London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jun 28, 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
UK Government Confirms Further Medicine Price Concessions for Community Pharmacies in June
British Chambers of Commerce Calls for Public Procurement Reform to Boost Regional Growth
Thousands Mark Armed Forces Day Across the United Kingdom With National Parades and Flypasts
Man Arrested in Ealing on Suspicion of Attempted Murder After Vehicle Ramming Incident Injures Five
Cambridge South Station Opens With £250 Million Investment to Strengthen Life Sciences Corridor
UK Heat-Health Alerts Extended Across England as High Temperatures Persist
Thames Water and Energy Operators Warn of Peak Demand Risks During UK Heatwave
Government Conference Highlights Push for Evidence-Led Policy Across UK Public Sector
Insolvency Service Reports Improved Confidence in UK Insolvency System
Security Industry Authority Finds Widespread Safety Failures in UK Night-Time Economy
Nigel Farage Expands Anti-WHO Campaign Into United States With New Lobbying Structure
Home Secretary Seema Mahmood Unveils New Safe Routes Plan for Asylum Seekers
UK Government Warns of Peak Electricity and Water Pressure Amid Ongoing Heatwave
New Nuclear Plant in Wales Named Gwyndod Power Station as Energy Strategy Advances
UK Announces First Major Hydropower Projects in Four Decades to Expand Renewable Capacity
Thirteen Men Charged in Major UK Sexual Abuse Case as Investigation Continues
UK Launches Cross-Sector Climate Security Taskforce Linking Environment and National Security
UN Secretary-General António Guterres Calls for Urgent Global Methane Emissions Cuts in London
World Bank Approves $1 Billion UK-Backed Financing Package for Ukraine Recovery
UK Pledges Emergency Aid and Rescue Team Deployment to Earthquake-Hit Venezuela
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75 Percent for Fourth Straight Meeting
Record-Breaking Heatwave Puts Strain on UK Health Services and Energy Networks
London Ambulance Service Sees Record Emergency Demand as Heatwave Intensifies
British Chambers of Commerce Warns of Prolonged Weak Investment Climate Through 2027
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates as Inflation Risks Persist
UK Construction Sector Faces One Percent Contraction Amid Cost and Investment Pressures
Former DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson Convicted of Sexual Offences
Church of England Appoints Dr Linsay Cunningham to Lead Faith and Public Life Division
UK Armed Forces Day Marked Nationwide With Events From Aberdeen to the Scilly Isles
Rising Tensions in Edinburgh Prompt Joint Warning From Scottish Local Government Leaders
UK Construction Sector Forecast to Contract One Percent in 2026 on Cost Pressures
UK Parliament Backs 87 Percent Emissions Cut as Government Deepens Electrification Drive
British Chambers of Commerce Forecast Weak UK Growth as Investment and Demand Slow
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75 Percent Amid Energy and Inflation Uncertainty
London Ambulance Service Reports Record Surge in Life-Threatening Emergency Calls During Heatwave
UK Parliament Approves Legally Binding 87 Percent Emissions Cut Target by 2040
United Kingdom Records Third Consecutive Day of Record June Heat as Europe Faces Worsening Heatwave
Robert Jenrick Defends £5 Million Donation to Nigel Farage Amid Political Scrutiny
Plymouth Museum The Box Wins 2026 Art Fund Museum of the Year Award
UK Government Faces Backlash Over Plans to Use Former Military Sites for Asylum Accommodation
Labour Party Faces Pressure Over Cabinet Stability as Senior Figures Clash on Policy Direction
Heathrow Airport Forecasts Passenger Decline in 2026 as Costs and Climate Disruption Mount
UK Energy Regulator Approves Expansion of Long-Duration Storage to Boost Power System Resilience
Crown Estate Reports Third Consecutive Year of £1 Billion Profit as Debate Over Royal Finances Intensifies
Teenager Charged With Murder in Wales Following Death of 14-Year-Old Boy
Nottingham University Hospitals Maternity Failures Trigger Calls for Public Inquiry Into Patient Safety
EasyJet Rejects £4.9 Billion Takeover Offer From Castlelake but Keeps Door Open for Further Talks
Record Heatwave Triggers UK Transport and Infrastructure Strain as Heathrow Revises Passenger Forecast Downward
Ofgem Approves Sixteen Long-Duration Energy Storage Projects to Strengthen UK Grid Stability
Labour Government Faces Internal Tensions Over Cabinet Decisions and Net Zero Policy Direction
×