HS2 invests in young people’s future careers

HS2 Ltd, the company building Britain’s new high-speed railway, has bolstered its investment in future talent by welcoming a new cohort of apprentices and graduates into the business.

This week, 21 new starters will begin a two-year programme of work on Britian’s biggest transport infrastructure project. Young people are welcomed into the business every year, and over the last eight years, HS2 Ltd has taken on 209 apprentices and 125 graduates.

To date, a further 1,713 people have secured an apprenticeship with HS2’s construction partners and their suppliers – bringing the total across the project to 1,922 when combined with those employed directly with HS2 Ltd. This puts the project on track to reach its target of creating 2,000 apprenticeships, underlining the breadth and diversity of the careers on offer with the project.

This year-on-year commitment to investing in young people is helping to plug the UK’s skills gap and creating a legacy of skilled workers to support major infrastructure projects long into the future.

Karen Davis, HS2 Ltd.’s Head of Talent & Resourcing said: "“In total, 34,000 people are now behind the drive to build HS2, in highly skilled jobs that span a broad range of sectors. The scale and complexity of this British engineering feat provides a unique learning environment, with fantastic opportunities for ambitious young people who want to forge successful careers.”

Fourteen men and women secured a place on HS2 Ltd’s 2025 graduate programme and will now join the company’s commercial quantity surveying, project management, environment, and programme controls teams. During their two-year placement, they will rotate across different departments, every six months, to broaden their knowledge and skillset in their specialist field.

A further seven talented youngsters have secured a place on HS2 Ltd’s apprenticeship programme. Five candidates will begin working and studying towards their Level 4 apprenticeship in Project Management, and two candidates will commence Level 4 apprenticeships in Construction and Quantity Surveying.

Lewis Squires, 19, from Wolverhampton said: “I’m really looking forward to getting started in my project management apprenticeship.  HS2 will deliver wide reaching benefits for people who live and work in Britain, and for me personally, being part of something that gives back to people is a real draw.”

Taiwo Omitoyin, 28, from Birmingham said: “I completed a Master’s degree in Humanitarian Engineering with Management, as I’m passionate about infrastructure development and the positive change this can make to people’s lives. I spent the summer on placement with HS2’s construction partner, Balfour Beatty VINCI, which gave me a great insight into the project. Joining the graduate programme is an exciting next step.”

Ben Norton, 24, from southwest London said: "After completing my Master’s degree in Real Estate, HS2’s graduate programme felt like a great career move. I’ve always liked the rail sector and love the idea of playing a part in something for the future. I’ll be joining the commercial quantity surveying team, putting my cost control and project development skills into place as part of the team developing the new Old Oak Common superhub station in west London.”