Birmingham and Doncaster have been selected as the homes of the new National College for High Speed Rail.

The institution will provide specialist vocational training to the next generation of engineers working on the High Speed 2 (HS2) project and beyond.

HS2 has the potential to create as many as 2,000 apprenticeship opportunities, while around 25,000 people are expected to be employed during construction. The boost the project will give to the wider economy could lead to an additional 400,000 jobs.

Secretary of state for business Vince Cable said: "The opening of this college demonstrates that the UK is advancing as a global leader in rail manufacturing - in line with the government’s Industrial Strategy."

The college will be located in Birmingham's city centre Science Park and Doncaster's Lakeside Campus, benefiting from Birmingham's location at the heart of the high speed rail network.