for Middle East Operations
Nigel Farage Faces Criticism After Saying Britain Should Stay Out of Iran War
Landmark UK Trial Begins Over Sony’s PlayStation Store Pricing
UK High Court Rejects Bid to Challenge Britain’s Chagos Islands Agreement With Mauritius
Finnish Duo Triumphs in England’s Annual Wife-Carrying Race, Winning a Barrel of Ale
How U.S. and UK National Security Strategies Are Reshaping the Global Business Landscape
Green Party Gains Momentum as Labour Shifts Toward the Political Centre
Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Dragon Sets Sail for Eastern Mediterranean as Regional Tensions Rise
UK Homebuilder Persimmon Warns Iran Conflict Could Dent Property Buyer Confidence
Roman Abramovich Signals Legal Fight if UK Seeks to Seize Chelsea Sale Funds
UK Ready to Back Emergency Oil Reserve Release as Middle East Conflict Pushes Prices Higher
Study of 40,000 Articles Sparks Debate Over Alleged Anti-Muslim Bias in UK Media
US and UK Army Chiefs Strengthen Cooperation on the Future of Armored Warfare
Britain’s Search for the Next ARM Intensifies as Startups and Investors Target the Semiconductor Frontier
Three US Strategic Bombers Arrive at RAF Fairford as Iran Conflict Intensifies
Cancer Death Rates in the UK Fall to the Lowest Level on Record
UK Government Bond Yields Retreat Slightly After Sharp Spike Triggered by Middle East Conflict
UK Chancellor Warns Middle East War Could Push Inflation Higher
UK Prime Minister Warns Iran Conflict Could Drive Up Prices and Threaten Economic Stability
Trump Declines UK Offer to Deploy Aircraft Carriers to Middle East Amid Iran Conflict
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Return to Australia After Seven Years for Philanthropic and Business Engagements
UK Government Signals Independence From Washington as Cooper Says Britain Does Not Agree With Trump on Every Issue
UK Experts Warn AI Chatbots Are Fueling Surge in Claims of Organised ‘Satanic’ Ritual Abuse
UK Political Parties Divided Over Strategy as Iran Conflict Reshapes Foreign Policy Debate
Britain Discloses Secret Military Repair Hubs Operating Inside Ukraine
Trump Says US No Longer Needs UK Carrier Support After Delayed Offer Amid Iran Conflict
Why Britain Has Become Involved in the US-Israel Military Campaign Against Iran
UK Gas Storage Falls to Under Two Days as Iran Conflict Jolts Global Energy Markets
UK Warned to Brace for Economic Shock as Iran War Drives Global Energy Price Surge
Starmer and Trump Hold First Call After Public Dispute Over Iran Conflict
UK Dentists Returned £1.3 Billion to Government as Shift Toward Private Care Accelerates
Expert Warns UK Must Build Emergency Food Stockpiles to Prepare for Climate Shocks or War
UK Plans Charter Flight to Evacuate British Nationals from Gulf as Regional Conflict Disrupts Air Travel
Families of Zimbabwe’s Liberation Fighters Call on Britain to Help Locate Skulls Taken During Colonial War
Iran’s Ambassador Warns Britain to ‘Be Very Careful’ Over Deeper Role in Expanding Middle East War
UK Military Leadership Defends Britain’s Defensive Role in Expanding Middle East Conflict
×