HS2 has exceeded its original target of creating 2,000 apprenticeships, marking a major milestone in the project’s contribution to skills, employment and long-term economic growth across the UK.
Latest figures show that a further 99 people started apprenticeships between September and December 2025, taking the total number of apprentice starts on the high-speed rail project to 2,032. The achievement comes alongside another landmark: the number of people supported from unemployment into work on HS2 has now reached 5,645, well beyond the original goal of 5,000.
A new HS2 Ltd report, Mind the Skills Gap, estimates that the combined impact of apprenticeships and job starts delivered so far is worth £315m to the UK economy. That figure is expected to rise further as the programme moves from heavy civil engineering into rail systems installation, creating additional skilled roles.
Around 33,000 people are currently employed on HS2, with more than 3,700 UK businesses involved in the supply chain, underlining the project’s scale and reach. HS2 Ltd says its long-term approach to skills planning, set out in its Skills, Employment and Education Strategy published in 2018, has been critical in addressing shortages and ensuring the right skills are available at the right time.
Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said the milestone demonstrated how major infrastructure projects can open up opportunities across the country, adding that a skilled workforce is essential to delivering HS2 efficiently and supporting wider economic growth.
The benefits are being felt locally along the 140-mile route. Of the 2,032 apprentices to date, 34% live in London and the South East and 41% in the West Midlands. Among those supported from unemployment into work, 39% are from London and the South East and 38% from the West Midlands.
HS2’s 2,000th apprentice, 19-year-old Mohammed Sharif from Birmingham, said seeing the project take shape near his home inspired him to pursue a career in civil engineering. Now employed as an apprentice with construction partner Balfour Beatty VINCI, he is working on the railway he once watched being built from his bedroom window.
Mark Wild, Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd, said the milestone reflected a strong commitment to local people and future talent, describing the skills investment as one that will support UK growth “for a generation”.
HS2 Ltd confirmed that recruitment for further apprenticeships will open to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week in February 2026, as the programme continues its reset to deliver the railway as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.
