London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Sep 06, 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
OpenAI Unveils GPT-6 and Says: "We May Already Have Reached AGI"
Congressman Accused Andrew of Sex Crimes in the United States
Donald Trump: "I'm Glad Harry and Meghan Left the United States"
Spicy Food Is Linked to Lower Death Risk — but It Is Not a Miracle Cure
AfD Enters Saxony-Anhalt Election at 41% in Historic Test for German Politics
Gen Z Turns to Investing as America's First-Home Dream Moves Further Out of Reach
Thousands Join Anti-Abortion March Through Central London
UK Beekeepers Call for Nationwide Tracking as Asian Hornet Sightings Increase
England Sees Sharp Rise in Property Subsidence Claims After Record Summer Heat
House of Lords Advances Financial Services Reform Bill
House of Lords Begins Detailed Scrutiny of Railways Bill and Great British Railways Plan
UK Treasury Cuts Green Book Discount Rate to Support More Regional Infrastructure Projects
Reform UK Suspends Two Senior Aides After Undercover Report on Foreign Donation Rules
UK Chancellor Warns Autumn Budget Will Require Tough Choices as Energy Shock Squeezes Public Finances
UK Parliament Raises Concerns Over Funding Structure of £400 Million Tropical Forest Initiative
Andy Burnham Launches Number 10 North as Part of UK Devolution Push
UK Reaffirms Falkland Islands Sovereignty Amid Renewed Regional Pressure
Andy Burnham to Abstain From Assisted Dying Vote as Ministers Are Told to Remain Neutral
Kemi Badenoch Sacks Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride in Conservative Economic Strategy Shake-Up
UK Government Drops Early Prisoner Release Plan in Favor of Deportations and Wider Prison Reform
UK Farmers Warn Drought-Hit Harvests Could Push Grocery Prices Higher
UK Economy Faces Persistent Stagflation Risks Ahead of October Budget
Masked Protesters Block Port of Dover Roads, Disrupting Cross-Channel Traffic
Reform UK Suspends Senior Officials After Undercover Investigation Into Foreign Donation Plans
UK Urges Households to Keep Emergency Supplies Amid Severe El Niño Warning
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Sets Out Regional Industry and Prison Reform Agenda
Siemens Energy Wins Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactor Manufacturing Contract
UK Mortgage Costs Rise as Gilt Yields and Swap Rates Climb
Bank of England’s Huw Pill Calls for Prompt Rate Rise as Inflation Risks Persist
National Audit Office Warns UK Is Unprepared for Major Food Supply Disruptions
British Army Suspends Some Training Exercises as Budget Pressures Intensify
HMS Queen Elizabeth Deploys as NATO Allied Response Force Command Ship
Reform UK Suspends Two Senior Officials Over Alleged Foreign Donation Scheme
UK Reasserts Falkland Islands Sovereignty After Argentina Threatens Sanctions
Scottish Tech Company PureLifi Enters Administration With More Than 40 Job Losses
Scottish Government Names Alyn Smith Innovation and Education Minister
Green Party Co-Leader Zack Polanski to Contest By-Election for Keir Starmer’s Former Seat
Palestine Action Activists Appeal Terrorism-Related Prison Sentences
PwC Report Highlights Persistent Regional Spending-Power Divide Across Britain
UK Names Hundreds of Employers for Minimum Wage Violations
UK Commits £400 Million to International Tropical Forest Fund
UK Extends £2 Bus Fare Cap Across England Through 2027
UK Warns Travellers as US-Iran Tensions Disrupt Middle East Security and Shipping
Andy Burnham Faces Kemi Badenoch in First Prime Minister’s Questions
Kemi Badenoch Names Andrew Griffith Shadow Chancellor in Conservative Reshuffle
UK Treasury and Markets Focus on Fiscal Headroom Ahead of Autumn Budget
UK Government Reverses Early Release Plans for Serious Violent and Sexual Offences
UK and France Review Border Cooperation After 48,000 Small-Boat Crossings Prevented
UK Growth Outlook Weakens as Inflation and Energy Costs Rise
Breeding Tropical Mosquitoes Discovered in East London
×