Launched this week alongside the government’s latest Plan for Jobs Progress Update, the jobs will be supported over the next four years, in an ambitious programme of infrastructure investment on record.

And major companies are also planning on large recruitment drives.

The John Lewis Partnership is looking to fill thousands of seasonal jobs to meet increased demand around Christmas, with plans to recruit more than 7,000 temporary workers in its UK John Lewis and Waitrose stores and distribution centres.

According to the retail giant, this was 2,000 more temporary roles than the previous year. The partnership is hiring people for its supermarkets, department stores and warehouses, including delivery drivers for its online grocery division.

It is also looking to fill 550 permanent, full-time, driver and warehouse jobs.

Despite fears around the future of aviation and international travel, low-cost airline Ryanair is expected to create more than 5,000 new jobs for pilots, cabin crew and engineers a over the next five years.

Ryanair will also take delivery of 210 B737 Gamechanger aircraft in this period, as long as there are no adverse Covid developments, and vaccinations remain above 90% across Europe, said a company statement.

Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary said: “The Group is excited to have, earlier this week, opened a €50m (£42.5m) Aviation Training Centre in Dublin, with two further high quality training centres planned for Spain and Poland over the next five years.”

Elsewhere, live-in care company Elder will be creating 1,350 jobs as it recruits for new home carers across the country.

Headquartered in London, Elder is recruiting the new team members to its 3,500 strong team. The recruitment drive comes following a “huge” increase in demand, with a 25% rise in customers over the past year.

Staying with the care sector, a North-East property developer is set to create 300 jobs, which it says will support its expansion plans within its care home division.

After receiving a £15m loan from HSBC UK for its expansion, Malhotra Group, based in Newcastle, currently has 1,000 beds across Prestwick Care, its care home division, and it is planning to double this to 2,000 over the next five years through a mixture of organic growth and acquisitions.

The group currently employs more than 1,200 staff in the region, and the expansion of Prestwick Care is set to create a further 300 jobs over the next three years.

• Comment below on this story. Or let us know what you think by emailing us at [email protected] or tweet us to tell us your thoughts or share this story with a friend.